Am I just being a baby with radiation?

[Mamps]

Hello, I am going through radiaton currently and after the 2nd treatment, I have been SO sick! I am now on my 4th treatment and this is the worst feeling ever. My question is should I just learn to tough it out? I feel like I am babying myself. I have wrestled in high school and in college and I used to vomit all the time to lose those extra grams (maybe a pound if I was lucky). I never had a problem with getting sick. Now, after treatments it feels like I got hit by a truck! I hate the dry heeves and vomiting. I am sick all the time. I don't even like to think about food.
Anyone else ever had this problem with radiation? What can I expect for the next 14 treatments? I am dreading each and every day!
My doc gave me a prescription for anti-nausea and I just filled it today because I am having such a tough time.

Thanks for any advise or input!
Oh yeah, excuse my terrible spelling!

[Karen]

mamps,
FILL THAT RX!!!!! My hubby felt nauseous after zap #1, started vomiting after zap#2 (2 hrs after..you could set your watch by it!). He was then given an Rx for Compazine which he took 1hr prior to each treatment and a second pill 4 hrs after the first (washing it down with cherry flavored pepto bismol...yummmm). It stopped the vomiting and made the nausea mild enough that he was able to eat a little something for dinner. Problem is that when you hate vomiting (as I do!) you get so worked up about the prospect that it makes it worse (anticipatory nausea). If what your doc gave you doesn't work after giving it a try for a few days let him/her know and they can try something else. It can be controlled or lessened in almost all cases. Good luck! (spelling is, thankfully, not a requirement for posts...or I'd never make any )

[huckchef]

take the meds everyday! you can even swig down some pepto or mylanta before the treatment and it may help. watch what you eat by not eating alot of greasy foods. they can give you nutitional info that can help as to what to eat and not. dont wear any cologne, perfumes, etc... smells may effect your sense of being nausiated! even if there from someone else. hope this helps!! my thoughts and prayers are with you!

[Karen]

Brain, aren't you the guy that heaved in the Home Depot cleaning isle??? It was a convenient location for the staff......

[huckchef]

it wasnt a pretty site ...i can assure you! thats what i was saying about strong odors like cleaners, chemicals, etc... my wife had to put her perfume on at work so i wouldnt heave at home before my treatment. i had them set up as the first one of the day,7:00 every morning and i think it had some help with not alot of food being in my stomach that early in the am! funny you remember that........i get reminded everytime i hit the H.D. and that odor is still there. so stay away from the cleaning section at the home depot while on radiation treatment or you'll here a ......................WE NEED A CLEAN UP ON ISLE 2!!!!!! i can laugh about now!!!!!

[Mamps]

Thanks

Thank you for the comments! I am just thrilled to know that I am not the only one getting sick. Today was my first day with the Rx and my treatment was 3:24. I just ate dinner for the first time since going through radiation. It was a great feeling! In fact I think I may have eaten a little too much dinner because I feel a little nausea now. Nothing like last night.
I still have a really bad headache and I think they may be from stress but I fell 101% better than last night!

Thanks again!
I'm surviving

[Karen]

Glad to hear you're feeling better!!

[Mamps]

So I lied

Okay, things were going great last night until after my dinner. I got sick and I have not been able to eat since. I think I am going to try one more day of this Rx then change if it is not better.
This treatment stuff is not fun, I don't care what anyone says!

[Karen]

Definately not fun If the meds made you feel good enough to eat maybe you should take it easier on types of food and portion size post zap. Ray did one compazine 1 hr prior (2pm), zapped at 3:20, and another at 6pm, with pepto. With that he had no more vomiting and mild nausea, but he was careful what he ate for dinner. What were you prescribed? Good luck today!

[Mamps]

Same med. Comp.
My doc told me to 2x up on the med and see if that would help. So i am taking 20mg now and (KNOCK ON WOOD) I held down dinner and breakfast. I still have that motion sickness feeling but everything else is good. Thanks for your advise!

[Karen]

Good news mamps! Ray continued to have a motion-sick feeling and said he felt like he was jet lagged all through RT. The pepto helped him too in case you want to swig a little of that. While it seems like this will go on FOREVER...you have almost one week behind you and the weekend to recover a bit. It inly took Ray a few days after the RT ended to have the tiredness and "off" feeling in him stomach go away so he could go back to drenching his food in Habanaro sauce and crushed red pepper. Just go easy on what you eat...I think your goal now is to maintain a proper caloric intake with good nutrition so your body can repiar the healthy cells and flush out the zapped evil ones. I read that you should increase your protein and decrease fats to help your body repaair. Hang in there!!!!

[TcInNyc]

I just finished radiation yesterday. Got sick feeling the first day also. Tried one meds that had side effects of lightheaded-ness. Then got some Zophran. It works and with just constipation as a side effect. I drank "Smooth Move" herbal tea to combat that. The only downside is that if your insurance doesn't cover it, it is expensive: $50 per pill. I took an average of two per day during the week.

John

[Karen]

mamps,
How are you doing as you hit the halfway point?

[aliasarchangel]

Oh man I am so glad you asked this....My stomach is killing me!, i litteraly feel like I am dieing...Is my stomach suppose to hurt all the time?...I could only get like an hour of sleep last nite because of it hurting so much...and I'v been dry heaving, and that hurts too...I can't even eat because everything seems horribly gross and my mom keeps saying eat eat eat! you gotta keep your strength up. I know she is right But I caanot eat...Im on a antibiotics for something and I can't even take that because I just throw it up ( and it taste so horrible coming up that i throw up again) And smells, omfg...I hate when my mom cooks and at school the "axe effect" is gonna kill me...everyone keepsasking me why i keep throwing up....i just say i think im pregnant.

[Karen]

alias,
You told us you had the I/O but I don't remember seeing what your stage and pathology was. Assume from your post your doing the radiation route and are seminoma I or IIa? If you are being zapped then your doc should prescribe something...compazine usually to start. Generally the post-zap nausea hits 2 hrs after, so don't try to eat then. Eat better at your other meals and if nothign else stays down at least drink gatorade to replace electrolystes and try something like Ensure to get calories & protein in you. Your radiation onc should be aware of this and get you on meds. Feel better!!!!