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OTC Suggestions for Nausea from Oxaliplatin
Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2018 10:45 pm
by NHMike
Had a very rough day today with Nausea after the infusion drugs wore off. I see that you can get Emetrol at CVS and several other things. Any recommendations for stuff that's safe and effective?
Re: OTC Suggestions for Nausea from Oxaliplatin
Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2018 10:58 pm
by O Stoma Mia
Re: OTC Suggestions for Nausea from Oxaliplatin
Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2018 12:02 am
by CRguy
NHMike wrote:Had a very rough day today with Nausea after the infusion drugs wore off. I see that you can get Emetrol at CVS and several other things. Any recommendations for stuff that's safe and effective?
Glad OSM chimed in with some references ... I am busy blowing myself up rewiring a renovation house
OTC :
pure,
real ginger foods or drinks, ginger ales or ginger beers ... BUTT with REAL ginger, fresh brewed ginger root tea
I believe Gravol® has a "ginger" tablet OTC
or Gravol® itself (Dimenhydrinate) or generics
BrownBagger's standby = mixed CBD/THC cannabis = OTC depending upon where you are
Acupressure/puncture :
PC6 / Nei GuanPLEASE DO NOT needle yourself at home
the "pressure" method is also effective and is the basis of the "sea sickness bracelets" which stimulate this point.
PM me if you need specifics my friend
I never had real issues with nausea BUTT had scripts in hand for all the
big guns if needed ( Emmend, Zofran, Kytril )
.... BECAUSE I learned from folks on forum here what worked for them.
Also always had some level of dexamethasone prior to infusions and variable amounts after.
Hope this helps and if it works for you ... please let us know how you are doing
Cheers and Harmony
CRguy
Re: OTC Suggestions for Nausea from Oxaliplatin
Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2018 8:34 am
by Aqx99
Do they not have you continuing steroids after your infusion? My oncologist had me take steroids for the three days after each infusion to continue what the steroids they give as premeds were doing to prevent nausea. I only had to take my antinausea meds once during chemo, and I think that may have had nothing to do with the chemo at all.
My grandmother swore by flat ginger ale to help with nausea. Crytallized ginger helps too. I'm not familiar with any OTC meds.
Re: OTC Suggestions for Nausea from Oxaliplatin
Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2018 9:38 am
by NHMike
Aqx99 wrote:Do they not have you continuing steroids after your infusion? My oncologist had me take steroids for the three days after each infusion to continue what the steroids they give as premeds were doing to prevent nausea. I only had to take my antinausea meds once during chemo, and I think that may have had nothing to do with the chemo at all.
My grandmother swore by flat ginger ale to help with nausea. Crytallized ginger helps too. I'm not familiar with any OTC meds.
They gave me steroids before the infusion and that was it. I suspect that I could ask.
I asked my daugter to cut up a few pieces of ginger for me and I have them in a little plastic container that I'll take to work. I plan to steep it in hot water for a bit, maybe with tea, for a hot drink. I also have crystallized ginger but I hate the amount of sugar in it. And I do sometimes drink warm ginger ale in the office. It's just hit me particularly hard this time around and it's a crummy cycle. I was hoping that it would be gone by now. It sometimes comes and goes. I'm not able to taste things that well right now either.
Re: OTC Suggestions for Nausea from Oxaliplatin
Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2018 11:06 am
by SC77
I don't have an OTC suggestion, but Zofran is working for me. I have also tried Phenegren, and it helps but it makes me very tired, like Benadryl.
Re: OTC Suggestions for Nausea from Oxaliplatin
Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2018 11:07 am
by benben
CBD
I found an edible form that combined Ginger with CBD in a mint.
I found 2 of these daily around the first few days after infusion kept my nausea close to nonexistent.
Also worked wonders for pain. I had 12 rounds of chemo - 7 involving Oxaliplatin. I only reached for prescribed medication twice.
One week I decided to drop the CBD and needed Zofran, but found it didn't help nearly as much as the CBD. Once I needed oxycodone for bone pain after my first Granix shot.
Otherwise I took no prescription medicines during my 12 weeks of treatment (other than chemo and steroids given during treatment - obviously).
Re: OTC Suggestions for Nausea from Oxaliplatin
Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2018 11:25 pm
by AppleTree
Zofran and ativan (ativan 1 hour before bed and I can sleep). Ativan can act against nausea. And the pills I get are safe to cut in 1/2, so sometimes I try a 1/2 and see how I feel...and then take the 2nd half if needed.
I have hydration on day of disconnect and the following 3 days. Zofran is added to my IV. I hope makes a world of difference. I did not need it in the beginning, but I am on my last 4 and treatments and DR just added it. Last time I got nasious as soon as they started. So, fingers crossed that works for me.
I will say that I do feel better if I take the time to go in for hydration. Now...if I could just keep my boy from drinking so much of my Gatoraid (he is 14)!
At disconnect I get the Neulasta shot. That really hurts, hurts my jaws, teeth, bones. That always seems to be a good time to take ativan and sleep, although I have an RX for Oxicontin. I do need to be awake and not sleep all the time! But lately, I am tired.
Re: OTC Suggestions for Nausea from Oxaliplatin
Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2018 1:42 am
by NHMike
The Nausea dropped today. Might have been the ginger: did crystalized, ginger ale and dropped the raw ginger in hot water. But it might have been time too.
Dropping it in water isn't that effective. I think that it needs to be chopped up or ground.
Re: OTC Suggestions for Nausea from Oxaliplatin
Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2018 6:21 am
by NHMike
I’m still reluctant to use drugs but may go with them the next cycle unless I can get the ginger down better. I need some more experimentation with the root form.
I’ll ask about Zoltan.
Re: OTC Suggestions for Nausea from Oxaliplatin
Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2018 8:17 am
by Robino1
Before they dropped the Oxaliplatin, I needed just one pill the day my pump was disconnected. I took it in the afternoon. That's all I needed.
Now that the Oxaliplatin is dropped, they don't give me the anti nausea med in IV. I've started feeling not quite nauseous but off after treatment. I think I'm going to take one pill after I get home this next treatment and see how that goes.
I hate taking meds too and can emphasize with you but there are times when they are needed to help you. If you don't eat, you can't stay strong to fight. You don't have to take them every day, just until you don't need them. Experiment to find the least that is needed to get you through the worst.
You may only need one like I did. Remember, lack of food will cause nausea also. Not being able to eat can compound the nausea.
Our bodies are so freaking complicated yet so simplistic. Such a conundrum
Re: OTC Suggestions for Nausea from Oxaliplatin
Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2018 8:50 am
by Deb m
Ginger and peppermint tea helped in conjunction with nausea meds. Start doing all this before you start getting nauseated. I't works best if you stay ahead of it.
Re: OTC Suggestions for Nausea from Oxaliplatin
Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2018 9:03 am
by susie0915
I didn't really have issues with nausea, but my oncologist gave me zofran and compazine to have on hand.
Re: OTC Suggestions for Nausea from Oxaliplatin
Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2018 11:04 am
by NHMike
I'm back to being able to eat without the Nausea so suggestions queued for the next round. I still have metal-mouth taste so I can taste about 30% of normal. I find Trader Joes Spiced Apple Cider hot to be a nice drink (diluted 3 to 1 of course).
To the person that suggested Hypafix - I opened the box and it wasn't what I was expecting. I was expecting some kind of plasticy tape and what I found is a material that's like wafer tape. I put a three-inch piece on the top of the wafer to see how well it does. The 5 cm width is perfect - half on your skin and half on the wafer tape. I imagine that this stuff could be used for other things that need to be covered, perhaps with non-stick gauze. I will try this on three sides on my next bag change.
Big thanks - it may be helpful for running.
Re: OTC Suggestions for Nausea from Oxaliplatin
Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2018 11:06 am
by rockhound
susie0915 wrote:I didn't really have issues with nausea, but my oncologist gave me zofran and compazine to have on hand.
same here, used the compazine once but it was nice to have them both around in case I needed them