how can we minimize the side effects?
2007-01-04 04:31:45 · 11 answers · asked by nutritionist34 1 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Cancer
My best tip is to give her a big hug, and tell her you love her. As a Mom, I know that would be the best medicine for me. Good luck and God bless you and your Mom.
2007-01-04 04:40:47 · answer #1 · answered by Jeanne 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Every body reacts differently to chemo, some people even have minimal side effects while others have many. I work in a cancer center and have definitely found that people with lots of family or friend support seem to be more positive and end up doing better. There are various anti nausea medications her doctor can prescribe if this becomes a problem, and good nutrition is key to keeping her strength up which will in turn help her tolerance of the treatments. Good luck, and make sure she uses the support groups your hospital has to offer, if she feels comfortable, because they will include people who have or are going through treatments and those are the people who have the best tips.
2007-01-04 12:50:08 · answer #2 · answered by gmug9 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Chemotherapy leaves most people feeling very weak and nauseous. It usually takes a few days to recover from a treatment, however it has an accumulating effect. By that I mean that the first treatment will most likely not affect her as severely as subsequent ones. There are many different combinations of the substances used for this so it is hard to tell how she will personally tolerate the treatment. The biggest complaint from chemo besides the weakness and nausea, is the constant metallic taste left in the patients mouth. Nothing will taste good to her so be prepared for her loss of appetite. I am sorry your family has to go through this, I just lost my mom to cervical cancer 2 weeks ago. My prayers will be with you and your mom.
2007-01-04 12:40:12 · answer #3 · answered by paradoxical1 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Everyone reacts differently to chemo. She may be ok in the beginning. You might suggest that she go out and look for a wig or head cover now before she's too weak to do so. My mother-in-law did this. She's in her fourth week and still hasn't lost her hair and has been handling chemo much better than we expected. You sound like a great son... (just like my husband!). Take care and God bless.
2007-01-04 12:40:10 · answer #4 · answered by mJc 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
1. Drink LOTS of water. It will help keep any chemo from sitting in her kidneys and bladder and it will flush it all out of her system quicker. (Most chemo nurses will suggest this to her) Plus, chemo patients need to stay well hydrated. Chemo can also slow down the digestive process and cause constiapation so lots of water along with fiber or daily stool softeners (like Colace or the off brand, Wal-Mart sells a generic brand, Equate, that is much cheaper $3.00 as opposed to $11.00) are a big help.
2. Many breast cancer patients get a chemo called "Adriamiacin" which is one chemo I got during my Hodgkin's treatment as well (It's bright red and she might never like to drink red juices again after having it, I can't stand to look at them). If she gets it, she'll get a funny taste in her mouth for about 4 or 5 days. It can also cause mouth sores, they will probably give her ice chips to suck on while she's getting it. This causes blood vessels to restrict and lessens the chances of mouth sores. I recommend taking pop cycles in with you rather than just having ice. By my fourth or fifth treatment the ice nearly made me gag just looking at it. I still can't touch ice chips to this day!
3. A lot of chemo patients end up HATING things they associate with chemo. Food, drink, smell...so if there is something she really loves, tell her to avoid it as much as possible during and just after chemotherapy. Sucking on hard candy can help get rid of the nasty "after chemo" taste, but she'll probably hate those candies later. lol
4. Nurses give patients I.V. nausea meds before chemo and a prescrpition for something like Compazine for after. (Zofran is an awesome anti-nausea drug but it is VERY expensive and more of a last resort) Tell her to go ahead and take the medicine for the first day or two. Often if you wait until you're actually nauseous, it's too late to be of much help. The I.V meds tend to stay in the system for 4 or 5 days as well. I only felt nausiated once during my treatments.
5. Taking short walks and staying active help A LOT with energy and a person's morale during treatment. The healthier and more normal she can live her life, the better she will feel. Even during some of my worst days, I made myself get outside and take a short walk around the block. Fresh air and exercise really do keep a person much stronger than laying around.
Best wishes to her!
2007-01-04 12:51:51 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I just got off one round of chemo,about to start another in a week/Talk to the Dr for sure.They know of the side effects im suprised they have not already talked to you about it.Hey i hope all goes well i didnt have any idea what was about to happen,You will learn more from the Drs.Trust me.
2007-01-04 12:45:09 · answer #6 · answered by craig n 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
my mom has breast cancer and is taking texatear chemo she has lost her hair and finger nails but she is doing great you can go and sit with her while she takes her chemo they will let you thats the best meds for her to have some one with her my mom has had 32 rounds now and hair is comming back
2007-01-05 07:07:22 · answer #7 · answered by mountainchowpurple 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
After my first chemo I felt fine for a few hours........... then my husband was cooking dinner - chicken - and I became nauseous and sick. Windows were opened for fresh air (to get rid of the smell of the chicken), I laid in bed and fell asleep. I was fine after that. The best advice that I was given was to make sure to take your meds!!! Blessings to you all - it can be a difficult fight for everyone.
2007-01-06 02:52:41 · answer #8 · answered by noonecanne 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is something she needs to talk to her oncologist about. I found that the chemo made me really nauseous so they gave me a prescription for Zofran to take BEFORE I got the chemo. That helped a lot.
2007-01-04 12:35:08 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
my sister went through this. the most important thing is for her to believe that she is going to be fine. She has to be positive and smiling and that she will heal.
there are some side effects that she will have to go through them, but with the faith that it will all be over soon, it will be easy.
2007-01-04 12:42:33 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋