quick nausea meds question

[Voxx66]

I know the vets here say stay ahead of the nausea. Does this mean I should start taking pills today (chemo day where they gave me antiemetics through the port) or wait until tomorrow? I asked the nurse there and she said - you should probably wait until you start feeling sick. I told her that was probably not a good plan considering what I have been reading on this site.

Also take one or both - Zofram and that other one whose name I can't remember but everyone takes and I am too tangled up with this pump to get up and look? ha ha.

[mstults]

The other one is Phenergan. Generic name Promethazine. When I was taking them proactively I started taking them the evening of the first day of chemo. I took 1/2 does of phenergan every 8 hours for a few days. I found that I didn't need it and quit.

[Bev G]

Phenergan can have some dicey side effects for some people. Did they give you any emend to take? When I was on chemo, I took one each day for 2 or 3 days---can't remember, but I think I've read that's changed since then. I think it would matter if you tend to get sort of easily nauseated. I always have been like that, so I took Zofran throughout. I never had to wait to get nauseated because I always was. If you rarely get nauseated, maybe it would be safe to wait a bit. I never took any phenergan. Don't much trust the stuff for myself.

Good luck. I remain a bit nervous about you and the cold drinks---I hope you keep something warm around when you're drinking cold stuff. Please be careful. Being a hero is just great...but you'll use plenty of your hero nature getting through what you will be getting through, so please take care! We care about you!


Bev

[Voxx66]

ok checked - the other one is prochlorperazine. I have a fairly strong stomach but I don't do well with nausea. (mixed actually - I don't get sick on rides or boats but I can't read in a car or a plane or I am finished) - the cold sensation deal is right in my wheelhouse however.

And I honestly do appreciate the concern but if you knew me in real life you would realize the futility of it. I've a long career of pushing the envelope and have done so many ill-advised things I could write several books about by now. I have long been a hobbyist in high voltage/ high frequency electromagnetic toys for example - I've built a few nice Tesla coils in my time. (surprisingly those are fairly safe if one understands how they work and builds them correctly- but the glowing pickle lamp - oh that is truly ill-advised)

[O Stoma Mia]

I know the vets here say stay ahead of the nausea. Does this mean I should start taking pills today or wait until tomorrow? ....

Voxx66 - Whether you take the pills before or after might depend on the particular medication. For example, the Emend medication that Bev G mentioned has the following description:

"Emend is used together with other medications to prevent nausea and vomiting that may be caused by surgery or cancer chemotherapy. It is given ahead of time and will not treat nausea or vomiting that you already have".

[Voxx66]

Emend was only in the port IV and not prescribed to me for home use. I've read the online information for the drugs so that isn't what I'm interested in. I find little better than the experience of people who have gone through this and who have used these drugs before and that is one of the things that makes this board so useful. (Yes I even want opinions on something I have different ideas about in my case like cold sensitivity ha - it's very much appreciated)

[Kathryn in MN]

Although the first time could be rough, you may want to wait until you have nausea to take Zofran or other extra nausea meds to see if you need them. You might get by without. Or you might realize you need them. If you find you do need them, then go ahead and take them on schedule as preventative instead of waiting until the nausea hits again. This way you don't take them needlessly (especially if they give you any other side effects - like Zofran gives me a bad headache).

[Patience]

My husband has experienced that for him, "an ounce of protection is worth a pound of cure" when it comes to preventing nausea. His first line of defense is Compazine (Prochlorperazine). He uses Zofran if he needs "quick acting" relief since it melts in the mouth. And since his new chemos causes ongoing nausea, he has Phenergan (promethazine) in both pills and suppositories (if things get too out of control for pills). [ Ask your pharmacist which combos are safe for you, not all of those can be mixed!]

He starts taking his anti-nausea meds when he arrives home after chemo. He does not wait until he is feeling awful, he tries to head it off.

Some anti-nausea meds can cause constipation. Colace stool softener and a laxative should be on hand in case you need them. (Another case of "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure".) As your doctor for recommendations on the laxative.

Good luck. Hopefully you'll be one of the folks that don't have much trouble with nausea!

[rodey]

When I start to feel a little queazy, I go straight to the Lays potato chips, then follow with some meds (zofran was my preference). I think they are a miracle chemo food! That saltiness calms my nausea long enough until the meds kick in.

[Voxx66]

Kathyrn - I have been battling headaches since yesterday so really don't want to make it worse. I took my steroid tabs today and think maybe I will wait this first time to see if I get nauseous. My hydration is great at least which I think will help.

I keep hearing about the quick-dissolve Zofram but they gave me tablets. I think I'll ask for the other type. The Compazine makes me nervous. I take Zoloft and have had a reaction with Tramadol that I don't want to repeat. There are some similarities to Compazine so I think I'll stay away unless I have no choice.

Rodey -that is so funny you mention the Lay's. When getting the infusion yesterday feeling hungry and a bit queasy, I ate like three little bags of those and I swear it made me feel much better.

[acmeyer63]

everyone is different dh didn't have nausea until about 5 hours before he was ready to come off the 5FU pump. You may have to "learn the hard way" the first chemo treatment to figure out where your nausea kicks in. After that first horrible bout of nausea he learned that he had to start taking his nausea meds the morning the pump was supposed to be disconnected. if he did that he was ok. Good luck to you


DH DX Stage III B colon cancer 12/7/12
Chemo completed 6/19/2013
Clear Cat Scan 6/25/2013
Clear colonscopy 8/21/2013
First time writing this almost scared to ....We are in NED

[Voxx66]

Hmmm - I like learning some things the hard way...others not some much. Pain I do well - nausea very much the opposite. Maybe I should pretreat tomorrow. I don't want more headaches but the alternative may be worse.

[Voxx66]

Oh and acmeyer - very happy for your DH's NED. Hoping to join him in that status at some point.

[Bev G]

Kathyrn - I have been battling headaches since yesterday so really don't want to make it worse. I took my steroid tabs today and think maybe I will wait this first time to see if I get nauseous. My hydration is great at least which I think will help.

I keep hearing about the quick-dissolve Zofram but they gave me tablets. I think I'll ask for the other type. The Compazine makes me nervous. I take Zoloft and have had a reaction with Tramadol that I don't want to repeat. There are some similarities to Compazine so I think I'll stay away unless I have no choice.

Rodey -that is so funny you mention the Lay's. When getting the infusion yesterday feeling hungry and a bit queasy, I ate like three little bags of those and I swear it made me feel much better.

Some of the Zofran tab melt under your tongue, others you have to swallow. See if your bottle says "sublingual"--if it doesn't say, ask your pharmacist which you were given. Zofran if ridiculously expensive, so if they have a choice they won't give you the sublingual, which costs even more.

BTW, while I could eat very little on chemo, if I ate anything it pretty much had to be salty. A couple of years later, nothing tastes like anything to me unless it's quite salty, before cancer I never salted anything (thanks, chemo )

Continued good luck,

Bev

[violeta_k]

My mom just started FOLFOX, as well: her first infusion was last Tuesday, August 20. Based on the advice I had read on this forum, we had her to drink a lot starting the day before the infusion. For the nausea, they gave her Zofran and steroids at the beginning of the infusion, and steroids again for the following two mornings (while on the pump). Prochlorperazine was prescribed "as needed" (so no Zofran outside the infusion room). Like you, we didn't know whether she should take the Prochlorperazine when she felt nauseous or before: we decided to wait and she took it Thursday evening (the disconnect day) at the very first sign of weakness (so on day 3, day 1 being the infusion day). Day 4, 5, 6 were bad but not horrible, only with extreme fatigue and and some stomach pain. She kept taking Prochlorperazine every 4 hours throughout these 3 days, and managed nausea pretty well, I would say (she kept drinking as much as she could, even her meals consisted mainly of soups and juices with protein supplements). In the evenings she took Ativan (1mg) which helped her sleep better through these more difficult days. On the evening of day 6 she started recovering, and stopped taking both Prochlorperazine and Ativan. Now, day 8, she's much better, although still a bit tired. She's eating her favourite foods -- cheeses, pasta with salmon -- with a good appetite, getting ready for the next cycle.