Hi my names Michelle and I had my second go of chemo today only 3 mins in I had a reaction I felt like a hot kettle had been put on my chest and I couldn’t breath all the nurses where brilliant and was there to help me but when I tried again i was too tense and I kept getting pain in my chest but I think I was just to panicky the second time round so they stopped it again I just want to no if anyone else has been threw this and any tips please as I have to go back next week and try it again x
Hi Michelle, Reaction to the chemo can happen, sorry you’ve had it happen, was it t that you reacted to? Your team will have seen it all before and will know what to do next week, so you are in safe hands and do speak to them before or your onc to ask the questions you want answers to before your next one. It happened to me on my 2nd t and after a bag of antihistamine was administered the restarted it again all the time I just wanted to rip it out and run for the hills, but had to sit there because my will for it to get any stray cells took over the you can do this do phone the nurses on here too, they will be able to answer questions too Shi xx
Hi Michelle
First a big hug - chemo is bad enough without reactions. I had two reactions, first to the C in EC and then to my first paclitaxel, despite the antihistamine at the start, but neither was as strong as yours and both reactions subsided as soon as I was flushed out. If you are really frightened of it happening again and can’t be reassured, ask BEFORE your next treatment appointment if the oncologist can prescribe something to help with the anxiety. I am phobic but my oncologist prescribed 2 lorazepam each time (I got the 2 tablets ready for the next treatment - never a batch!) and miraculously, I felt calm and just normal. It got me through my chemo. It may help you face your next one and then, when nothing bad happens, you may not need it again. Your GP could prescribe something milder but only hospitals can prescribe this.
Best of luck anyway. The Oncologist/nurses presumably will increase your antihistamine dosage x