My First Treatment Yesterday

welcome to the beginning

Clon,

Welcome to the H&N forum, sorry that you are in for the duration.

Many, many H&N members get nauseated.  You learn to pre-emptive and if that doesn’t work you speak with your team (nurses and doctor) about another med (there are many).  For many, you do adapt to a degree and learn to try every tick in the book.

I do recommend drinking lots of  water and swallowing often.

Now, hurry up and get better so you can enjoy this ride.

Matt

Cisplatin

Clon,

I don't know what kind of kemo I was given, whether it was Cisplatin or something else but nausea or vomiting was never an issue with me. I was given 2 medications for nausea, Ondasetron HCL and Prochlorperazine Maleate. I was told to take the latter in an emergency. Perhaps your oncologist might consider these two medications.

Tak...

Cisplastin

I had the same basic therapys. I was sick for about 3 days following the chemo day. Then it gradually cleared up by the next round of chemo. Drink as much water as you can then drink another gallon. It will help with constipation down the road. I also got hiccup on the second day after chemo almost to the hour. Hey, we are all different and hopefully its just a one and done for you.

Heartburn

Clon,

Not sure if you suffer from reflux or not, but mine got worse during treatment, and the one time I threw up was due to bad reflux at night.  During treatment I went from one Omperozal  to two and that did the trick for me.

Otherwise, they expect you to be nauseous from time to time but actually throwing up is unusual.  All I can suggest is communicating that to your team and perhaps they will change something up with the meds.  Ativan is another good one for nausea though it is used to treat anxiety.

Hope you get this under control and I'll be praying.

Joel

I had both anti-nausea pills

I had both anti-nausea pills available, and it was included in my cocktail.  I started having reactions about 4 hours after chemo treatment, it became severe by week 4.  It took the form of fevers and chills.  I strongly endorse speaking to your infusion team nurses, in addition to your oncol.  Probably, you will find yourself needing daily hydration infusions by week 4, and your infusion nurses become your lifeline.   If you can afford it, I would look into purchasing a blood-pressure cuff, and definitely at least one digital thermometer.  Always have a thermometer available, it is a critical first indicator.  Costco has them both in abundance, I would imagine many other retail stores with pharmacies as well. Start monitoring your vitals at home, write all this in your treatment log notebook, along with all instructions, appointments, etc. with your med team.  Probably it is best if that is done by someone besides you, in my case it was my wife.  In a week or two you will be increasingly out of it, and your primary care-giver becomes your mental process.

Chicklette said:

Similar

my husband will start treatments on the 8th and it sounds like you are on a very similar treatment plan.  He is also scc with unknown primary.  36 rads and weekly cisplatin (35 whatever the measurements are).  I'm hoping he doesn't get too nauseous.  We are both getting a bit nervous.  Good luck to you!

How are you?

Missed "seeing" you on here!  How are you and your husband? Thinking of you guys!

Chicklette said:

Thanks

Hi There,

We are holding our own.    Life has been crazy ... we have one kid in baseball and one in driver's ed.  That takes up so much time.  Somehow I have to get my son out driving for 40 hours before he can take his test.  And just about when he is finished, my youngest son (the one playing baseball) will be old enough to start driving, too.  Aaaah!  LOL.  Work is crazy so it just adds to the craziness.  And all of this is on top of my husband starting his cancer treatments next week.   He is doing well for the most part, although I think reality is starting to hit him and he has been on a bit of a rollercoaster emotionally.  I think once we get into a routine he will feel better about the process emotionally.  He will be living with his daughter during the week because we are 70 miles from Boston and she lives much closer. 

I have been thinking about you and your hubby as well.  How is the recovery coming with him?  Did he accept any of his job offers?

Crazy can be good

You are busy!  But, I hope you find it a lovely distraction.  I welcomed crazy at certain points of the treatment because it made my life feel normal.  I remember my hubby going throught the same emotional roller coaster right around the same time.  He knew he had cancer and he knew all the inof about the treatments it was just that it hadn't started and that awful fear of the unknown was setting in.  In an odd way your husband will feel "better" when it begins because one; he starts to get rid of the nasty C and two; he will then know what to really expect.   It's so nice that he has a place to stay during the week and with someone that I am sure he is comfortable with and will take amazing care of him.

 

  My husband is doing pretty good.  The first week of treatment was a lot like the first week of chemo and rads.  We did not know what to expect.  It was rough.  The thick saliva was awful, the coughing and gagging was at it's worst, and he was just over it all.  But by that weekend he was better and now we are in the second week of recovery and there are better changes.  His voice sounds almost normal, the coughing is less and less, and is sleeping better.  Just need to get him to really get fluids in by mouth and to keep swallowing!  He took the job where he had to actually teach a class and we are elated! We have been blessed in more ways than expected and we are grateful!

 

   Keeping you all in my thoughts.  I am here for whatever. Lots of hugs!

 

Andy13460 said:

Hi I start my first treatment on 9th of May so I will be a week behind you all the way, 35 rads and Cisplatin on day 1, 22 & 43

In Ireland they keep you in over night for the Cisplatin and pump you full of fluids and Zofran then Cisplatin followed by more fluids. I have been told to drink as much fluid as possible afterwards I will keep you posted on the symptoms roll on June , good luck with the treatment.

Same schedule

my husband is star on the 8th and has 36 rads.  If all goes as scheduled, you two will finish on the same day.

Clon, ask about Akynzeo or

Clon, ask about Akynzeo or Emend. They are anti nausea meds administered prior to your chemo. My husband did still have some nausea but only actually vomited a couple of times and that was when the mucous was really bad/thick. Good luck on the next round. 

Cisplatin might have made

me feel nauseous, except I had Emend for 3 days following each chemo sessions....tho I didn't feel my personal best, nausea was kept at a minimum.  I also had Ativan (lorazipam) in my nausea schedule to help.  I posted the nausea schedule my Ocologist gave me in my "about me" here in CSN...his words "do not deviate from this schedule!!!"

7 AM.....Zofran

8 AM.....Emend (for the 2nd and 3rd days after day 1 chemo)

10 AM.....Compazine.

1 PM....Ativan

4 PM....Zofran

7 PM.....Compazine.

Bedtime....Ativan

Begin this schedule at the when you get home after your chemo....Continue on the complete schedule for 3 or more full days.

If you feel nauseous on the 4th morning, coninue on the schedule for as many days as needed until you don't feel any more nausea.  At other times between cycles these medications can be used on an "as needed" basis.

Radiation can make a person nauseous...but not usually the first time....you can use these meds ANYTIME you start feeling nausea rear it's head.

p