Hi
I am on day 5 of my first TAX and have started to experience digestive problems, e.g. gripy tum, pain and gastric reflux. I have been prescribed Lansoprazole and also taking Gavison but does anyone have any other tips on how to deal with this, I am desparate to avoid the squirts if I can!
I am quite into natural remidies and will consider pretty much anything that might help!
In desparation
DaisyGirl xx
Hi Daisygirl,
Sorry you are suffering.
If you look on the left hand side of the page you will see ‘undergoing treatment chemotherapy’. If you click on that you will find Topic: Top tips to help get you through Chemotherapy. This has been compiled to help with all the varied side effects of chemotherapy.
Hope it helps,
E
Thanks Emmbee, I am in a bad way tonight
DaisyGirl x
Hi
So sorry to hear that you are having a real bad time following your Tax. I too had quite a horrible time on Tax and my GP increased my Omepraxole dose (doubled it) to help with the reflux and indigestion. Please get in touch with your GP and let them help you with these side effects.
Take care, J.
Hello Daisygirl
My stomach and guts were badly affected too and I had pain and diarrhoea. I was already taking pantoprazole and my onc suggested taking Immodium and paracetamol. I did this and found it a great help. I felt much better within 24 hours.
I hope you feel better soon.
Anthi x
Thanks for the tips Ladies, the bone pains have stopped this morning and so I am feeling a little more positive but the upset tum continues. I am seeing my Onc tomorrow and will talk to them about it and perhaps also see my GP. As I have 2 more TAX to go I would like to get on top of it so that I can just deal with it when it comes next time.
Thanks again for responding, having your support means a great deal.
DaisyGirl xx
hi daisy girl,
hope you are feeling better, i am on day 6 today of my 6th tax of 6 all the 6’s hey,
just wondering if you had any other ses, i have spent since sunday in bed the fatigue was absolutely unbelievable, this time the worst of all i think,
hope you are getting there, if you need any more help just post, i too have had a gripey tum this time, but i think mine may have been down to the nystatin for the mouth thing i had going on.
omg i have never known anything quite like this, have you anyway keep your chin up, it gets better eventually,
lots of love liz xxxxx
Hi Liz
I was flat out almost immediately after the 1st treatment, like a floppy doll, the pain kicked in on day 4 and gradually built over the next 2 days and then the tummy probs started yesterday. Last night was a very low point and I just blubbed all over OH. But this morning floppy doll and pain has nearly gone (at least for now) and I am just left with very gripy tum and sore fingers and mouth. I am going to see if I can find any natural remidies that may speed up repair of my mouth and tum, going to start with Aloe Vera (she is such a lovely lady!) and see where it takes me.
DaisyGirl xx
hi daisygirl,
i wash my mouth out with bircarbonate of soda dilute 1 tsp in a mug of warm water, DO NOT SWALLOW IT,
its quite revolting but it does the trick with the white, furry sore thrush, no taste thing.
hope this helps, i have also read lots of threads on here that aloe vera is very good if sipped slowly,
lots of love liz xxx
OK, this is the plan! Immodium for the squirts, bicarb for furry tongue, homeopathic toothpaste for sore mouth, aloe vera juice to help sooth tum and speed up healing… I will beat this!
Hi Daisygirl,
You will find that pure pineapple juice is the best thing for a sore mouth. Take a mouthful, swish it around for about ten seconds and spit it out. Do this four times and four times a day. Swallow a few mouthfuls when you have finished swishing. It must be pure and you can get it from Asda and I am sure other supermarkets.
Bi-carb is very good but it can very quickly be absorbed in the mouth and if you have too much will make you ill.
Start the Immodium on the day you have the Tax. By day 3 you may be constipated, that’s when you change to Dulcoease capsules. However, the Aloe Vera may stop you being constipated. You just have to play around until you find the right things for you as we are all different.
E
Thanks Emmbee, I have a fresh pineapple which I will juice in the morning, see how I get on. Tum seems to have settled down a bit so fingers crossed I am over the worst for this cycle!
DaisyGirl xx
Hi daisy I did find when I had diarrhoea with tax I got a very very sore bum!I used Sudacrem but someone recommended a nappy rash cream from the chemist and it helped a lot.I couldnt really eat much but developed odd cravings at odd times [egg and chips at 3am anyone!!]I was lucky in that my oh was very understanding indeed-he even got up at 3am to cook the above as I hadnt eaten for a few days.
Valx
Hi Daisy, I have already posted on the docetaxil post, I have just had my first tax 8 days ago and was floored 4 days later. Like you I have suffered terribly with stomache problems, I’m now on 80mg omeprazole, rinitadine and gaviscon every day, sometimes even that doesn’t work! been in agony sometimes to the point I could could cry, barely able to eat most days because of it.
I wanted to try alloe vera juice but my onc said NO! cos they don’t know how it will react with the chemo, although it’s a herbal thing sometimes even herbs can interact, I know others have said they have used it, and to be honest i’m still tempted sometimes cos the pain so bad, maybe you should check with your onc first.
I have had all the other SE’s you described but the stomache problems have been the worst by far.
Hope you are feeling better now.
Pumpkin x
I am seeing Onc today and will check all this with them, they need to get their act together regarding treatment for this side affect, I feel like I am just being left blowing in the wind (no pun intended!).
Had a good meeting with Onc’s assistant and discussed stomach/mouth issues.
He advised rinsing mouth and gargling with soluble asprin or paracetamol, if paracetamol it is still OK to take tablets as long as you don’t swallow and to take them regularly.
He also prescibed Antepsin (sucralfate) which coats the stomach lining and should ease the stomach pain. He also confirmed OK to take Imodium as and when necessary.
Re Aloe Vera juice, it is OK for me to take BUT it can cause diarrhoea and as the TAX can as well (and I have the symptoms) this is something I need to bear in mind.
He also said that as this is day 8 this is about as bad as it will get but sadly, he also indicated that although the symptoms might ease a little over the next two weeks this is pretty much it whilst I am on TAX so thank God I only have two more to go!
Thanks to everyone for their support with this, it has been greatly appreciated, I am not usually a blubbering wreck but this really knocked me sideways!
DaisyGirl xx
Hi Daisy girl, Thanks for the update, I think I might ask for antepsin, see if it helps, nothing else seems to work. I totaly get what you mean about it getting you down. I hope it works for you, thankfuly you only have two to go, I have another five to go and dreading it if it’s gonna be like this all the way through!! let me know how you get on with it.
Pumpkin x
Hi Daisygirl,
I agree that gargling with aspirin or paracetamol is good but, it only helps with the pain and does not cure the problem. I was quite surprised to discover how little the hospital staff knew about side effects of Tax, GP’s are even worse. Luckily, I had a friend who had gone through the chemo and was able to advise me. Pineapple juice prevents or cures ulcers. If you get thrush there is no way you will clear it without the proper medication. My Onc was up to speed with this and prescribed Fluconazole 50mgs for 5 days. Some oncs just dish out tablets to suck but thrush gets right into your body and it needs blasting out. If you are desperate you can get a Canestan 1 tablet/capsule from the chemist as long as you are under 60 years.
You should be on the best side now until your next dose. Can you eat okay? I found that sweet things were fine but anything with starch was awful. Waxy potatoes, carrots, garden peas and sweetcorn all went down well. Trifles, creme caramel and yoghurt slid down nicely when I did not feel like eating. Dry ginger, horlicks and hot chocolate were all good to drink.
Hope your new tummy medicine helps.
E
Hi Ladies
I was told that I do not currently have thrush but will watch for it, all I need now is an itcy f***y!
Definately going for the pineapple juice and know what you mean about sweet things, I am a savoury girl at heart but chocolate is starting to look tempting and I have also been naughty with a Magnum Classic, I even made myself a rice pudding the other day!
I am trying to eat good things so I can fight all the SE’s but it is difficult to find things that don’t just taste like slimey wallpaper paste and spicy food is now very definately off the menu!
Have a good evening and will keep you posted on my progress!
DaisyGirl xx
Hi again,
It matters not what you eat for the next couple of months, you can be good again after the Tax is over. Just eat what goes down easily and make the most of your naughty time, even Magnums.
E