Low Blood Pressure & other side effects of Chemo/Radiati

maryaz

I titled this in a way that I may be able to use it for more side effects later. I want to ask how common it is to have a low blood pressure and if anyone had experience dealing with it.

My husband was very sick last couple days. Yesterday got him into the Onc Dr and they gave him IV's, injection. Was there few hours. Been nausea, diarreha and other things. Found his low BP was what caused the feelings in his head. Had all this before when he was in the hospital March 9th. Was not so focused on the BP at that time. Didn't learn about the low BP then.

He was told not to take his Lisinipril BP med for now. Didn't take it today. He is to track his BP. He has got it back up to 109 but going up and down. I forget now what it was yesterday (have it written down) but around 100 and was told cannot be low. Actually I just noticed is heartrate is just over 90 and he normally runs around 60 or just under. This may have been high all along as I didn't look until just now.

I guess my question is what did anyone do to get this in order. Also the question for any of the rest of his symptoms. He is lil better but still not good. He has the PetScan on Monday. Hope we get him feeling better. Do you think he can drink the Gatorade like drink that was recommended with the PetScan coming up. He is not drinking it thinking too much sugar.

This is just an awful disease when you deal with the side effects. He is still having radiation and he just did 3 days of VP-16. He is thinking of not doing anymore radiation but if he got to feeling better, think he might finish it. Confused

The following I realize I just posted as 'part' of a post on April 3rd and all this ties into where we are today.
"He has been in bed all day today. Had a neulastra injection today and Radiation this AM. Last chemo was yesterday until April 21st. Pet Tech said not to do Radiation on Monday and he questioned Friday. He was iffy and I said my husband was sick and didn't want to go anyway. He feels nausea, but not vomiting and has diarreha. I have not seen him quite this way except for when he went to the hospital on 9th. We are not doing radiation tomorrow.

VP-16 is also referred to as Etoposide or these other names here. http://www.chemocare.com/bio/etoposide.asp"

Thanks for any input.
_________________
Mary

Husband is 67 year old Male
NSCLC - Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Chemo and Radiation Treatments together
Allergic reactions to Taxol and Taxotere.
The Story: http://www.cancerforums.net/about9079.html

pbj11 · Site Admin Joined: 12 May 2007 Posts: 1138

Hi again Mary,

I'm so sorry to hear how bad the side effects are for your husband. It hurts so much to see them so ill.

Dehydration can be one of the causes for low blood pressure. Make sure he is drinking plenty of water now.

He cannot have the Gatorade if he is prepping for the PET scan. It's loaded with sugar and it would ruin the scan.

As soon as he gets the scan done, please have him drink plenty of Gatorade, or some other type of drink that has electrolytes. He may be losing electrolytes and potassium because of the diarrhea. Is he taking imodium or something to help stop the diarrhea?

Fluids are very, very important. Keep the water flowing or he'll just feel weaker and sicker.

Good luck and let us know how he is doing after the scan. If you are unsure of anything, call the doctor. That is what they get paid for.

PBJ
_________________
Husband diagnosed with NSCLC Stage IV. (Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer) Fought & lived 2 1/2 years with multiple lines of treatment.

Post describing our battle: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=7026&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

Tera · Senior User Joined: 31 Dec 2007 Posts: 175

Took the words right out of my mouth. My mom's low blood pressure was due to dehydration. When she first became sick and I took her to the doctor, it was 80/56....all due to dehydration. Cancer patients don't always drink or eat enough. The fluids are important so the more they can get and keep down, the better.

maryaz

Thanks PBJ and Tera, I read the first reply the other night but I was too tired to log in and post. Thanks for the input. He did make it to the PetScan today. We also made an appointment with his Gastrolgy Dr today for his stomach. Will get him back on the drinking electrolytes.

I am beginning to see this take a toll on him. He started treatment February 25th and looked well. I could just cry. Da_ _ disease. What is on my mind today is really probably what I posted here previous and just worded different. Where should we have found everything out

I cannot help but think if the cancer didn't kill someone, wouldn't the treatment.

When we all encounter something new in our life and it is all new to us, then we are at a disadvantage if there are any unanswered questions. However, you cannot ask a question if you don't know what to ask Rolling Eyes

I said that because now that my husband has had 6 weeks of radiation with possibly one more week to go, and several chemo treatments we keep being told different things by different people or doctors. I keep wondering where did we miss all this information that we pick up here and there by trial and error. I get the feeling that a lot of this never goes away, even if you got the cancer dormant or whatever you call it. I still don't know how to talk cancer talk. Cool

You should be told all of this upfront.

He was real sick again last week and I have to wonder if we had been more educated, would we have seen more of the problems coming on and been able to catch them earlier. Maybe not. I have been reading some books that I got from the National Cancer Institute and I am not sharing them with him right now. He can read them but not up to reading.
It is depressing the lasting effects from treatment if you do survive.

He made an appointment with his gastrology Dr today. He was sharing things with him that he should 'be' doing during treatment. Treatments are almost over. Also like the very low BP he had last week. No one told him about that before. He might not have called if not for being so sick.

I guess I want to ask if this is common if you do not go where they have a very special group working on you.
_________________
Mary

Husband is 67 year old Male
NSCLC - Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Chemo and Radiation Treatments together
Allergic reactions to Taxol and Taxotere.
The Story: http://www.cancerforums.net/about9079.html

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