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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Breast Cancer / December 2003Chemotherapy for BC- how to help with mouth cavity pain?
My relative got BC and i s now undergoing Chemotherapy. Just did the 1st round and has rather strong reaction in the side effects. Apart from the usual vomiting, she has a very painful mouth--but with with no ulcer. Is this normal side effect? How can she alleviate the pain? thanks ABC Please do not reply by email.Reply to NG >My relative got BC and i s now undergoing Chemotherapy. Just did the >1st round and has rather strong reaction in the side effects. > >Apart from the usual vomiting, she has a very painful mouth--but with >with no ulcer. >Is this normal side effect? How can she alleviate the pain? Hi - Vomiting is not necessarily normal - there have been major advances in antinausea medications in the last ten years.. Your relative needs to stand on her oncologists's desk and tell him she's vomiting - and ask for different antinausea meds. There are some pretty heavyweight treatments out there for nausea. The mainstream antinausea meds like Zofran and Kytril use a different mechanism than previous meds and you have to take them *before* you feel nausea for them to have much effect. Compazine is good for breakthrough nausea but chances are they give your relative IV Zofran during treatment and a prescription to take home. The IV meds last about six hours - and if your relative is waiting until she feels nauseated to take her meds that may be what the problem is. Everybody reacts to chemotherapy differently - and she may be one of those who has intractable nausea during treatment - but there are options that should be discussed with her oncologist. If Zofran doesn't work for her, Kytril might. On the mouth sores she should also talk to her oncologist. He can prescribe mouthwashes that might help - and I think a few of the folks here might be able to share a few tips also.  Signatureallan spammers can reach me at abuse@localhost humans can reach me at wizard at pointbeing dot com >>My relative got BC and i s now undergoing Chemotherapy. >>Apart from the usual vomiting, she has a very painful mouth-- > > Vomiting is not necessarily normal - there have been major advances in > antinausea medications in the last ten years.. Your relative needs to > stand on her oncologists's desk and tell him she's vomiting - and ask > for different antinausea meds. Absolutely! I was sicker than most on Adriamycin/Cytoxan, and they kept changing my anti-nausea meds until my reactions improved. You may have to be, um, emphatic with some doctors, as Allan suggests. My cancer center also started giving me more IV fluids with the chemo (which I gather can't be done with everyone -- maybe because some have more difficulty absorbing the fluids?), and having me come in the day after chemo for more IV fluids & anti-nausea meds. There was also a kind of Zofran they gave me samples of to take home -- called "Zofran ODT". It instantly melts in your mouth into just a spot of foam, and it didn't trigger vomiting for me as tablets did. Other things that helped me: Sleeping in a semi-upright position (leaning against a reading wedge pillow); eating/drinking absolutely as soon as I could force myself, in teensy amounts, but frequently. First step was tiny sips of room temperature ginger ale every 10 minutes or so. (Ginger has anti-nausea properties.) I'm sorry, but I can't help with the painful mouth part -- no experience. Here's hoping your relative's next chemo cycle will go better! Ann T. Remove 'dontsendspam' from address to reply by email I also had terrible nausea+sickness. I was given Kytril but this didn't do much good as I was starting to feel sick even before I was given my chemo! I was told this was due to anticipation, ie, I knew what was coming, so my body reacted to it! So what they ended up doing was, to give me my Kytril through I V while administring the A/C. this worked a lot better than taking it by tablet. But they only found this out when I had only one chemo treatment left! Typical huh? This was is the UK. So I don't know what it's like where your relative is treated. The sore mouth and generally a horrible dry feeling can be a common side effect of A/C chemo and of course I had to get both also! I was prescribed various mouthwashes, which did work eventually! Hope I've been of some help to you? Shaz x > >>My relative got BC and i s now undergoing Chemotherapy. > [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] > Ann T. > Remove 'dontsendspam' from address to reply by email > I also had terrible nausea+sickness. I was given Kytril but this didn't do > much good as I was starting to feel sick even before I was given my chemo! [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > This was is the UK. So I don't know what it's like where your relative is > treated. My wife got Kytril IV with her Taxol back in 1999 at the Christie Hospital in UK, so perhaps this practice varies with postcode. If you suffer from anticipatory nausea, a mild sedative a few hours before might help. Tim Jackson >>I also had terrible nausea+sickness. I was given Kytril but this didn't do >>much good as I was starting to feel sick even before I was given my chemo! >>I was told this was due to anticipation, ie, I knew what was coming, so my >>body reacted to it! I read about a small study (don't have a cite handy) that suggested anticipatory nausea could be reduced or elimated for some by -- if I recall correctly -- (1) deep breathing exercises, and (2) active visualization during chemo administration, imagining the drugs attacking the cancer cells. I had a bit of anticipatory nausea before my 2nd AC chemo, and these things helped me on rounds 3 & 4. Ann T. Remove 'dontsendspam' from address to reply by email Hi Ann, I did used to do the deep breathing exercises before my chemo, but it didn't help one bit! Maybe coz I'm just a born worrier? I'm just glad that it's all over now, as of March this year. Let's hope I never have to have it again huh? I'm glad I know that I wasn't the only one this happened to, coz my hospital staff seemed so suprised when I started being sick so quickly, even before they'd given me any chemo! Here's wishing you and everyone else who frequents this N G, a Merry Christmas & a happy New Year ! Shaz x > >>I also had terrible nausea+sickness. I was given Kytril but this didn't do > >>much good as I was starting to feel sick even before I was given my chemo! [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > Ann T. > Remove 'dontsendspam' from address to reply by email Tim, (snip)>If you suffer from anticipatory nausea, a mild sedative a few hours before > might help.> I'm glad to say that I have now finished this course of my A/C chemo,as of, (March of this yr) Thank God! But as you suggested above, a sedative, this would've been the obvious thing to give me. I used to get soooo hyped up about having my chemo. Probably coz I had been violently sick on most of my previous chemo's, that when it came to my next one, I'd be in such a state, that when they started to prepare me to have it, I used to be sick almost immediately! Yuk! I wonder why you so obviously know this and my qualified onc. didn't come up with this suggestion?!?! I mean, now I come to think of it, I wonder why I didn't ask for a sedative? Maybe coz like we all usually do, I trusted what my doctor was telling me! Let's just hope that there won't be a next time for me. But if there is, I'll know what to ask for, to stop such bad sickness. Thanks Tim, Shaz x > > I also had terrible nausea+sickness. I was given Kytril but this didn't do > > much good as I was starting to feel sick even before I was given my chemo! [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > My wife got Kytril IV with her Taxol back in 1999 at the Christie Hospital > in UK, so perhaps this practice varies with postcode. If you suffer from anticipatory nausea, a mild sedative a few hours before > might help.> > > Tim Jackson 1) I was prescribed with Aspirin Gargles by my onc to rinse my mouth 6 times a day 2) Use isotonic water (1 teaspoon of salt dissolved in 1L of water) to rinse before / after meal 3) All water (including those you use to brush teeth) should be boiled or from bottle / can (eg spring water). These are what I learnt from my past experiences a few months ago. > My relative got BC and i s now undergoing Chemotherapy. Just did the > 1st round and has rather strong reaction in the side effects. [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! > -----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =----- Did it help? >1) I was prescribed with Aspirin Gargles by my onc to rinse my mouth 6 times >a day [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > >These are what I learnt from my past experiences a few months ago. ABC Please do not reply by email.Reply to NG I have used Aloe Vera Beverages with good results for mouth sores. My only caution would be this - there are several companies who have a great marketshare but according to a study done by "The Association of Analytical Chemists" many of them don't have any actual Aloe in them. I hestitate to name the companies listed in this study in a public forum, but if you would like a copy of the study let me know and I'll be happy to send it off to you. email me at darlah@iowatelecom.net Aloe Beverage does the same thing on the inside as breaking off a piece of an aloe plant and rubbing it on a burn or scrape on your skin. It soothes and coats the tissue so it just plain feels better; it also helps the tissue heal, you can swallow it and the soothing and healing continues through the digestive system. > Did it help? > [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! > -----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =----- Darla wrote: << I have used Aloe Vera Beverages with good results for mouth sores. My only caution would be this - there are several companies who have a great marketshare but according to a study done by "The Association of Analytical Chemists" many of them don't have any actual Aloe in them. >> I didn't know there were any aloe vera beverages. I was quite surprised when I first saw fresh aloe vera juice at a local health foods store. They also carry potable (drinkable) gel and juice that is 99% pure. Since our health care provider's radiation oncology dept. wants patients to use aloe vera gel over radiated areas several times a day to prevent associated difficulties, I figured that since it was edible it might help in the same way internally. I checked it out and the literature I found says it does work that way. I find that it helps if I take it for stomach and throat irritation and beginning signs of heartburn. I like to mix the gel with organic grape juice. I am surprised that one glass of it seems to stop the problem for me--thought I would need to take it over a period of time. However, when I remember I try and have some regularly because of all the oral medications I am on rather than if or when I feel any discomfort. I don't take it too close in time to when I take the medication since I don't know if the gel might in any way interfere with the absorption of the medication. (I don't know if there is any difference that way between the gel and the juice). |
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