boy, I had a horrible time with nausea from the chemo last week. And I'm still fighting it a litle. I'm worried about how much I'm supposed to be taking in in fluids versus what I'm actually doing (with all the meds they gave me by the end of the week it was too easy to just sleep and not eat or drink enough). Also I'm worried about having soups with lots of salt because of dehydration (my husband is feedning me and I don't think he's thinking about that).

How much water am I supposed to be drinking anyway during raduation? I'm going to have to kep track and be sure I'm doing it. Could nausea and chills at this point partly be becuase of dehydration?

My mouth has gotten dryer and more painful this weekend. Is that normal that symptoms get worse over the weekend? Also everything tatstes very salty.

Nelie,

You should try to drink a minimum of 72-80 oz.s of water a day but it will be difficult. The chemo nausea is a funny beast. The first chemo, Harry was so sick and vomitting violently. We gave him every med in the book and nothing would stop it. After a couple of weeks we were able to find a cocktail that worked for him. He has had 2 more chemo txs since then with no vomitting. The docs now pump him up before the chemo and they give a medication called Emend. That seems to be working well. He has one last chemo one week from monday and for the first time since he started this thing we have not had to give him any nausea meds for the last week.

Also, the radiation can do a number on your electolyte balance so try to drink as much gatorade as you can. It will really perk you up and as the chemo seems to take a lot of potassium and magnesium out of you it is an easy way to replenish these minerals.

Harry has been dehydrated badly twice now, despite my best efforts and the last time the doc said that sometimes it is just unavoidable.

To keep him from dehydrating now I have him on a 24 hour a day 100cc per hour IV drip that I run for him. He just cannot take enough in even with the PEG to keep his body happy so this works and keeps him out of the hospital.

For the dryness in the mouth, all of the advice we were given was drink, drink, drink.

Many people keep a bottle of water with them all of the time. I have yet to convince Harry to do that (not for lack of nagging of course) but many people say it helps.

I hope this is useful information for you.

Cindy

I am not sure about oz's but the book says 2-3 liters (4-6 12 oz bottles) daily. If you can't stay hydrated you will feel even sicker and risk kidney damage. The symptoms you mention could be from dehydration but I would suspect a low WBC and/or RBC as well.

Salt will make the dehydration worse.

It got to a point that I had to use "pink magic" swish & spit in order to drink anything.

My heart goes out to you - these are the tough times. They will pass.

I, too, remember the IV drip beign a lifesafer for hydrating my husband when he just couldn't get enough fluid intake. I would start the drip and, within an hour, seem him perk up - like watering a wilted plant.

Could be something to talk to your doctor about, Nelie.

Best to you,
Anita