Terrible chemo-related nausea. Ideas? Help!?

Question

Thanks in advance for your assistance and insight.

I am in search of ANY remedies which are natural and safe. The nausea my friend is experiencing due to chemo treatments (and high levels of morphine for pain) is absolutely torturous; present at every moment of her day.

I have a few ideas from my limited studies in herbalism, but PLEASE enlighten me with any ideas you may have. I am interested in anything from teas to soups, poultices to bath preparations. Her specific cancer type is: bone, lung, retinal and lyphatic.

Thank you so much.

Answer 1

i have cancer and the best thing that helped me is marijuana, but i live in a state that allows you to use it naturally. the one prescription form available everywhere is called MARINOL. comes in small geltabs. it has the same effect and will help your friend. just ask the doctor for it.

Answer 2

She needs to follow the advice of her physician. This may sound crude, but this is not time for experimental herbal remedies.
She needs
Zofran
Anzemet
Metoclopramide
Compazine
Hydralazine
Dexamethazone
Morphine particularly causes nausea, it is a side effect which is very common, stopping the pain medication is not an option, however, she needs to constantly be taking something to combat the nausea and not skip doses.
I work with an Oncologist who laughed when I told him our pt had been smoking pot to combat nausea from Pancreatic cancer. IT WORKED! The pt said it was the best anti nausea medicine he ever used.
Now it is prescribed in a pill called marinol.
Sometimes, cancer pts have to come into the hospital for more aggressive treatment and IV hydration.

Answer 3

The only natural remedy I would recommend is crystallized ginger. Your friend really should speak with her doctor about controlling her nausea. There are so many great antiemetics now, like Aloxi, Zofran, Emend and Anzemet as well as old standbys like Ativan and Phenergan. Your friend could also try a scopolamine patch, or Marinol. I would also suggest that she take her nausea meds around the clock. She may even need to be admitted to be given IV fluids and IV antiemetics in order to get the nausea under control. It always upsets me whn I run into doctors who are willing to treat patients with chemotherapy but not treat their nausea aggressively. Don't try any other herbal remedies, though. We often don't know how they interact with other medications.
Be a strong advocate for your friend and don't stop nagging the doctor until she is given something that makes her feel better.

Answer 4

Well you have to be jarful when dealing with hers and chemo. However they can take ginger. This helps people with morning sickness, to nausea due to car rides, and even chemo patients. I take it, and it is the only thing I have found that works for my car sickness. As for your friend it is recommended to drink lots of water, and maybe that milk thistle. This helps the lives expel toxins faster. Also there is a product called Flora Essence. This is on old remedy that many people with cancer have used to reduce or even cure. I work in a health food store, and I find that this is one of the most popular products. Another suggestion is juicing. Your body needs all the nutrition it can get when you have cancer...and juice can really help. Hope your friend starts feeling better.

Answer 5

She is in serious condition, Oh my- I am sorry for her pain. We always gave ativan and ketol for nausea. Anything herbal is a bad idea because she has got so many things going on and they can make things worse, trust me! We also gave alot pf phenergan for nausea - all prescribed medications. I say let her eat and drink whatever she wants, because she probably is losing weight. Carrott juice may be good for her immune system, but I am sure she takes shots for that. Ask the doctor and her if she would like homade carrott juice??
Maybe some ginger, but really nothng is as good as the medicine . I t is a difficult situation and a I am glad she has a friend like you who seems to care so much for her. On behalf of all those who suffer alone, I thank you for being with her. It is an extensive process and hebal meds can interfere with certain meds and blood clotting internally. Just try to get her to eat ice cream or something during those brief moments she doesn;t fell nauseated. She may need to have those narcotic pain reliever lollipops to her in addition to Morphine for the pain. ALso, they do have Marinol- it is a legal prescribed gel capsul of thc- marihuana; she could try that in addition to her other anti nausea medications.

Answer 6

Your friend would need to co-ordinate any of these products with her doctor as herbal remedies can counteract or intefere with chemotherapy. If she is having this much trouble than her doctor may elect to lower the dosage of the drugs. We found for my son that he had to stay in front of the nausea, so he stayed medicated on a regular schedule while he had chemotherapy. It worked for him.

I assume she has tried all the anti-nausea meds now available? The NCCN has posted information on how to keep nausea and vomiting under control. Maybe you could find some information to help her there:

http://www.nccn.org/patients/patient_gls/_english/_nausea_and_vomiting/contents.asp

Answer 7

I went through chemo and experienced the same things, the only time I was okay was when I was sleeping because I was not in pain, or very sick at that time. I suffered on pills the doctor gave me which were very expensive ($50- 100 each pill) and those didn't work. If I went back in time I would have smoked pot like it was going out of style. I have never even tried it to this day but would definitely recommend it to your friend. They say it helps with pain and nauseaus.

Answer 8

Marijuana has anti-nausea effects. It's legal to use it for medicinal purposes with a doctor prescription in Canada. I'm not suggesting that you do anything illegal here. In Canada, you can buy medicinal marijuana, but I don't think you can in many other places.

There are anti-nausea drugs like Zofran that might help, but they are expensive and might not be practical for home use. Gravol may help. It can be bought non-prescription.

Answer 9

Sometimes we have to accept the fact that God gave man the ability to design medications. Once that is done, she should see her oncologist, they have meds for the nausea. Breast cancer 5 yrs ago.

Answer 10

Avoid dairy products and try tea from peppermint,ginger or chamomile. Have her just sip on the tea .