Upper respiratory problems seem more frequent after chemo. Is this common?

John212
John212 Member Posts: 116 Member
in Colorectal Cancer #1

In the last six months, I've had three bouts of severe upper respiratory congestion combined with coughing and nasty nasal drip. This is three more than I had had in the two or three years before my diagnosis and treatment last year, so now I'm curious. Could it be that chemo left me more vulnerable to the common cold and its relatives? Is this something that anyone else has noticed, or am I just a special snowflake (with the sniffles)? 

Comments

  • JanJan63
    JanJan63 Member Posts: 2,478 Member
    #2
    You made me laugh! I think

    You made me laugh! I think you're just a special snowflake! Seriously, I don't know. I seem to have post nasal drip since my blood clot while I was on chemo and my voice is now very quiet. The medical pros think it's scarring from all the tubes I had in my throat but if I can clear it enough I have a voice so I don't think it's that. Maybe it's from the chemo, I don't know at this point. This all happened in December so it's been a while. I thought I'd have more of a voice by now. If I'm dehydrated I also lose my voice and with the ostomy that happens a lot.

  • Lovekitties
    Lovekitties Member Posts: 3,364 Member
    #3
    Allergies or virus

    I have had more difficulty with allergies this past winter and spring.  I found that a cool mist humidifier worked well in the winter when the furnace was on.

    My daughter was just telling me about a new virus that mimics allergies.  Docs are having difficult time determining one from the other.

    Either way, an immune system compromised by chemo, might make you more of a special snowflake than ususal.

    Here is a tissue... #

    Marie who loves kitties

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,796 Member
    #4
    I'm almost scared to post this

    but, I have not had a runny nose or cold since I started chemo in January of 2013. It's wonderful! I can only think that the chemo did it, as I usually got the yearly cold, and not to have one for over 2 years months is unreal. So, I've no idea if your suffering from something chemo related or not, but I'm sorry that you didn't get as lucky as me.

    Sue - Trubrit

  • Helen321
    Helen321 Member Posts: 1,459 Member
    #5
    Lol special snowflake. Since

    Lol special snowflake. Since chemo I have had 6 to 8 colds in just two years and I was sick the entire month of December. I no longer shake hands with people . I don't kiss people hello and if you have a cold, I won't come near you. No less love, just less contact and a whole heck of a lot of hand washing and not touching my face. Not one cold since December. Knock on wood.

  • John212
    John212 Member Posts: 116 Member
    #6
    The good news

    I think the good news is that this time the affliction seems to have already begun to wind down in less than a week. That's very unusual for a cold virus so I figure it's actually something else. Maybe a new allergy? Anyway, since the experiences of the few who have posted here were so varied, I'm inclined to think that there isn't much of a relationship between this and chemo, unless the relationship is that almost everyone's body responds to chemo a little differently.

    Thanks for your thoughts, folk.s I'll go into the weekend smiling that I'm a special snowflake.  Cool

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