Todd received chemo this past Tuesday; Cisplatin for 8 hours + 4 hours of flushing. He got thru that day OK but has been very sick in bed since then. Dr's changed meds to Zofran and Reglan but still no relief. He is very disorientated and has little to none of ability to concentrate on anything. The neusea has prevented him from eating although he is drinking alot. Tried a few Ensure and Boost and was able to keep that down. The Decadron drove him crazy, made him pace the floor and feel very nervous and edgy. We will speak to the Dr again tomorrow but I am not sure what else can be done. I can't imagine him in bed for the entire 5 weeks left.

Jim had Cisplatin and we were very lucky to get him through it without the nausea. The chemo nurse had me start him on the Zofran within a few hours after we got home and then to give it to him religiously every four hours until we were 24 hours past the chemo. Then I weaned him off increasing the time after each dose until he felt he was in the clear.

They told us to be certain we started him on the Zofran - regardless of whether he felt any nausea. You have much better luck if you can stop the nausea before it starts, rather than trying to stop it after it does.

Linda
My hubby also had horrific nausea... they ended up giving him a compound made into a suppository that was the only thing that helped him.
Dont be afraid to bug the Docs till they get him sorted out ..there is help out there.
Best regards
Marica

Linda,
I went through pretty much the same thing. It's fairly common actually although hard to watch if you are a caregiver. It's good that he stay hydrated. it will get better the further away he gets from the ct, only to start over again at the next ct and potentially even worse. I reacted so badly they shortened my ct to 2 instead of 3. I don't understand why he didn't get Zofran immediately - I got it during the inital infusion and already had a script for it before I even started ct. There is also a second anti-emetic in the same class as Zofran. Zofran is effective around 60% of the time according to the manufacturer and is only effective for 3-5 days - so you much have other anti-emetics in your drug cabinet. There are also Compazine suppositories as a last resort if he can't keep anything down. Hydration is a big deal here as is management of constipation which can cause stoppage of homeostasis and nausea as well. The fluids lost in vomiting have to be replaced.

Thank you for the replies. Todd was on Compazine for 4 days prior to chemo. They gave him Axoil thru IV which we were told was for nausea. He is taking the Zofran every 6 hours which has helped a little bit. They also prescribed Roxicet (similiar to Percaset) and a sleeping aid Ativan. He most comfortable when he takes the Roxicet and Ativan becasue he can sleep. He is also throwing up, what he describes as foamy suds. The Dr said that is the cancer cells breaking up. Any further suggestions that can be given before the next chemo next Tuesday would be very appreciated. He did agreee to a feeding tube becasue of no food intake.

Linda,
My husband did well with Emend to prevent nausea. 3 pills with the 1st one taken The night before chemo would start. Then 1 pill for the next 2 nights.
He had 2 rounds of Cisplatin and 5FU. Both rounds consisted of one week each. Monday of round 1 he had 5 hours of Cisplatin then a couple more hours of 5FU. He wore a pump home of continuous 5FU for the next 4 days. A few weeks later the same cycle was repeated. Radiation was 5 days a week.
He had virtually no nausea. He never vomited. The most he ever complained of was "feeling a little queasy" a few days into each of the 2 chemo weeks. It was the smell of bacon cooking that did it to him.
He is almost 5 months out and likes bacon again.
I'm glad that Todd agreed to getting the nutrition he needs with the tube. Nutrition and hydration are the key words stressed by those who have been through it.
Ginny

Linda - My husband had sever mucositis and the people at Hopkins ordered a suction machine for him which was his best friend next to his feeding tube. It made his life much better - he still would have some throwing up episodes. It is the size of a small cooler - and you empty out the reservoir. Good luck - be strong.

Good point, Marty.
A suction machine would have been invaluable for the mucositis Mike had, but was never suggested.
Ginny