Nausea from radiation? help!

mummommama

Hello,

I started radiation last week. Thursday. I had a dose on Friday and felt bad/nausea Saturday. Better Sunday. Today the nausea is debilitating. And my chest wall already hurts, though it was numb before. 

I'm also taking Tamoxifen which caused some low level nausea before the radiation started.

I've been expecting fatigue, but not this. Anyone else get nausea from radiation? Did it happen this fast? What did you do about it? I will tell the techs when I go for treatment today, but I'd like to hear from other survivors, too.

Thank you, Mum

BayouBabe

I, too, got nauseous from radiation, except mine would hit me about an hour after I would finish rads. I also got the most awful hot flashes at the same time. Felt like I had an instant awful case of the flu. Fortunately, for me, this subsided after about 1 1/2 weeks of treatment. Be sure to stay really hydrated. My rads center had all kinds of beverages available and I would always sit and drink something before leaving, after that first awful 1 1/2 weeks. Seemed to help or my body finally adjusted. Sucked either way. I am so sorry you are experiencing this. Definitely mention it to RO at your next rad appt.

mummommama

Thanks Bayou,

Good to hear I'm not crazy. Unfortunately I scheduled all sorts of stuff these first two weeks b/c the bad part wasn't supposed to hit unitl 2 weeks in.

Looks like I may be rescheduling some things...

BayouBabe

Mummommama - I am sorry. I really feel they downplay the effects of radiation. I know they told me I would be back to my old self two weeks after finishing as well. That is when the fatigue hit me the hardest. I am still fighting fatigue, though it is better. Be ready for that at the end as well, regardless of what they tell you. Hang in there! Time to slow down and pamper yourself a bit!

mummommama

Thank you! Hubby is driving me to tx today. I'm useless. I mean, I'm pampering myself

Hope you get your energy back soon!

mummommama

Okay, just got back from radiation. The techs swore that the nausea can't be from the radiation because they're not zapping the abdomen. Makes me want to scream. I get to see the doctor tomorrow (stand-in, mine is away) who will probably say the same thing

BayouBabe

Ugh. Wish they would all just admit that rads are hard on the body regardless of the area being radiated. My nausea was not a figment of my imagination, nor is yours.

mummommama

Thank you. I'm encouraged that yours only lasted part of the time. What do you use for skin cream? I just realized mine is a wrong choice (Cerave).

Tara28

Hi there.  My mum also had nausea with her rads and she was also told it wasn't because of the rads!  She had the nausea for a week or so and then it passed  (she would vomit after the treatment and they would send for a dr - once she actually vomited on the table during treatment!).  She had taken some anti-nausea tablets and these helped.  She then just stopped the tablets and the nausea had passed.

mummommama

Thank you, Tara! I will talk to the RO about this today. My nausea isn't right after or during, it's intermittent and comes in waves. Maybe it's the Tamoxifen. I don't know, but I sure feel better knowing it's happened to others. So good to know it passed after a week!

julz4

Mummo yes radiation can cause this. I got it my first day about 10 hours after my first zap. Luckily I had heavy duty anti nausea meds left over from an illness & I took some of that. When I told my RADS nurse the next day she said she has only ever seen this 2xs before me. But she got me another prescrip of anti nausea meds. Phenergan (sp). I felt much better in a few weeks without the med. My radiation oncologist swore it was my acid reflux & not the RADS that caused my nausea. My Gastro Dr. does not agree with him & says she sees many cancer patients for nausea. Things that make you go mmmmmm. I hope you fee better soon!

mummommama

Thanks Julz. I have phenergran too, but I only use it at night. It knocks me out. But 2 weeks in, now, I'm pretty pooped all the time anyway so may just go ahead and use it and sleep if I have to. 

I appreciate the validation. I have a accupuncturist/naturopathic doctor (working on diet and welleness) and a massage therapist/lymph specialist who both have said most of their patients with cancer get nausea with radiation. Oh well. As long as I can treat it, that's really all that matters. Three weeks to go!

julz4

Mummo....Your 1/2 way there!  I hope you are feeling better soon.  I knew I was nuts.  I figured if my RADS could make me loose 5 pounds in a week with out trying then anything is possible.  RADS makes many changes.  I understand the Radiation Doc's  don't want the bad rap that radiation had years ago.  Thankfully it isn't as bad as it used to be.  But everyones chemistry in their body is different as to how it reacts to EVERYTHING....food, medicine, enviroment....so I am sure everyone doesn't react the same to RADS.  Some have it easier than others & some worse.  I hope the next 3 weeks go quickly & you bounce back soon. 

dobby

Hmmm...RO's office said nausea was unlikely since it didn't involve the digestive system.  Mom starts rads in a week.  Is phenergan what they give you for the nausea?  Does it appear at the start and how long does it hang around?  Right now she has nothing prescribed in case she feels sick...definitely wasn't expecting this as a side effect.

sbelizabeth

My RO told me up front that nausea was a possibility, if the esophagus caught some "scatter" from the radiation.  He recommended I take my leftover Zofran from chemo if it was bothersome.  I was a little nauseated after a couple of treatments, but it wasn't bad enough to medicate.

mummommama

Thank you do by and sbelizabeth. I think it's a combination of the tamoxifen and radiation. Happens after both, but also sometimes just lingers most of the day.



Just 2 or 3 weeks left to go! Doc said 5 weeks of rads, but schedule says 6 weeks. I'm hoping for the former.

koshka1

hi, ok, don't laugh. But a lady in my rads group had the same thing and she had to smoke pot.

I am not joking. The rads field kept hitting the top of her stomache and she had nausea the whole time.  Pot was the only thing that helped.

I do believe that it ended up being a prescription for her during her treatments so it was all legal.

LOL....the things we have to do !!!

Kosh

rengeko

i've been nauseated during rads, but i was before too-so i'm not sure.  i am using cannabis edibles.  they seem to work fine for me.  of course, now i have the choking thing going on.  tomorrow is my last treatment, and i am READY to be done.  but i do realise it's not going to be like i pop off the table and everything is fine.

mummommama

Well fellow survivors, my rads is over. Last one was a week ago Tuesday. Had to stop early from the horrible tissue damage. The pain was excruciating. It's getting better now, but I needed help to treat the whole area, especially the back.



Now for the last 2 days I've had crazy bad fatigue. Worse than during treatment. Has anyone had the fatigue hit harder after rads? I'll ask this in a separate post, hopefully to get more input.



Cannabis edibles are the bomb, but they take longer to work, and if course you're a little loopy so you can't get much done (I'm behind on some big stuff). So I prefer no nausea and a working brain, but should be grateful that I have something to treat it.

BayouBabe

My fatigue was much worse after rads was over. Hang in there! In a few weeks you should see your strength and stamina return.

mummommama

Thanks bayou! I know I'm not crazy. At least not about that