felt sick before I even started...

[LindaH]

I went for my third session of Chemo yesterday, but even though I was booked in for 9am, the Chemo hadn't arrived so they set me going on the 'Wash out' solution (something about washing out your liver) but an hour and a half later the Chemo hadn't arrived, so they kept the wash out going.

I had some light lunch and about half an hour later I started to feel really sick. They gave me an anti-sickness tablet, but it didn't seem to work. I then had to sit through over an hour of Chemo.

I couldn't work out whether it was because of my lunch, or because of too much wash out solution. Has this happened to anyone else?

When home, I took a stronger anti-sickness had a bite to eat and started to pick up by 7pm.

Linda

[Sones]

Hi Linda

How awful for you having to wait such a long time for chemo to arrive. I don't know how I would have coped with that kind of wait as I used to feel sick ( and was ) the minute I got to the hospital car park. Apparently it was due to anxiety and there wasnt anything they could do or give me to change it. My experience didn't get any better but that's not to say yours wont as our bodies all react in different ways. Fingers crossed that these symptons were a one off due to the wait.

Big hugs

Sue.x

[Slewis7313]

Hi again Linda, this is exactly what happened to me on Wednesday (not for the first time). Apparently the doctor had not signed off my bloods as ok in time for the pharmacy to prepare the chemo so I sat for 30 minutes with the 'flush' before my medication arrived which was very cold as it was straight for the fridge. This coldness causes me problems as it hurts going in and seems to give me a sore arm for up to a week after infusion. At my request, they warmed it up for 20 minutes before infusing and it was ok. The chemo has to be infused in 30 minutes, but the overall session ended up being nearer 2.5 hours. I dare say we will hit this again in the future!

The nursing staff here are however great and at the mercy of the doctor's and pharmacy.

Steve

[DRAD3]

It is a complicated process of bloods being OK, being signed off, request to pharmacy, then waiting for treatment to be made up, this being OK'd and getting to the ward with many people all waiting for different combinations of treatments being given at different timescales with differing regimes - EVERY single time my husband went for chemo, we waited and waited and he was never started on time, no wonder really - I often pondered if there was a better way the system could be organised (and being that way inclined was desperate to stick my big nose in and sort it all out!) Anxiety will certainly play a part in the feelings of nausea but I can remember my husband having a over-long flush and also feeling terrible - it was a one-off thankfully. I do hope that you have a better day next time but do make sure you talk about it to the nurses. Everyone going through treatment - I take my hat off to you - it is beyond tough - you are all amazing.

lots of love

Deb

x

[LindaH]

Hi Steve, Deb and Sue, Thanks for your info and thoughts.

Yesterday - Saturday, was one of the most awful days since the Chemo started. As I said Friday whilst waiting for the Chemo I felt sick, but picked up at about 7pm, but all day yesterday I was so poorly, it was terrible.

I wasn't actually sick, but wind kept settling at the top of my stomach so, I had to keep burping so, I couldn't lay down, I had to just try napping in the chair. My poor hubby was at a total loss how to help, I couldn't even help myself, I just had to sit through it.

I didn't get much sleep at all last night because I kept having to sit up to burp....

I took Rennies Deflatine, but it took quite a long time for it to settle down.

I'm only three sessions into Chemo and will have to keep going until approx June.....I just don't know how I'm going to get through it. Normally I'm such a positive person, but this is really getting me down.

I suppose I've just got to look forward to the days when I'm 'okay' but with having to have two consecutive weeks of treatment, I'm only just getting back to 'normal' when I'm back down again....Oh well let hope today will be better day.

Linda x

[Slewis7313]

Sorry to hear you are suffering so much with this Linda. Whilst it may perhaps not be relevant to you, my induction nurse advised me to avoid Rennie's whilst on chemo. I can't remember exactly why, but she said if I needed anything of this kind I should use gaviscon.

I assume you we given a list of things to do and avoid to fight the sickness? I have such a list produced by my local Hospital and can try and get it to you if you wish.

Take care (thinking about you)

Steve

[DRAD3]

Hi Linda - I agree with Steve, definitely opt for Gaviscon - it was a staple in our household (my husband for the reasons you give, me for the stress and worry playing havoc with my digestion) - swear by the stuff.

Are you being given a stomach liner daily e.g. lanzoprazole or similar - that might help?

I do hope this discomfort is the usual symptoms that can occur just after chemo and it settles down.

Thinking of you and hoping you can keep your chin up.

lots of love

Deb

x

[LindaH]

Slewis7313 wrote :

> Sorry to hear you are suffering so much with this Linda. Whilst it may

> perhaps not be relevant to you, my induction nurse advised me to avoid

> Rennie's whilst on chemo. I can't remember exactly why, but she said if I

> needed anything of this kind I should use gaviscon.

>

> I assume you we given a list of things to do and avoid to fight the

> sickness? I have such a list produced by my local Hospital and can try and

> get it to you if you wish.

>

> Take care (thinking about you)

>

> Steve

Hi Steve,

Yes I was given a list of do's and dont's to combat sickness. I will avoid the Rennies and go for the Gaviscon as you recommend. I'm going for a check-up with my GP this morning, but whether he will be able to help or not...well I'll ask.

I can cope with lots of things, but feeling sick and upset stomach really creases me. It just seems to be taking longer for the symptoms to subside and then just as they do subside, I have to go again....like this Thursday...groan.

Thanks again Steve

[Support Team]

Hi Linda,

I'm very sorry to hear that you have been feeling so sick.

Our nurse Jeni is way today but she has written a useful piece on treatment of nausea on our website which may be of help? http://www.pancreaticcancer.org.uk/information-and-support/diet-living-with-pancreatic-cancer/living-with-pancreatic-cancer-faqs/treatment-for-nausea

Kind regards

Anna

Support and Information Team

[Slewis7313]

How are you??

Steve

[PCUK Nurse Dianne]

HiLinda,

I am sorry to hear you are having a rough time of the chemo, and certainly the helpful advise from your 'forum family' is great. I also wonder if you keep a diary of your symptoms that you have, ie how many days they last etc. It is worth speaking to your oncology nurses, as they may also have some good ideas on managing your symptoms. Also it is worth telling them that you felt worse with the 'pre chemotherapy' fluid, and that you had it a little longer than normal. At least if they know about the issues that are making your treament worse for you, they may be able to adjust things so that you are not feeling so miserable.

As has been mentioned by other, it is difficult to meet the time demands. By having your bloods on the same day as your appointment, they then have to be processed, and checked by one of the team so that permission can be given for your chemotherapy to be prepared. As the chemotherapy is prepared on an individual basis (bespoke service), this can also take time unfortunately. Especially if you have a lot of patients all having chemotherapy around the same time, and of course that pharmacist may also be making chemotherapy for patient who are on the ward as well. I know you are not complaining about the staff, unfortunately this can be one of the 'less happy' sides of chemotherapy regimes.

I certainly think it is worth mentioning these issues to the staff, as they can then work with you to improve them, and as they would say, if they don't know about them, they cannot recognise that they exist. Hopefully the Gaviscon will work for you. You may also find for those few days after chemo that your body does not tolerate the normal foods that you might ordinarily eat. Keeping a diary will also help in that perspective as well, so that you may build up a list of things that do work for those few 'horrid days' and then revert back to normal once those days have passed.

Hope things improve, and feel free to call or email us if you wish Linda.

Best wishes,

Dianne

Support Team

[PCUK Nurse Jeni]

Hi All,

Just to echo Dianne's reply. But, also to clear up a few points about the "wash out".

These will be bags of fluid which are given pre and post the cisplatin drug. They contain various electrolytes etc...Can also contain magnesium. Usually, there is one hour of this, then 30 minutes of another solution which is a diuretic, then the cisplatin, then another hour of the fluid.

The reason these are given is that cisplatin is toxic to the kidneys, and this effect is worsened when the body is poorly hydrated. Giving these bags of fluid will help to minimise this, and the diuretic helps the body to get rid of any excess fluid you have had intravenously. (helps the kidneys cope with the extra fluid). So, it is NOT to wash out the liver, although drugs are broken down in the liver, it is to protect your kidneys.

Agree with Debs Linda - are you on a drug such as Omeprazole or Lanzoprazole? You will need these as you are given steroids after cisplatin, and these can irritate the stomach. You should be on one of these drugs, but gaviscon can help in between.

Sue - with regard to anticipatory nausea (or nausea from anxiety), then there is something which can be done about this. Lorazepam is a good anti -anxiety drug which can be used, and it also has anti-sickness properties. It is given the night before, and on the morning of chemo.

Linda - if you think this is happening to you, then by all means ask about this (ie: if you are getting nauseated, being sick even getting to the hospital, or walking onto the chemo unit).

Kind regards,

Jeni.

[LindaH]

Hi Jeni,

Yes, I now take Omeprazole each morning. I've only just introduced this, so not expecting miracles just yet.

I wasn't feeling good at all last week, so I rang the department asking if all should go ahead with my next course....knowing ....I guess full well they would say yes, so I went on Thursday - 28th. Again, some blodd results hadn't arrived, so we had to kill an hour in the cafe, until they could start my treatment, so I was again at the unit from 8.45am to 4.15pm...nothing I can say about that really, other than these things happen.

The evening after treatment, I felt okay, but since then....and today is 1st April....so 4 days later, I'm really struggling to eat, to even look at food and my stomach is just in constant turmoil. I know it's something I've got to get over and no matter how many dear friends and family ask if there is anything they can do for me, I don't even know how to help myself, let alone tell anyone else how to help me.

I've never been very keen on taking tablets, in fact up until recently a Paracetamol was my limit and now I'm taking, Omeprazole 30mg Severdol (morphine) in the morning, Creon for digestion with meals....if I can eat that is, probably another 20mg Severdol mid afternoon as the 'Red Hot Poker' pain is right in the centre of my shoulder blades again, so Sev is the only pill to relieve it (my GP did say it was okay to take this one) then I'm diabetic, so I'm insulin dependent and 4 times a day blood glucose levels monitored, then back to 30mg Severdol again, sometimes a 3.75mg sleeper tab and 10ml of Oramorph and this is every single day....no wonder my stomach is in turmoil....and I'm stuggling to go to the loo. I hate what it is doing.

I'm sorry, I guess I'm just having a bit of a moan, please forgive me.

Things CAN only get better, I know they can and it starts with me not sitting here feeling sorry for myself. I need to get a grip.

Right, well I've got my daughter's Student Finances to sort out for Uni, so if that doesn't take my mind off things for a couple of hours, nothing will

Thanks again for listening. Goodness, to just be able to write everything down, is such a weight off my shoulders.

Linda xx

[Catherine]

Hello Linda,

Sorry you're having a tough time. But hang on in there. My mums just finished on that treatment regieme and it's more than done the trick. She's moving on to chemo and radio together in 3 weeks and the oncologist is talking 'long term control'. Keep strong. Also she's had 2 weeks off now and has gone from being washed out and exhausted to back to her old self. So there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Catherine xxx

[DRAD3]

Hi Linda

So sorry you are feeling so rotten - so wish I could help. You are doing amazingly well but entitled to feel down and sorry for yourself - just come on here and have a good rant! Keep strong my girl and remember you are not alone, we are all right behind you, wishing you well and sending you lots of love and strength.

Deb

xx

[Slewis7313]

Hi Linda, you really are being put through the mill with your chemo side effects. I certainly hope you feel the positive effects from the sessions soon and it does sound like things can only get better (not too sure about the student loan though!). Our youngest is just entering her final term of a degree course so I can sympathize with that one. I can see you are being really tested at the moment, but please stay in touch.

Take care

Steve

[Slewis7313]

Hope you are OK today Linda, though I know tomorrow is the challenge for you. On a lighter note, my Daughters keep asking me to find out what your Welsh link is as you referred the Wales team as 'our lovely boys'! Where are you from..... I assume it is somewhere over here?

Steve

[LindaH]

Slewis7313 wrote :

> Hope you are OK today Linda, though I know tomorrow is the challenge for

> you. On a lighter note, my Daughters keep asking me to find out what your

> Welsh link is as you referred the Wales team as 'our lovely boys'! Where

> are you from..... I assume it is somewhere over here?

>

>

> Steve

Hi Steve, thanks for your good wishes.

No, I'm sorry to say I have no connection to Wales at all. I just love....and I mean LOVE the Welsh Rugby Union teams from the days of Ieuan Evans, or maybe even earlier. We do love Wales, but the only time we have been able to spend any time there was when we went to see U2 at Mill Stad.

I have lived in Blackpool since I was 5-years-old, so I'm Lancashire through and through.

Have good weekend

Linda

[Slewis7313]

Ah.... I see. You may love certain welsh things, but we also have a soft spot for Blackpool. When we lived in Germany and visited the UK, whilst the girls were smaller we always went to Blackpool to stay (north shore, Doric Hotel). The hotel changed hands some years ago and lost some of it's charm, so the trips unfortunately fizzled out (loads of good memories though).

Good luck today, I will be thinking about you.

Take care as ever

Steve