my dad has terminal cancer which started in the throat and has now moved into the chest area. we have not been told how long he has left but he has recently started chemo again in an attempt to make everything more comfortbale. i no there is nothing that can be done treatment wise but was wondering if theres anything i can do or buy to make him more comfortbale and be able to enjoy the remainder of time he has left. he struggles to eat much at the moment and is nauseous a lot of the time. any help would be greatly appreciated. thanks

Hi Tommy, very sorry to learn of your situation.

I went through my treatment for tonsil cancer in Canada but have since moved to the UK (London) and one thing I can tell you is most medications and products are called different things over here, if they exist at all. Most people on this forum are in the US (I think), so don't be surprised if some of their very good advice is difficult to follow over here.

During my treatment I was given some really effective anti-nausea medications, the one called Ondansitron, I think. This was by prescription in Canada. Clearly any medications need to be handled by the appropriate professional person, but I would encourage you to get ahold of your father's doctors and ask them for help. That's what they are there for. And if you don't like the answers you get, call someone else. My wife had good experiences calling Macmillan: http://www.macmillan.org.uk/HowWeCanHelp/TalkToUs/Talktous.aspx

In North America there is a liquid replacement diet product called Ensure, but if it exists in the UK it's by prescription. However, there are canned "shakes" in the markets, if you can manage to get your father's nausea under control and he wants something in his stomach.

I wish you great strength in the journey you are on.

-Seth

Tommy, I'm saddened to read this. There's not much that anyone can say really but that we support you and your father for whatever time you two can share.

I was nauseated for 3 months straight after my radiation treatment and I know how awful it feels. My doctor had me on Zofran (US name of course) which I gathered at the time - 2 years ago - was a fairly new medication. It didn't really help me.

But Compazine did, finally. I'm sure if you look it up you'll find if it has a different name in the UK. Might be worth checking out.

Please keep us posted. My thoughts are with you.

David 2

Tommy

Based on my personal experiences with chemo nausea as well as my dealing with my terminally ill little brother who died, marijuana was very effective. The Marinol pills are worthless. My understanding is that a better form of medical marijuana is available in the UK: Sativex which comes in a spray and administered like a breath freshener
[quote]Sativex, a cannabinoid-based liquid medicine sprayed under the tongue, has been approved for use in Great Britain to help treat the muscle spasticity suffered by multiple sclerosis patients, it was announced on Friday.

Sativex is a natural marijuana extract that is provided by British-based GW Pharmaceuticals. It was approved in 2005 for use in Canada to treat neuropathic pain.

"Once again, the scientific community has confirmed that marijuana is medicine and it can provide safe and effective relief to patients suffering from certain conditions," said Rob Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project.

"Sadly, our federal government, through the Drug Enforcement Administration, has blocked effective research into the therapeutic effectiveness of marijuana," Kampia said. "The United States could be leading the world in the development of cannabinoid-based medicines, but instead our government has ceded this industry to the U.K., while intentionally prolonging the agony of patients in this country."

The Food and Drug Administration has already approved for medical use in the United States the pill Marinol, which contains only marijuana's principle psychoactive component, THC.
But unlike Sativex, Marinol does not contain all of marijuana's more than 60 different cannabinoids, and therefore doesn't offer the full therapeutic potential of marijuana. Among patients, Marinol is notoriously ineffective, to which your Editor can personally attest.

"The good news is that this announcement buttresses our argument that marijuana is an effective medicine," Kampia said. "To have liquid marijuana legal for medical use for marijuana illegal would be like having coffee legal but coffee beans illegal."

Medical marijuana is currently legal in 14 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. This year, more than a dozen state legislatures considered or are still considering medical marijuana laws.[/quote]

So sorry to hear about your dad
Charm

I am so sorry to hear about your father. Im sure it is a very difficult time for everyone. I made up a list of easy to eat foods which may help. Best wishes with everything you are facing.

http://oralcancersupport.org/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=94621#Post94621

Charm - I'd never heard of Sativex, maybe it will help. But from personal experience I have to say that Marinol defintely had an effect. I used it a few times to try and stimulate my appetite during RT, and although it was only paritially successful for that it did very much help me get some decent sleep. Better in fact than Ambien. Maybe if I'd continued with it it might have had an effect on appetite? Anyway, just my couple of pennies.

D2