Has anyone else found chemo symptoms such as nausea, eating difficulties and peripheral neuropathy worsening post surgery? Having had chemo first and then a mastectomy 4 weeks ago I have found the above worse than the weeks building up to the surgery. If you have, when did they settle down? Thanks Kali
Hi Kali
I can’t answer your specific question because I had surgery before chemo. I have learnt over the past 18 months that there’s a lot we don’t know about chemo, particularly how it will affect each individual. For example, I have had severe muscle and joint pain not caused by anastrozole and the rheumatologist’s diagnosis is that, because my weight was so low (7-7, dropping to 6-4 because I had severe mouth problems) the chemo attacked the tissue of my tendons since there wasn’t much to stop it. I couldn’t have prevented that but it was something I’d not been warned about.
My peripheral neuropathy got more noticeable in the months after chemo and I’d say it was about a year before I noticed any improvement. 18 months+ on, it’s still slowly improving so don’t lose hope and just be patient with your body. It has to heal in its own time and we’re all different. As regards the nausea, I was prescribed cyclizine by my GP and it helped a lot. There are natural remedies like nux vom (a homoeopathic remedy) and Weleda sell a herbal remedy which is now called Digestive Remedy (you add a few drops to water). You can get both at Holland & Barrett or Amazon. Anything is worth a try.
Eating difficulties could cover a whole raft of problems so I won’t say anything except, if you can ease the nausea, that may help. If it’s swallowing, you should consult your breast care nurse. You aren’t at the same risk since you’ve already had chemo but you do need a decent diet, as you well know, to heal and to raise your morale. I hate to end on a cliché but it is a fact that it will all take time - but there are ways to help yourself, one of which is to pour out all your woes to your breast care nurse - that’s what she’s there for!
I hope you find something that will help - your system may well be low after a general anaesthetic so do talk to your breast care nurse.
Jan xx