Hi Bal, welcome to the forum but sorry you have cancer. I don't know what chemo you're on and I think there are hundreds of kinds of chemo. A  lot depends on what cancer you have as to the type of chemo would be prescribed. I did have chemo for colon cancer at first diagnosis and I was so sick, they had to stop it. It might be a good idea for you to contact your treatment team to let them know that you are experiencing bad side effects from the chemo. They would be the best to advise you what to do. Let us know what they tell you. I guess it would depend on how bad the sickness is as to what they would say.

I hope you get through this okay.

Take care.

Lorraine 

Hello bal72,

Welcome to Cancer Chat!

I am sorry to hear you have been experiencing these side effects from chemotherapy treatment. I am sure our members will share similar stories with you as well as their coping strategies to deal with these side effects.

We have some information on our site on sickness and cancer drugs which you can find here. It includes tips on how to reduce sickness. We also have some general information on chemotherapy side effects here. You are also welcome to ring our team of nurses on this free number 0808 800 4040, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm as they may have some helpful suggestions for you. 

Best wishes,

Lucie, Cancer Chat Moderator

Hi bal

Different cancer different chemo but my side effects didnt kick in until three days after treatment and lasted for about four to fivr days slowly building up and then subsiding.  The hospital gave me anti sickness tablets to take home but that was not one of the side effects I suffered.  I also was given steroids but had a  bad reaction to them

The weird almost metalic taste did not go away and I had to stop certain foods and coffee because they just tasted awful.  Once my treatment was finished my taste buds returned to normal.

One thing I did was keep a chemo diary of how I was feeling and a pattern soon emerged, It was also usefull when I saw the doctor.  I avoided certain foods and drinks (especially alcohol) for a few days before and after treatment.

I was told to drink plenty of liquids , especially water, during and after treatment as this helped, in fact I was told to try and drink at least two litres of fluid every day.

Speak to the staff at the hospital before your next treatment.  In my case I had to have my dose lowered slightly because of the pain in my joints, it didnt stop the side effects but made them more managable.

You dont have to suffer in silence.

Hi,

I was OK at first too but when the side effects did kick in I made the mistake of thinking this was normal and didn't ask for help when I should have.

I found that domperidone really helped, but I needed a lot more of them than I was initially prescribed. Between me, the cancer nurse, the oncologist and my GP we did get this sorted out.

Keeping a diary is a good idea, it will also help you be able to gauge whether things are improving or getting worse over time.

Good luck

Dave

Thanks for your reply Lucie,

You may be interested in my todays posting under the heading Re: Chemotherapy...is it really that bad????..your experiences please,

I thought I'd refer you to the above as it provides the background for my attitude concerning the lightness and cosiness that the title "Cancer Chat" suggests. For some of us this experience is far from light or cosy. Some of us face a terminal disease and are dealing with treatment, that in my case, is very much worst than my symtoms.  I guess a constructive suggestion could be to create a dedicated forum for people with a particular disease,

Thank you for the opportunity to express my point of view.

Regards

Hi,

Hope you don't mind me jumping in, a dedicated forum for a particular disease might be one way forward, but there's a risk that the potentially small number of people who would qualify for membership would make it unviable. Those of us facing a terminal diagnosis tend not to be members for very long, for obvious reasons. 

Your point about Cancer Chat being light and cosy is correct up to a point, but I've recently had some pretty difficult private message conversations with a friend from this forum who has entered end of life care. I personally struggle with getting a balance between being open and honest about my experiences and not scaring to death anyone newly diagnosed, or influencing them to refuse treatment which could save their lives. Inevitably, I self censor my posts and perhaps fall into the trap of appearing light and cosy. 

Your description of your chemo experience and the fact that the chemo made you feel worse than the cancer ever has done was something I could easily relate to. Facing chemo a second time when my cancer starts to grow again (as it inevitably will) is going to be especially hard - I can easily understand why some people refuse chemo second time round. For me, chemo was physically and emotionally gruelling but it bought me extra precious months with my family enjoying the same quality of life as I had prior to my diagnosis - apart from the anxiety associated with knowing that a relapse is inevitable. 

Best wishes

Dave

Hello bal72,

Thank you for your suggestion and I am so sorry to hear chemotherapy has been such a difficult experience for you. You will meet many others on this forum like davek who can relate to how you have been feeling. I will make sure to pass on your suggestions and feedback to the team. Davek has made some very interesting points too. 

I hope your hospital session goes well for you today.

Best wishes,

Lucie