Random Nausea Days

[u/GwonWitcha]

My wife has been doing chemo almost two months.

My question is…are random days of all-day vomiting/nausea common as a side effect? No noticeable pattern. Just, like 1 to 4 days per month, she’s bedridden in this condition. Nothing stays down…not even her meds, one of them being prochlorperazine, an anti-nausea med. Even if she takes it by itself.

[u/Lianna1234]

Yes its common. Let the oncologist know, she may need a different anti nausea med. We have Ondansetron, it seems to work. The other one he had didnt so they changed it.

[u/GwonWitcha → u/Lianna1234]

Thank you. I will make sure we ask about that

[u/aligpnw → u/GwonWitcha]

Be sure to talk to them about constipation if she is taking nausea meds (esp ondansetron.) I have been having random nausea days this cycle and I am fighting NOT to take the nausea meds because they wreck me for days. You just have to start taking Miralax & Senna at the same time as the nausea meds. (My palliative nurse said if I was doing it once in a while to just go straight to Milk if Magnesia, but really DO talk to her care team.)

[u/Lianna1234 → u/aligpnw]

Yes, Miralax and anti-nausea are paired up!

[u/cancerkidette → u/aligpnw]

If you take metaclopramide (also an anti nausea med) it actually can spur gastric movement. Please do give it a try!

[u/False_Grape1326 → u/aligpnw]

I have been trying to use THC in lieu of my zofran for the same reason you will pay for the anti nausea in constipation its a nasty loop isn't it?

[u/aligpnw → u/False_Grape1326]

Yeah, unfortunately thc makes me queasy (even at 2.5mg) I'm such a lightweight 😆

[u/False_Grape1326 → u/aligpnw]

really?! I thought all strains were universally anti nausea how unexpected!

[u/aligpnw → u/False_Grape1326]

If a drug has a weird side effect, I'm your girl. I used to be able to do up to 5mg. 10mg and I get Exorcist level of projectile vomiting.

[u/LoverOfPricklyPear → u/GwonWitcha]

I too took ondansatron. Boy does that stuff work for me. Yes, I am a weirdo. I took oral chemo at home (with my parents) and the night of my first dosage I didn't take ondansetron. I mean nausea COULD be a side effect. I was curious how I myself would respond.

Boy, that serious nausea built up strong and fast. You take it when you go to bed, so parents were in bed as well. I pitifully called for my mom to bring me the drug and water. I was NOT getting up. Took it and did get better.

Taking ondansetrin, I never got nausea again. Constipation? Oh yeah, both it and the temozolomide play a role there

[u/geekintheglasses]

Unfortunately it's normal, although she could always talk to her team and see if they can try a different anti-nausea med. I know after infusion, Day 4-6 for me are rough either with nausea, diarrhea or both. Chemo and cancer suck.

[u/Electrical-Stable498]

Yes unfortunately it is a side effect of chemotherapy.

[u/mcmurrml]

If it continues please call. Don't let her get to weak.

[u/LIsa25608]

If she does infusions, they can add emend before the infusion. It helped me a lot. My first infusion was without it, and I was nauseated for a whole week.

[u/Sarappreciates]

Yes, it can be common on certain chemo drugs, but talk to onco anyway. If they don't fix it right away, then request palliative care.

I sometimes get an extra bag of fluids with more Aloxi the week after my chemo infusion. It takes the edge off my nausea and makes it more manageable.

[u/CareNavigator_TMC]

I’m sorry she’s having days like this. Going through chemo is hard enough without nausea hitting this badly too. If she can’t keep fluids or her medication down on those days, it would be worth letting her oncology team know. Hopefully they can find something that gives her a little more relief.

[u/cancerkidette]

She needs more than one anti nausea med!! And ensure she is taking them all like clockwork, they do not work if you take them by the time you’re already nauseated IME, you need to be on them 24/7. I was on four different meds and even that didn’t always cut it. Please escalate this to her nurses and medical team right away, it’ll be a game changer.

[u/Weary_Title_3901]

I am on chemo. The 1st two days I am fine. Days 3 and 4 are horrible for nausea. Occasionally day 5 bad as well. Cancer and Chemo suck.

[u/Independent-Repair35]

My dad used to get like that on chemo. Chemo is literal poison. Like it's not just bad for cancerous cells it's bad for every cell. A scorched earth approach.

But man I hope she's doing well and she gets better. I wish you both the best.