Deborah --

Bluntly speaking, your husband is not getting adequate anti-emesis medication if all he is being given is Compazine. Compazine just will not cut it for most of the chemotherapy drugs (nor for amifostine, if he's getting that). It is an older medication, it did nothing for my husband except as a mild "back-up" to the "real stuff", in his case Zofran or Anzemet. Sometimes it's given because it is cheap and the serotonin drugs are definitely not! However, they are worth every penny in relieved suffering and distress. I will quote our chem nurse, "With the new serotonin-uptake anti-nausea drugs, there is no excuse for a patient to suffer long bouts of nausea as a result of chemotherapy. For the patients who do not respond to these drugs, and there are a few, we have to take additional measures, among which might be acupuncture or a drug combination."

The protocol at most CCCs for chemotherapy is first an infusion of Anzemet (or similar drug) given IV in the hydration line. Then after about 1/2 hour, the chemo infusion is started. Anzemet lasts for 24 hours. Almost exactly, in fact -- Barry would get his chemo about 2:30 pm and by 3 pm the next day he would start feel a queasiness, this could be relieved in most cases by Compazine but towards the end, not that and he would take a Zofran. (Zofran lasts for about 8 hours) This was all exacerbated by his having amifostine 4x a week.

You should ask what anti-nausea drugs your husband is being given -- check to see if he's getting one of the high-powered drugs with his chemo treatments, this is given IV so may not be obvious. However usually the nurses are careful to explain what they are doing and what each infusion or injection (hydration, anti-emetic, chemo) is for.

It is imperative that the drugs be given (and taken) *before* the treatment which may induce nausea. Once it has started, it is much harder to stop (as anyone whose had sea-sickness can attest to). Also, the stomach should not be empty going into chemo, things like crackers or ginger ale can help. This is hard if the mouth is sore from radiation but does help reduce nausea. Ask the chemo nurse for advice.

The cancer patient has a right to proper pain and anti-nausea management, and to information about what is being done and why. It is a very difficult treatment and does not have to be made worse by inadequate oversight of medication. The caregiver and patient both must be proactive on their own behalf, something most of us learn through painful experience!

Gail