Chemo side affects

playbunny · Guest

Can anyone help.....

I have been on ABVD now for 10 weeks (once every 2)

I started off very strong with my head held high and convinced I was going to beat this illnes.

But now its all starting to take its toll. The being sick after chemo is now starting to take hold. I have my chemo on a Monday and its now Thursday and im still being sick. The anti sickness drugs dont seem to be doing much at all to help me and they have changed them twice.

Im now at the point where I really dont want to be hocked up to the IV again in a week and a half. The thought of it makes me feel ill.

Really dont know what to do

alihamilton · Regular Joined: 31 Oct 2004 Posts: 21

I did not have the same treatment as you are getting so I cannot advise on what you can do to alleviate your symptoms. But I do want to encourage you. I know it is rough but it will soon be over. How many more treatments do you have to go? Look at this as a period of your life that will pass.

I hope someone else can give more practical advice. Are you able to eat well? Are you drinking plenty of water? That is very important.

All the best.
_________________
Alison

playbunny · Guest

I have another 7 to go Sad

When I can eat or drink I do have a good diet. But its the sickness.
I am starting to get a very big fear on the canula and how the drugs go in so im going to try and talk to a counseler about it

alihamilton · Regular Joined: 31 Oct 2004 Posts: 21

That sounds like a good idea. But have you tried distracting tactics such as a good book or some music that can take your mind off the procedure. I did feel that I was being filled with toxins but did not dwell on it and certainly did not watch the drip! If other people getting treatment are around and they are willing to talk, that can help too....at least it did with me.

All the best,
_________________
Alison

Boldelly · Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2007 2:14 am Post subject: Re: Chemo side affects

Hi my daughter had the same chemo as you for 3 months and she started out the same way and then towards the end she also was getting tired of the fight. She also would begin to have anxiety and physically feeling sick when she thought about having to go to the hospital and start a new round of chemo. They put her on valium 5 mg to take like a day or two before she came into the hospital for the anxiety. She said they helped but it was still a struggle. I hope you have someone to help you get through this. I was there telling my dauther that she had to keep going and the I loved her and could NOT live without her and just spending time crying. We had good days and bad days. They also had her on a medication for the nausea called Zofran 8 mg I think, any way it works on the seritonin in the brain by blocking the signal that tells your brain the stomach is nauseaed. That one worked really well for my dauther. It did not take the nausea completely away but allowed her to deal with it. They gave her phenergan in the hospital once for break through nausea and it gave her severe restless legs. So, from that point on she did not want anything for the break through nausea. She said that she would rather deal with the nausea than with the leg thing. I know it is hard but please don't give up! Laughing

. I hope all goes well with you. How many rounds of chemo do you have to do? My dauther just finished radiation therapy. We have finally finished all her treatments and now we wait and then retest to see if all cancer is gone. This time looked so far away back in November (when she was diagnosed), but we made it through and so will you. Well I am sorry this is so long but I get a little long winded.

Please let us know how you are doing.

worriedmom · Regular Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 41 Location: arizona

my son just started his first chemo on wed. he said he did not feel bad untill friday. he has nausea and throwing-up for 2 days so i called the doc. and they put him on compazine 10mg. and it is not working so i will call the doc. and see if somthing else might work better. my son said just the thought of more chemo makes him sick, he is on abvd. says he can't do this, i told him there is no alternative. as a mother it's so hard to see your child so miserable.

Boldelly · Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2007 5:26 pm Post subject: Re: Chemo side affects

Tell your son that he can do this, maybe not sure where the strength will come from, but he will find it to keep on fighting. He CAN beat this cancer. It will not be easy but with you and family together ya'll will endure! I know exactly how you feel about watching him suffer and not being able to do much to help him. Wishing you could just take it away from him. I know how you feel. I used to think "but it is not like she is dying from the cancer", but it was just so hard to keep watching her hurt and be sick and all the other stuff that comes with it. I am here if you ever just want to talk. It helps, maybe hard at first but it will help you feel less alone. Well tell your son to keep his head up and he will beat this. Tell him to never give up and how much you need him to be here with you and your family. I will pray for ya'll. Let us know how he is doing.

jfkbluecircle · Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2007 10:47 pm Post subject: Re: Chemo side affects

playbunny:
I had 12 treatments of the exact same chemo you are undergoing. They gave me the DTIC last; it took hours! (Sometimes I was at the clinic for five hours.) For me, the chemo was cumulative as far as side effects. Has your oncologist tried any kind of steroid? I was given one as part of the drip after a certain point and it seemed to help the nausea. In addition to the Zofran tablets for the two days following treatment, he also prescribed a topical lotion that was an anti-nauseant (I cannot remember the name of it, but I could apply it to the inside of my arm every four hours and it definitely took the edge off.)

As time passed, like you, I dreaded going to the clinic. Talking to a counselor helped a lot. They had great meds to help with the anxiety. I had my treatments every other Friday; I wonder if changing the day you get your treatment might help? It seems to me like Monday would be a tough start to every week Crying or Very sad

You will make it; I had days when I felt I could not face one more needle, one more pill, one more band-aid.

Hang in there. I know at this point it seems like you will never be finished. But, you are well on your way in your recovery and on the path to health. You have passed the mid-point!

Please, keep me posted on how you are faring.

My very best to you,
Jessica

worriedmom · Regular Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 41 Location: arizona

today the doc. put my son on metoclophan deca 10 mg supp. for his nausea. he said it has helped alittle, hopfuly it will get better with time.

kimlk · Regular Joined: 06 Feb 2007 Posts: 11

I also went through the same course of ABVD chemo as you, and had to try several anti nausea meds together by the end. Zofran is pretty good and so is metaclop. They had me on a thrid but unfortunately I can't remember the name. Halfway through my treatments I started feeling nauseous just from the thought of going in for treatment. My doctor's were very supportive, and said that with today's anti-nausea meds no one should have to suffer from it during treatment and did their best to prevent it for me. Once I started having the mental anxiety over the coming treatment, they would give me an ativan tablet just before my dosing, which relaxed me and made me kinda sleepy but really helped. I think its mostly about finding a combination that works for you, and having a supportive medical team.

Good Luck with the rest of your treatment, I know its tiring and you probably wish it was all over with, but I'm sure you will pull through!

Kim

playbunny · Guest

Thank you all so much for you replys. I did not relise so many people had written back with so much support.

I had my 12 week scan and got the results this week. My tumours have srunk 50% and there is a very small chance I will only need 3 more chemos bring me to the end of my 4th cycle. But may need 5. But even more so it shows me there is light

These last 2 weeks have been the hardist for me. I had very bad sickness for 5 days and just stayed in bed, then this week the pain in my arms is just unreal. It just feels like they have been run over. The docs recon its one of the drugs in the abvd but its made me so upset and down. But things could be worse. I have a cancer that is 4/5 classed as cureable. There are many others out there worse than me.

My friends have been grate as I know they will not let me give up no matter how much I want to as I never knew I had the cancer but the side of the chemo is unreal.

worriedmom, please tell you son I know how he feels really really do, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Its 6 months out the rest of his life and it will all be in the past. If he ever wants anyone to talk to he is more than welcome to contact me as talking to someone will help alot even more so someone that understands

Thank You all again

abster32 · New User Joined: 30 Nov 2006 Posts: 7

I don't know exactly what I'm on, but it is definitely similar to yours. they recently took out the B because it was giving me lung problems and i had to go into the hospital for about a week with what they think pnemonia. i'm still having the same after effects, and i wasn't sure if it's what you've been having as well. i don't know if it's really nausea, but my stomach hurts for a few days afterwards and i barely eat anything for about 3 days. my dad always says it's because the chemo affects your GI track, so maybe that's it.

just wondering. i have 3 more treatments left and will be so happy when i do not have to go through another. i understand all of your fears and problems, i've been doing this since dec and i have to take off from school for this. i hope everything else goes well. it will be over soon, there is a light.

	Cancer Forums Forum Index -> Lymphoma - Hodgkin's and Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Forum	All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Page 1 of 1

A website for discussions about any type of cancer, including lung cancer, breast cancer, mesothelioma, prostate cancer, laryngeal cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma and others