Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Nov 2002 Posts: 3,552 | According to the manufacturer Zofran is effective about 60% of the time. It worked for me at first but then wasn't very effective. It is also only to be used for 3-5 days then you must switch to another anti-emetic, at least for a while before going back to Zofran again.
If the infusion "really helped" then you are not taking in enough fluids. If you can't drink 2-3 liters of water a day (which is absolutely essential) then infusions are a good idea to protect your kidneys especially. It's faster to be re-hydrated in infusion rather than the ER.
If you are forced to use compazine suppositories, you can insert an ativan into the tip of it and it will be absorbed in that manner as well.
Cisplatin also does a number on the stomach lining so antiacids are a necessity as well. I had a script for Famatodine (Pepcid AC) and that helped as well.
Constipation (which is a consequence of just about any narcotic) can also be a source of nausea, especially when homeostasis is interrupted. Talk to your nutritionist.
Gary Allsebrook *********************************** Dx 11/22/02, SCC, 6 x 3 cm Polypoid tumor, rt tonsil, Stage III/IVA, T3N0M0 G1/2 Tx 1/28/03 - 3/19/03, Cisplatin ct x2, IMRT, bilateral, with boost, x35(69.96Gy) ________________________________________________________ "You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James 4:14 NIV)
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