Hi can anyone help i started my chemo last tuesday and have had horrendous side effects. I felt ok for first few days but woke up saturday with mouth ulcer and constipation. I then laid awake all night as experienced insomnia. I tried to go to bathroom and passed out luckily my husband helped me. Im wondering if this was due to steriods wearing off. I managed a good nights sleep last night and have woken up feeling bit more positive today. I would like some advice please of your experiences.
Thank you
Hi Amandas
I am sorry to hear that you have felt so unwell with your first cycle of chemo.
It would be worth talking to your consultant to see if a tapering dose of steroids would help. I found with the first cycle of carboplatin and paclitaxel I felt awful when the high dose steroids suddenly stopped on day 3. My consultant put me on a tapering dose for the following cycles where I was given the original doses for the first 2 days post chemo and then for the following day it was half and for the 4th day, halved again. It did make a difference.
It is worth keeping your chemo diary up to date with how you are each day as for me each cycle followed the same pattern. The constipation can be related to ondansetron (the anti sickness medication) It was suggested to me to use dulcolax and that helped. At my first review my consultant looked at my medication and adjusted it.
Don't forget that you should have a 24 hour phone number for the hospital and it can help to ring and talk things through with one of the chemo nurses.
I hope the next cycle is easier for you.
Jane
