Chemo Causing Migraines??

WendiLou

Hi there

I posted this on the chemo thread but i thought i would post it here too!   

I have a friend that just had her first A/C with zofran on 1/5

She has had a migraine since her infusion on Tuesday.  Her docs are having her take 800 mg Advil and vicodin--this is not touching it.  Have any of you had this happen??  If so what did you do?  I had my chemo over 6 years ago and i can't remember all the side effects.  Thanks for any insight and info you can provide!

Wendy

Bugs

I had a horrible migraine after my first A/C treatment.  The chemo nurse told me some people react to the Cytoxin that way and that the infusion needs to be slowed way down.  They did that the next treatment and NO migraine.

jenn3

I too had a terrible migraine after my first AC treatment and was told the same thing as Bugs - the Cytoxan infusion needed to be slowed down.  I am a former migraine sufferer and always used Excedrin, but read that you shouldn't take aspirin during chemo so I didn't take it when I got the migraine.  Like your friend, nothing was helping and after two days I called the onc and asked if I could take Excedrin and he gave me the okay.  I took 2 Excedrin with a diet coke and it knocked it out.  Caffeine dilates the blood vessels and aspirin thins the blood,  which is why the Excedrin (or store brand which I use) works with headaches, especially migraines. Have your friend call her onc and see if he/she will approve Excedrin.  If not, maybe your friend could try drinking Coke, Diet Coke, Coffee or Tea - anything with caffeine.

I hope she feels better and remember to ask to have the Cytoxan infusion slowed down next time.

WendiLou

Bugs and Jenn3--

Thank you so much for the info!!!  I will pass it along.

I hope she will try the Excedrin and caffeine--i think that will really help!

I am sure my friend will also be happy to know that this has happened to someone else--it is always scary when you have a side effect they don't tell you about!

Thanks again! 

Hugs and Prayers--

Wendy

everyminute

I had a wicked migraine after the first two ac treatments - on the third treatment I started weaning up and down the steroids (2 the first day 3 the second 2 the third and one the last - rather than 3 a day for 3 days or something like that)

worked for me.

Anonymous

I had no headaches on AC but did on the Taxol.  Also I can get headaches on the pain meds so I take O/C analgesics instead.  I have  had a headache for the last 3 days and I was thinking it must be the Arimidex, because I really haven't had any since Taxol finished in Sept.

rachel21mel

I had a terrible migraine after my first AC...turns out it was from the Aloxi (anti-nausea med). My onc switched me to Kytril, and it has been much better