Day 6 first chemo cycle

Hi Chooks,

I had my first round on Friday. I spent 55 minutes on the phone to the Macmillan nurse yesterday which started as something else and ended up on chemo and side effects.

Totally agree with you about the tiredness Fri i slept on and off in between being sick and had to contact the hospital and was advised to take a tablet which settled the sickness but not the nausea. 

Yesterday constipation struck another horrendous side effect.

Dreading today as my anti sickness meds were only given up to yesterday so these are finished now.

Been trying to drink the amount suggested but water just doesnt taste right everyrhing has a wierd taste even my favourite foods.

I have have 6 more cycles to go so I'm going to be like this over Christmas which I don't want but seems I have no choice. 

I have been though every emotion in the last 5 weeks from finding put I have breast cancer to starting treatment on Friday.

I wasnt going to have treatment origi ally amd just deal with the cancer but ended up going flr it after several conversations family amd outsiders but boy yesterday did I wish that I  hadnt started treatment. 

Day 1 to 4 have all been traumatic jusy hoping my days get a little better .

The Macmillan nurse said by day 7 to 10 things should start to improve right before the next cycle begins lol

Not sure I  am built to cope with this his, people have said its not pleasant but its doable, doesnt feel doable to me at the moment I  have spent last 4 days in bed too frightened to move due to nausea and dizziness. 

I have a slight sore throat and bit of a cough, sweats but no temperature, struggling to find food to eat , cant taste drinks properly, gone off cup of tea completely, mouth is beginning to get sore now so may have to use the drops I  was given at the hospital, as well as the other side effects already mentioned.

Completely fed up with myself.

I feel exactly the same! On the subject of anti sickness tablets I was given some for the first two days then some other ones if I needed them afterwards. I think they don’t give you too many of the ones which are worst for constipation. I’ve only taken a couple of the second lot. I did stop feeling nauseous yesterday so hopefully yours will pass. Today it’s been all diarrhoea! I must admit I wasn’t confident of coping well before I started. You feel you have to do it though. 

You feel exactly the same , now theres a relief.

I have other medication which starts in a few days but its not anti sickness the Macmillan nurse advised me to ring the hospital but I feel like a baby so will see how I go today first before ringing. 

Did you take anything for constipation ?

I was given diarohea tablets but nothing for constipation so took my own last night so hoping I dont go the other way now.

Morning! I’m on cycle 5 now but have suffered all your symptoms and had days when I’ve felt truly awful too. Take the additional anti sickness tablets they give you right from the the day 2, I’m assuming you have metaclopromide? That will help. I also found that acid indigestion made the nausea worse so started taking omeprazole daily and that really helped. I also have horrible constipation and and as you’re learning you can have both at the same time, who knew! I now take lactulose everyday as a maintenance dose and it has really helped. Get you gp to make omeprazole and lactulose a repeat prescription. The lack of sleep is the steroids and will wear off after a few days but might make you feel weepy as they do. It is horrible and you do feel grateful for not being worse I know but it can be really tough. You do start to feel a lot better from day 10ish and you’ll learn to love your good week just before chemo again! I hope that helps and happy to help with anything I can xx

Morning Anna,

not sure if this sounds right but glad to know what we are going through is all 'normal ' with treatment, I do wonder sometimes am I being a baby or do I  just need to pull up my big girl pants !

I dont have the ones you mentioned but some are running out so may need to speak to someone if I need more.

I have lansoprazole which I have been taking daily.

So looking forward to day 10 then x

Sorry went to sleep! I didn’t have anything in the house for constipation or I would have done!

thank you for those words. It’s good to hear from other people. I didn’t know if I would feel bad continuously. Good to know you get a break. I feel I’m being a bit feeble about it!

sorry I was thinking diarrhoea. The constipation wasn’t completely stuck so I just drank loads and ate a lot of fibre. Kept it moving

Thats fine so did i after a while.

Hospital gave me something for the diarohea but nothing for the constipation. 

I was fine on Friday evening but yesterday was something else despite having my fibre and trying to drink plenty.

I am so sorry to read that you are all having such a rough ride on the chemo side effects. Never think of yourself as feeble or feel guilty. Everyone reacts differently. You may get the odd reply from people who tell you that you don't  need to feel sick. Doctors can change your meds to stronger pills. A very expensive anti emetic is Omand but even that doesn't always work. Unfortunately even with cancer sufferers unless they have experienced the side effects you have, they don't quite understand.

At least you are able to share with each other. I can really sympathise too. I was very sick. Too sick to even take the anti sickness pills as moving my head made me vomit. Like you I needed several days in bed. Sadly it didn't improve throughout the five months. Twice my chemo was delayed because my white cells were too low. But.....that was over five years ago. The lumpectomy removed my cancer and the chemo/ radiotherapy has kept it away. I want you to think of that during the next cycles. Like you, I would happily have stopped having the chemo. I have read that today it is possible to reduce the dose or have them weekly so I would certainly discuss your sickness with your oncologist. It wasn't possible for me. However, if the sickness does continue, it won't be your fault. It is not your feeble attitude, it is a physical reaction in your body to the drugs. 

The fatigue is indescribable isn't it? It took me by surprise. You think tired but it's nothing like that. I can still remember how it would hit me. If I didn't sit, I would have fallen. I slept so much during those months and the ones that followed. I read of people working through their chemo and felt so guilty. Then I realised.  Nothing I was doing was affecting how I felt. I was always very positive. I always believed in the success of the treatment but it didn't matter how positive.....it couldn't prevent the level of side effects. Unfortunately the Taxotere didn't  like me either but that's a story for the future if you still get problems. You may not. Lots of people have far fewer difficulties especially when it's weekly as your body seems to cope better with it.

I was lucky that my unit gave me a very long prescription in advance and I had anti sickness, laxatives, immodium, paracetamol, mouthwash to start on Day 1 and take for about 8 months and hyaluronic acid cream for radiotherapy which was brilliant. No burns or rashes when using it and proper instructions for using cream and removing it before next session of rays.

I hope things will improve. There were always a few good  days at the end of each cycle. But if they don't....Don't despair. Don't give up.....a few months like this is a good swap for the rest of our lives....

Take care. Thinking of you. Love Karen