Hello. My husband was diagnosed with stage III scc with an unknown primary in December. He started chemotherapy (cisplatin every 3 weeks) and radiation (every day, m-f for 7 weeks) on March 4. He is having a lot of pain in his mouth and throat, and will likely need a feeding tube soon--he is losing lots of weight (18 lbs so far). My question is about nausea and memory loss: he followed the oncologist's information to a T in terms of the side effects from cisplatin--days 5-6 were really bad, then on day 11 he got really nauseated again. Does radiation cause nausea? Does either treatment affect memory? He is losing words, and forgetting plans and entire conversations. He has been on the anti-nausea meds, but has been reluctant to take anything stronger than advil for pain.

I never got nauseated but I would bet we have members here that did. Someone will post an answer for you soon. I understand the weight loss tho. I lost 70 lbs but also had to get my teeth pulled and Radiation seed implants in my tongue. Maybe we all get different illnesses or things going wrong from this.

I got very ill from cisplatin about 10 days after each dose. I couldnt even take a sip of water and keep it down. As far as I know, radiation doesnt cause nasuea. The combo of radiation and chemo make for some pretty bad mouth sores. I think its the chemo that also affects memory but dont think thats been scientifically proven yet. If the pain gets bad, and it probably will then your husband will need something stronger. There is no reason to suffer with pain, it does not help the healing.

Treatments sure can be rough. Hang in there it will be difficult but it can be done.

Cisplatin made me sick too. It was precisely 6 days after the infusion and only lasted half an hour. I never threw up and I am pretty sure that the nausea was mostly due to me not taking the anti nausea meds after a couple of days...
Once I was off cisplatin there were no more nausea problems at all and I stopped taking any anti nausea drugs. So (at least for me) radiation did not do it.

My memory is not crystal clear for this period either but there may also be a psychological component to this in my case.
********If he is in pain the he needs adequate pain management !! People with oral cancer are on fentanyl patches and or Morphine/Oxycodone etc. I would venture the guess that excessive pain does not help memory either.
Advil? Are you serious? What does his RO/MO say? Ne needs something better than that. Also you might want to consider viscous lidocaine** for short term relief (for eating/speaking). This allowed my to titrate the use of the strong stuff.

The treatment is miserable and will get worse, but there is an end to this; do not loose sight of the long term goals. Before you know it you will have the luxury of worrying about all kinds of silly things again.

M

** I am beginning to sound like I am on a crusade. I am not. It helped me and I am surprised it is not more used.

My treatment was similar to your husbands, 3 rounds of Cisplatin and 35+ radiation treatments. I took time released oxycodone, anti-nausea meds and a sleep aid. I did have issues with getting sick a lot, I like Jim lost 70lbs through treatment.

The memory loss was the big kicker for me though, I didn't lose just conversations or plans, I lost whole days and weeks. There was a picture of me in the local paper with a group of volunteers for a fund raising event that I don't recall at all. In fact my memory is very fragmented from the start of the treatments and there are several instances like the one above.

I was also having issues sleeping and then having reactions to the sleeep aids I was prescribed. I was found several times outside hunting "ninjas", almost burning the house down at 3am cooking eggs when I hadn't been able to eat orally for months. I refused to take them any longer when my wife told me that I had put her in a rear naked choke hold one night during a "ninja" hunt. Months later when I was out of treatment, still on the pain meds though I was still having severe insomnia so I decided to take an ambien and again had an episode so I've totally written off sleep aides.

I am surprised at a few things with your husband though, pain meds are a necessary and I'm sorry but advil? Docs threw the book at me to control my pain and we finally have it tackled with the fentanyl duralgesic patches and oxycodone for breakthrough pain. Now opiods can cause nausea but I'll take an upset stomach over pain anyday. I'm also suprised that they haven't already got a peg tube in for your husband. I found that when I was fed via the tube I got nausea less then when I could drink my ensure, but that's probably just a personal thing for me. Now that I'm trying to rebuild my emaciated body, I can see why it is important to maintain the weight you have.

Good luck, keep you chin up and my thoughts are with you two.

Eric

Eric, we both lost memory it seems. I lost at least 9 months preceding my tongue implants and still have no clue what went on. Not Christmas, thanksgiving nor anything back to sometime in the summer of 07. As for the goofy things that occured at nite, I did things but sure as heck don't remember. it was ambien my PCP prescribed. I tossed it when I figured out my problem and have been fine since. It made me laugh at where I found clothing and things.

Almost 3 years out and I still think I have memory issues due to my Tx. Hard to tell since I'm also 3 years older so I'm pretty sure that may play a role as well.

Thank you for telling me about your experience. I am working on getting him to manage the pain with oxycodone, but he wants to be alert for the portions of the day he could spend with the kids (we have a 12 year old, a 10 year old, and a 7 year old). He has his second chemo treatment today, and the PEG inserted tomorrow. I am hoping this will slow down his weight loss--I think some of his nausea is because of dehydration and low blood sugar, so hopefully the PEG will help.
I'm glad to hear that memory loss is something others have experienced. I was beginning to worry about a spread to the brain. I'll stop worrying about that for now...

How long did it take for you to regain salivary function/taste buds/ the ability to eat orally?

The liquid oxycodon is easy, it is pretty fast acting too. The amount needed can be readily adjusted. Reactions to it are individual, at least with the amount I took it did not impair me.
Good luck with the PEG tube, make sure he uses it! That is what it is there for.
Re recovery of taste/saliva. That may never come fully back, which of course is a pity but in the big picture......

M