#96275 05-28-2009 08:50 PM | Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 104 Senior Member (100+ posts) | OP  Senior Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 104 | 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!
GM, for John who has SCC Rt tonsil with 3+ nodes, Stage T1 N2b MX; surgery 04/09; Rad X 33 completed 7/14/09...f/u imaging and scopes looking good as of Feb 2011
| | | | | Joined: Feb 2007 Posts: 1,940 "OCF across the pond" Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | "OCF across the pond" Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Feb 2007 Posts: 1,940 | 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
Last edited by Cookey; 05-28-2009 11:43 PM.
Liz in the UK
Husband Robin aged 44 years Dx 8th Dec 2006 poorly differentiated SCC tongue with met to neck T1N2cM0 Surgery and Radiation.Finished TX April 2007
Recurrence June/07 died July 29th/07.
Never take your eye off the ball, it may just smack you in the mouth.
| | | | | Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 104 Senior Member (100+ posts) | | OP Senior Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 104 | 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.
GM, for John who has SCC Rt tonsil with 3+ nodes, Stage T1 N2b MX; surgery 04/09; Rad X 33 completed 7/14/09...f/u imaging and scopes looking good as of Feb 2011
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 | 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.
David
Age 58 at Dx, HPV16+ SCC, Stage IV BOT+2 nodes, non smoker, casual drinker, exercise nut, Cisplatin x 3 & concurrent IMRT x 35,(70 Gy), no surgery, no Peg, Tx at Moffitt over Aug 06. Jun 07, back to riding my bike 100 miles a wk. Now doing 12 Spin classes and 60 outdoor miles per wk. Nov 13 completed Hilly Century ride for Cancer, 104 miles, 1st Place in my age group. Apr 2014 & 15, Spun for 9 straight hrs to raise $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.
| | | | | Joined: Feb 2007 Posts: 1,940 "OCF across the pond" Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | "OCF across the pond" Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Feb 2007 Posts: 1,940 | I think you said the same to me two years ago david lol
Liz in the UK
Husband Robin aged 44 years Dx 8th Dec 2006 poorly differentiated SCC tongue with met to neck T1N2cM0 Surgery and Radiation.Finished TX April 2007
Recurrence June/07 died July 29th/07.
Never take your eye off the ball, it may just smack you in the mouth.
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 | I know I'm getting older....I just hope I'm not entering that phase where I repeat myself!!!
David
Age 58 at Dx, HPV16+ SCC, Stage IV BOT+2 nodes, non smoker, casual drinker, exercise nut, Cisplatin x 3 & concurrent IMRT x 35,(70 Gy), no surgery, no Peg, Tx at Moffitt over Aug 06. Jun 07, back to riding my bike 100 miles a wk. Now doing 12 Spin classes and 60 outdoor miles per wk. Nov 13 completed Hilly Century ride for Cancer, 104 miles, 1st Place in my age group. Apr 2014 & 15, Spun for 9 straight hrs to raise $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.
| | | | | Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 104 Senior Member (100+ posts) | | OP Senior Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 104 | 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.
GM, for John who has SCC Rt tonsil with 3+ nodes, Stage T1 N2b MX; surgery 04/09; Rad X 33 completed 7/14/09...f/u imaging and scopes looking good as of Feb 2011
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 | 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?
David
Age 58 at Dx, HPV16+ SCC, Stage IV BOT+2 nodes, non smoker, casual drinker, exercise nut, Cisplatin x 3 & concurrent IMRT x 35,(70 Gy), no surgery, no Peg, Tx at Moffitt over Aug 06. Jun 07, back to riding my bike 100 miles a wk. Now doing 12 Spin classes and 60 outdoor miles per wk. Nov 13 completed Hilly Century ride for Cancer, 104 miles, 1st Place in my age group. Apr 2014 & 15, Spun for 9 straight hrs to raise $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.
| | | | | Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 104 Senior Member (100+ posts) | | OP Senior Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 104 | 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.
GM, for John who has SCC Rt tonsil with 3+ nodes, Stage T1 N2b MX; surgery 04/09; Rad X 33 completed 7/14/09...f/u imaging and scopes looking good as of Feb 2011
| | | | | Joined: Jul 2008 Posts: 507 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: Jul 2008 Posts: 507 | 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.
Don
TXN2bM0 Stage IVa SCC-Occult Primary
FNA 6/6/08-SCC in node<2cm
PET/CT 6/19/08-SCC in 2nd node<1cm
HiRes CT 6/21/08
Exploratory,Tonsillectomy(benign),Right SND 6/23/08
PEG 7/3/08-11/6/08
35 TomoTherapy 7/16/08-9/04/08 No Chemo
Clear PET/CT 11/15/08, 5/15/09, 5/28/10, 7/8/11
| | |
| Forums23 Topics18,168 Posts196,925 Members13,103 | | Most Online458
Jan 16th, 2020 | | |
|
