Hi all
Fec 2 last Monday and leaving hospital with all my new anti-sickness meds (including something to make me less anxious when I get to hospital next time which I didn’t ask for, but I think is due to me crying EVERY time I walk into the hospital (blood tests included), I felt that I would be better, but no I was worse. The sickness and nausea were terrible - is there anything else I can ask for next time. I tried to ask for Emend but the chemo nurse ignored me ??? (prob as I was sniffing and crying at the time). One good thing was it has only lasted 7 days and not 8.
Any anti sickness tips greatly greatly appreciated.
Hi Rachel - sorry to hear you’re having such a hard time. For me it was gallons and gallons of water (day before, day of and day after) i mean tons and tons of the stuff and one of those anti sickness bracelets. i got mine from America, only because its the only way i could get one that you only needed one of - i think the ones sold eg Amazon you had to wear one on each wrist. i swore by it. Hope you get some good advice and feel better soon.
yes, there are lots of other things that can be done. I started to get anticipatory nausea so that every time I walked into hospital or smelled the alco hand gel I felt sick. I was given something but it didn’t agree with me making me feel dizzy and spaced out. For some people though it does work really well.
You do need to speak to your Oncologist not just the chemo nurse. By the time you’re having chemo it’s too late really as the Oncologist needs to write up your anti sickness meds beforehand which maybe why the chemo nurse didn’t respond to you then. You will need to really make your case.
Other options:
Emend (my hospital wouldn’t pay for that)
Levomeprazine (Nosinan). This is effective but knocks you out. I had it for the first two days taking a tablet shortly before my chemo session.
Domperidone. I had this in addition to the above. As suppositories for the first two or three days and then switched to oral tablets. You take them before meals and it was the only way I could eat anything. I took them for the duration of my chemo as I had nausea through out.
If you are unable to drink after chemo because of sickness or nausea, it really helps if your chemo nurse will give you an extra bag of fluid after the chemo. That way you’re hydrated before you leave hospital.
To start with, if you can contact your chemo nurses now then I would and explain how ill you’ve been and that you don’t know how to get through this. They can then advise.
Fab replies thank you. Tried the ginger biscuits but were no help, I have a bit of a craving for marmite on crackers and that did help - eating little and often. Will try bracelet and asking for Emend again. I think I also have anticipatory nausea (great wording for ‘it’s all in your mind dear’!) as when I look at the packaging for my meds I feel sick.
Hi Rachel,
Sorry you are having such a rubbish time.
Re anti nausea tips. You might like to try: not lying down imm. after a meal, eating little and often, avoiding extremes of temp in food and drink- ie no iced drinks - and food at room temperature. Also no fatty foods.
I was also told that once your brain had started to associate chemo with sickness, it was difficult to break that. On saying that, I was sick, and the emend certainly helped hugely, and I have not been since (so far!) but perhaps something like hypnotherapy would help to make you feel calmer, and less sick?
Best of luck, it is miserable feeling like this, but it won’t last forever,
Tracey x
It’s not *just* ‘all in your mind’ any more than a queasy stomach before an exam is, disliking a particular food if it has once made you sick, or when a food or smell has a strong association with a negative event. I couldn’t stand the smell of chamomile for years after my 3rd was born, as that was what I had been drinking while I still thought I had flu and that it would settle my stomach. It hadn’t make me sick, obviously, but the association with monumental morning sickness stayed with me long afterwards.
Rachel the sickness is definately not in youre mind and it certainly is real and horrible but i must admit that i was worse even with the thought of taking the tablets and wasnt sure if it was psychosomatic or just the chemo or both but i definately know i didnt have anymore after the Emend and also swore by eating little and often ( even if you feel queezy) and my travel bands and sticking plasters behind each ear ( i know im nuts but it worked)x
Hi
Re sickness i am on day 6 of my first fec and yipeeee i dont feel sick today!!! i have not been sick at all but have felt sick… I found that marmite on toast / ryvita helped and also i put a piece of ginger into boiling water then sipped it also helped relieve the nausea a bit… I was told that fresh pineapple was good aswell but this gave me really bad indigestion but hopefully one of these may work for you, I guess its all trial and error!!!
I do have a very strange sensation on my head its kind of feels like i have little insects running through my hair… got my oh to check to see if i had nits LOL!!! but no i dont have them!!! Has anyone else had this or am i going mad aswell as everything else???
Kaz x
Hi Rachel Sorry to hear that you feel sick. I had 6 x FEC and always felt nauseous for 10 days after but I found eating little and often was a big help as well as sipping flat coke. Seemed to keep the nausea at bay. Good Luck.
Hi everyone, im new on here, was diagnosed with Melluary Cancer on 10th Dec Op was on 16th, very lucky girl to find it so early as it’s only 3% of all BC’s Fast growing,and invasive, thankfully not spread to Lymph Nodes, start my 1st chemo on 28th Jan , so any tips or experiences would be very welcome!
My friend has just finished her chemo and given me some good advice so im going to pass on this to you all, as the meds given from Hospital for sickness didn’t work for her but she swears by:-
TOP TIP
Ginger Root Capsules(Natural herb supplement) 2 a day, i got mine from Hollands and Barrats, she says she did not feel sick at all when she took these, you can also open up the capsuals and put in warm water with lemon and honey as a drink if you wish, so im helping her spread the word, i’ve started to take them already
