Ginger tea is excellent, as is fennel tea (made with actual stalk rather
than seed is better). My acupuncturist recommended it to me when I had
nausea related to stress, so I don't know about how effective it would be with
chemo induced nausea
But What has worked best for my husband is a compound they make up at
his hospital MD Anderson. It is called ABH and it is compazine, ativan,
and benadryl. As a matter of course (since nausea is a problem that is
becoming more profound daily) he takes one capsule every 4 hours. They
have to be dissolved in water and administered through a gastrostomy tube in his stomach since he can't have
anything by mouth. For a 911 situation, like when he's just gone through
an episode of vomiting and heaving, we have the same compound in suppositories
which works faster.
I am so sorry that I didn't check e-mail
last night and get this to you. I know it is so hard to watch
someone you love go through this, and I am so glad you are here with us!
Re his weight loss: at MDA they say that any loss over 5% of your
weight going into treatment will double or triple recovery time.
Unfortunately, my hubby lost alot, too as the nausea was only part of the reason
why he couldn't eat. His cancer is of the tonsil and the radiation has his
mouth and throat absolutely burned mouth and throat inside and out. No
saliva.
So for about 3 1/2 weeks he was drinking Ensure plus (at least 6-8 cans per
day)and no solid food. Then swallowing became difficult and he decided to
have a PEG tube inserted. It is a very small and safe operation and
feeding this way once you get the hang of it is very easy (but in all honesty
time consuming). And you still use Ensure Plus which once you have a
gastrostomy (or PEG) tube is covered by insurance!! If you have read
other posts from us, you will see that Charlie did have complications to this
surgery but they were directly related to the side effects I mentioned above
with mouth & saliva (or lack of actually) so do mention to your husband that
this is a possibility for him. You can
still eat by mouth with the tube, too. This is a way to inject
CALORIES, PROTEIN, and all the things essential to immune system
and tissue rebuilding.
Hope the docs can give him something that works today.
Also be very careful of his fluids. He need so much more
than usual with chemo, and if he is vomiting, he's probably very seriously
low. He can be hydrated by I.V or the PEG tube or by mouth, but make
sure he gets enough. For the 2 drugs Charlie was on til last Friday,
cisplatin and 5FU, we have him on a minimum of 1500ccs of water plus the 6 cans
of Ensure (240X6 ccs.). Maybe that seems excessive but the doctors are
behind us 100% on it. In fact they marvel that we are accomplishing this
at home, but the PEG tube makes it easy (you just have to be hooked up almost
all day, but so what, he's too tired to move anyway!)
I say this all with the caveat of check this out with your
husband's doctors, this is just based on our experience, and it may be way off
base for you,
>Susan, > >I find that the
ginger tea does a lot for my queasiness and nausea. I don't >put anything
in it other than water. I have also used the crystallized ginger >which is
like rock candy. This is very strong, and I eat it in small
pieces. > >Hope you find something that helps. > >Bye
y'all, >Corinne
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