Recovery from chemo side effects

[dt22207]

I'm two and a half weeks past chemo now and the symptoms are really down. I occasionally will still get hit with a wave of nausea out of the blue and my stomach will sieze up, but no vomiting for a week. My taste buds are coming back and I'm back to eating just about anything I want now. And digestion seems completely on track.

Prilosec really worked for my acid reflux and I'm still taking it. I'll drop it sometime soon, but I'm just a little nervous about it.

When he goes off the anti-nausea medications, a home remedy that worked wonders for me was about 8 ounces of club soda and about eight drops of Angora Bitters (which are available at liquor and grocery stores.) There's a tiny amount of alcohol in it and it doesn't taste great, but from the first sip it would calm my stomach. I'd drink it in the evening and it worked wonders.

Believe it or not, physical exercise also seems to really help. We're moving to a new facility where I work and I spent a couple days slinging boxes around and felt better than I have in a long time. My wife said she could smell that some of the stuff was leaching out in my sweat, but it really felt wonderful.

Take care.

[boyce]

Welcome to the Home Stretch

My chemo effects began to subside within a week or so of the last EP week.

It takes a while (30-60 days) to feel "normal", but the worst is behind you now.

Congratulations on the completion of a brutal treatment. Tell him to hang in there, better days ahead!!

[dadmo]

Just knowing you don't need another round improves your general feeling of well being.

[mercyriver]

We are doing Prilosec OTC...it is helping some.

Good to hear just two weeks.

Of course just when he thinks he is feeling better he is taken by suprise by something.

Just this morning he was talking about how much better he felt. He ate breakfast, said his stomach felt great. Said drinking things felt normal again.

We got back from Bleo and he vomited every ounce of liquid in his stomach. Poor guy. The he was talking about how he didn't understand how he could throw up so much when he didn't even feel nauseated.

I reminded him he was on Kytril and Compazine....that is why he didn't feel it.

Glad to hear it will get better fairly soon.

Becki

[mk6439]

Have you tried prilosec otc? One of the nurses recommended that to my husband and it helped his reflux a lot during chemo.

[dadmo]

He should be in fairly good shape within 2 weeks but it can take a few months for the chemicals to flush out of his system.

[mercyriver]

My husband is finished with the EP part of his 3xBEP.

He has his two Bleo's left this week and next.

I am wondering how long until the side effects subside? The nausea and reflux mostly. The poor guy is still confined to bed because lying down is the only thing that makes him feel even slightly OK. He is pretty down about it all.

Becki