my chemo was very harsh...?

Question

I had the first of 8 treatments last week. I was givin cytoxin and adrmicin ( spelling sorry ). The side effects hit me hard. Even after all the nausua medication ( everything they had ) nothing worked. It was four days before I could eat or even hold water down. I ended up in the hospital for days...the doctor gave me more meds and nothing helped. To make is worse I had nothing to get sick with and was having dry heaves...later I couldnt go to the restroom and was backed up from that also.
Even after I mean the top meds for nausau I was still so sick I couldnt move.
My cycles of chemo will be every three weeks...next week I go in again. Is there anything I can take that will help me with my nasua...

Answer 1

That's not good and you shouldn't have to suffer as there are many options available to help get you through. Personnaly I found chewing on dried Ginger and also sipping on ginger ale helped greatly. But the best medication was a drug called EMEND, this was absolutely magic, but it was important to take it before starting the session of chemo and take it on a daily basis during chemo. Following is a link to the EMEND site for more info. Speak to your oncologist about it and see what they say. All the best....

Answer 2

I'm sorry you're having such a rough time with chemo.

Please tell your oncologist every detail before your next chemo. Has your anti-sickness medication been changed at all? They should be able to adjust it until they get the right combination for you. I'm a very 'sicky' person (morning sickness, travel sickness), but though I felt nauseous a lot of the time on chemo I never actually threw up thanks to the medication.

I didn't find the physical symptoms as awful with my second and subsequent chemos; the first was definitely the worst. There's no guarantee that will be the case for you, but it is for some people.

I gather you had constipation as well; I know how hellish that is during chemo, but I only had it during the first cycle. If you have it again try Senokot - don't know if that's what it's called where you are - and use glycerin suppositories (not very dignified but nothing about chemo is).

I don't know if they will work for nausea as severe as yours has been, but the things I've found helped are cola (some people find it works better if you let it go flat first) and ginger in any form.

Good luck with the rest of your treatment. Remember the most important thing of all - tell your oncologist every detail of your reaction to this first chemo.

Answer 3

The first chemo session is often the worst one, so hopefully your following treatments will get better. My son had high dose Cytoxan, Vincristine, and Adriamycin (Doxirubicin) cycled with Ifosomide and Etoposide for nine months.

He was an inpatient (hospitalized) for each cycle and I think that makes a huge difference. You may need to take your cycle as an inpatient until you can get your reaction under control. My son also has a 'central line' that can be assessed immediately.

The reaction that you are having and the lack of effect from the meds may be due more to being dehydrated . . especially if you are constipated too. You may need extra fluids. If you have a central line than ask to be well hydrated before starting chemotherapy. Also ask for liquid meds that can go directly through your line, that's pretty instant. My son used around the clock IV meds to control his nausea. This is the regiment he followed. He rotated his meds so that he was always on something for 24 hours:

1. Miralax & ducolax - for bowel movements
2. Zophran - 12 hour dose
3. Ativan - for nausea - every 4 to 6 hours
4. Benedryl - always made him sleepy
5. Occasionally kytril

The key is to stay ahead of the nausea by taking the medication before you start the treatment . . than take it around the clock on a schedule. Also drink plenty of fluids or ask to have hydration through an IV.

And, finally, certain smells could trigger nausea so my son kept a bottle of 'essense of peppermint' handy . . and whenever he felt sick he would sniff the bottle and that seemed to help.

Best to you, and remember if you feel lousy just think what the treatment is doing to the cancer.

Stay strong, stay focused, and remember that once the chemo stops you will start feeling better.

Answer 4

I had that treatment in 2000. It was very uncomfortable, though maybe not as bad as you. I had something for the nausea put in the IV with the Adriamiacyn and the Cytoxin. It helped a lot for the nausea. The other thing is that the nausea lessens after the third day and gradually you feel a little better until the next treatment. I worked very little during this time finding I was very drained.

Answer 5

the same happened to me, with also 8 cycles. the first one was the worst which i went to hospital too, gee, valentines day with my partner trying to eat hospital food, yay! The second one didn't make me as sick , then it got easier and easier! Speak to your oncologist when you see them next before your next chemo and tell them everything! Have heaps of water and fruit drinks! Noni juice is really good and v8! i ate boiled eggs and bread, yogurt, stews, soups. Try the best you can! If it is breast cancer, have flaxseed oil everyday, it helps! You'll be right, it will get better for you! I know how much it sucks but time goes by, day by day!

Answer 6

Sorry to hear your treatment was so rough. I can't say for certain because I think it is different for each person, but my first was my worst, the rest got easier to some extent.

I am not a doctor, just someone in similar circumstances, so don't take my suggestions over that of a doctor. A medication they gave me for nausea was Ondansetron, and it worked well for me.

Answer 7

Yes. Read more from the link below. Its called Nikken's Dunaliella Hard Capsules. Besides taking dunaliella hard capsules consider Nikken Eva Yang, Nikken's Chlostanin Gold and Nikken's Go Signal.

It helps one to recover their strength in no time. You can just take 2 kinds Dunaliella Hard capsules and Eva Yang but you have to ensure that you also detox as you might have taking too much medicine and need to ensure it flushes out before your body can absorb more things.

Many cancer patients have used this product and Dunaliella is known to have helped cancer patient to relieve their pain.

Product available online only. Never give up, life is always wonderful.

Answer 8

I did a search, and the only thing I saw was that Ginger can help relieve nausea. Maybe if you took some beforehand? Not sure what form it comes in. I sincerely wish you luck, and I'm sorry you're going through such an awful thing. :(

Answer 9

You should not be taking both cytoxan and adriamycin simultaneously, ask if you can take one or the other and after this round take the other. I was on three different kinds including the ones you are on and did not have anything like these sypmtoms

Answer 10

I had the same drugs, also in 3 week cycles. They gave me Zofran and Phenergan. I had some problems, but nothing like what you're describing. I wish you all the best. Hang in there.