As the subject line indicates--John just had his third rad tx earlier this evening and he's feeling wiped out and somewhat nauseated. After his tx yesterday (evening) he started noticing some mild nausea too. Isn't this soon to be experiencing effects like that? I hadn't read that nausea is typically associated w/rad tx and he doesn't have amifostine or opioids yet that could cause nausea. Anyone else experience this?
I truly appreciate this website!

Hi
there is no such thing as too early,and anyone who tells you the first two weeks are a breeze or side effects don't kick in till half way through,shouldn't.Everything to do with this treatment is specific to the person it effects.Some are lucky and work right through,some never need a peg tube,some never need medication for pain,and some go into it with a strong positive attitude and are wiped out in the first week.I posted a thread"can it only be day three?"back in march 2007 because i was so shocked at the devastating effect TX was having on Rob so quickly.He had set up his rads so he could work before his appointment which he only managed to do for a week.He burnt inside and out,had thrush,and his mouth was trashed.By day 14 he hadn't eaten anything for 9 days and could barely drink.He was rushed into hospital and had a peg fitted but things never really got much better.
so....the answer to your question yes nausea is not typical with Rads,but there is no such thing as typical really its all specific to the patient,and every problem has to be dealt with on a day to day basis.Speak to the rad technician and ask to see a doctor if you are worried.

liz

Thanks for the reply, Cookey. Sorry for any typos or weird spacing in this note as one of the cats is insisting on rolling around near the keyboard.
It looks as if your husband's illness progressed quickly; I'm so sorry for what you've been through, and I appreciate your word
s of reassurance.

Mg,

No chemo?

My nausea was initially caused by the chemo and then by everything else under the sun.

As we say, everyone can react differently to the same Tx but having those symptoms after only 3 rad Tx's is unusual and I would mention them to his RO.

I think you said the same to me two years ago david lol

I know I'm getting older....I just hope I'm not entering that phase where I repeat myself!!!

No, no chemo. The ENT and RO apparently spoke and decided surgery/radiation. Chemo/rad then surgery was the other option but ENT thought it would be harder to do surgery with scar tissue build-up, etc esp after rad tx. The nausea at this point is varying but he's had a couple of bad days with a bucket at his side and unable to eat/drink much. Yes, a PEG is being scheduled (no date yet), but so what, really--he's having nausea simply from the radiation (even w/Compazine) so even in food goes directly into the stomach, if he vomits it up that's not going to help too much.

Gretchen,

Get with his RO or the RO's nurse as there are many different nausea drugs out there and maybe they can find one that works for him. Nausea is not something that he needs to deal with now or at any time during his Tx. The Tx is bad enough by itself. I still thick it's unusual for the rad to cause nausea this early judging by being on this site for the last 3 years so I'm curious, what has his RO said about that?

He doesn't see the RO. The nurse said that nausea wasn't so common just secondary to the rad tx, although when I looked up radiation side effects nausea was indicated as a common side effect. The nurse did call in a rx for Zofran but so far the prior auth required hasn't gone through. I wish they had a few samples of it so he could at least try them to see if that would be more effective. The nausea onset correlated with the start of rad tx--actually queasiness would be a more accurate term most of the time--but he has had a cpl of days where he feels on the verge of hurling, excuse the term.

After just a couple weeks of Tx, I had the "queasiness", but sort of ignored it (bad mistake}.

It wasn't much at first - gradually got worse and then in week six it got real bad and I couldn't keep anything down.

While waiting for the approval for Zofran they gave me Compro Suppositories and they got me by until I got the liquid Zofran. The Zofran (ondansetron Hydorchloride Oral Solution) totally worked.

It only took a few days (including a week-end) of not being able to keep anything down for me to get dehydrated and need two IVs.

So, chemo or not, I think it is wise to have something on hand - complications the last week or so, when you are really run down sure don't help.