Last week I was given some Metoclopramide to take for nausea/sickness. However I wasn’t told when I should take it. Before every meal? Only if I am actually sick?
For reasons I didn’t complete my first chemo session so I haven’t needed the medication yet. I am going tomorrow afternoon for my next session and will try and ask the nurses while I am there. But any advice gratefully received.
Definitely ask the Nurses - is there no leaflet/ instructions with them? They may have some there but take them with you in case they want you to have one .
I don’t know if this is helpful but I get severe nausea and vomitting with migraines and I take Metoclopramide to treat this - it works well if I take one when I feel it coming on as if I wait too long I can’t keep it down long enough for it to work. I’ve taken it on both an empty and full stomach.
With chemo it’s also easier to prevent vomitting than treat it - so don’t wait until you’re sick.
I know people who are / have been on it 3 times a day but whether they would go as far as to say you should take it religiously I don’t know . It may depend on your regime and how you react - as it’s your first one you won’t know but they should be able to go through it with you.
Hope it goes ok tomorrow
Joanne x
Hi I take it in the morning before sickness develops as otherwise it’s to late, so before breakfast but not time specific. That’s usually enough until mid afternoon when I take another so I can eat some dinner and often in before bed too. There are also other anti-nausea medicines that work via different mechanisms like ondansetron. So my normal when feeling thus way is M/O/M and that seems to hold it. When less is needed I drop the evening one.
But agree talk with Onc team or specialist nurses for advise that fits you.
Hi, when i had chemo i was advised to take this medication as and when required (within the max dose limits), but to take one at the very first hint on nausea. Dont wait to be physically sick before you take one, is the advice given to me.
I never needed more than 1 in a day, and i was never sick. In fact i only needed them now and again, but they immediately worked.
Hope this helps, and good luck with your treatment, julie xx
Thanks all for the advice. Partly I was surprised to be given the medication without any real advice. I guess I ought to have asked at the time but I became a bit too passive and accepting of all that happened.
I was told their effect lasts about 6 hours, and the label says to take 3 per day. I have been sick a few times in the early hours as well as other times, so like a previous contributor, I tried to hold off until after 9am, then 3 or 4 pm, then as late as possible in the evening (9 or 10) in the hope it would see mee through to a reasonable time.
Good luck!