Continuing Nausea

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I am 21 weeks PFC and am experiencing mild nausea. I have thrown up twice, but kind of forced myself just to feel better. I feel better when I am eating, but the little queasy feeling comes back. I am dealing with constant pain and sleeplessness from a frozen shoulder. Can lack of sleep and just overall worry (about mets) cause this? Any help is appreciated!

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  • TifJ
    TifJ Member Posts: 1,568
    edited May 2011
  • GointoCarolina
    GointoCarolina Member Posts: 753
    edited May 2011

    I am not sure what you mean by PFC? My stomach was damaged by chemo,I kept feeling queasy,despite anti nausea drugs.Then I started having stomach pain ,was hospitalised and they did a scope and found the erosion.I took Carafate and it healed up,but I still have to be careful and can't use NSAIDs.

  • 37antiques
    37antiques Member Posts: 643
    edited May 2011

    Hi TifJ - How long has this been going on?  I mean, is it just the past day or two where it could be stomach flu or has it been since frozen shoulder began?  Is it possibly a SE from painkillers or other medications?

    Yes, stress and lack of sleep can give you nausea. And hair loss, and migraines, and a whole bunch of other things that certainly sound like mets or other complicated ills.  But, the best rule of thumb (unless you're getting dehydrated of course) is to see if any symptom lasts for 2 weeks with no change or worsening, then call the doctor.  But of course call at any time if you are worried or have severe pain.

    I hope you feel better soon.

  • j414
    j414 Member Posts: 321
    edited May 2011

    Sounds like a stomach acid problem, which is exacertbated by stress. I was experiencing daily nausea a couple of months back and on one particulary bad morning, I crawled to the pharmacy and the pharmacist recommended Tums. It worked like a charm, always carry them with me now. Also, frozen shoulder utterly sucks, got it after my lumpectomy and I was in pain and barely slept for six months.  A sudden movement in the wrong direction and I would wakeup from a sharp pain. Between that and your concern about mets, your stomach acid is probably churning.  To be on the safe side, speak to your doctor and if he confirms it's acid then a couple of dietary changes and a bottle of tums will do the trick. Also, speak to your doctor about the frozen shoulder - there are exersizes that you can do that will help break the calcifications up quicker.  The links below are to some articles about stress and nausea.  I hope you feel better soon.

    best,

    J

    http://www.webmd.com/parenting/features/anxiety-stress-and-stomachaches

    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress-symptoms/SR00008_D

    http://www.webmd.com/heartburn-gerd/guide/understanding-gerd-symptoms

  • TifJ
    TifJ Member Posts: 1,568
    edited May 2011

    Ladies- Thank you!!

    Panda- sorry, PFC means Post Final Chemo. Nsaids do cause me stomach upset so I don't use them, but once in a while. I'm glad your problem has been resolved!

    37- has been going on a couple of weeks. The pain (in my shoulder)and sleeplessness has been going on for about 3 months. Lord I hope no hair loss- I've just got a good 2 inches back!! I do think I may be a little hooked on Ativan- can't get to sleep without it.

    j414- Sounds like you may have hit the nail on the head!! I am in physical therapy right now working on the shoulder, but sleeping is so hard. I still have a tissue expander on the right side and it sticks out under my arm a bit- so it's uncomfortable to sleep on that side or on my stomach. I am not a back sleeper either- so that leaves the frozen shoulder side! How long did it take to resolve your shoulder? Thank you for the links and I will defintely try the Tums and if that doesn't help I guess a trip to the doctor will be in order. By the way, my physical therapist went to a seminar on why women ages 40-60 seem more prone to frozen shoulder and she was told a rapid change in hormones can can cause it! Well, being forced into early menopause certainly is a big hormone change!

  • j414
    j414 Member Posts: 321
    edited May 2011

    Hi Tif,

    I started developing frozen shoulder in 6/2009 and it was resolved enough for me to play tennis the following summer (6/2010).  The first 6 months were the worst, mainly because I was really lazy about doing the exersizes, but once I started doing them every day, my shoulder  significantly improved.  I also read somewhere that women over 40 are more susceptible to frozen shoulder, which is just annoying.  Take a look at the food lists below. I basically overhauled my diet, started eating less simple carbs (bread, pasta - which is a big acid instigator) and more acid reducing foods - and that helped a lot. I also gave up coffee for a brief time, which was torture.  

    I didn't have chemo and I still felt like crap for a year after treatment ended, mainly b/c of tamox side effects (which have, gratefully, subsided). You have been through the ringer. Give yourself time to heal and try to stay calm and relaxed.  

    best,

    Foods that don't cause acid:

    http://heartburn.about.com/cs/dietfood/a/heartburnfoods1.htm

     Foods that cause acid

    http://heartburn.about.com/cs/dietfood/a/heartburnfoods3.htm

  • TifJ
    TifJ Member Posts: 1,568
    edited May 2011

    Thanks J! Five days after my last chemo, my port got infected. It was removed, but the incision was left open and had to be "packed" for 7 weeks. During that time, I favored my left arm because the open incision hurt. I believe that may be partly to blame for the shoulder issue. I can't imagine this going on for a year! Hopefully the physical therapy will help. My othopedic Dr. said if the exercises don't significantly help- he will put me under and do a manual manipulation to release the fibrous tissue.

    Thanks for the info on the low acid foods. I need to improve my diet anyway. being triple negative I should be following a low sugar/fat diet. I am not overweight so it is hard to not to eat what I want.

    I hope you are well and feeling good now!

    Tiffany

  • chillipadi
    chillipadi Member Posts: 151
    edited May 2011

    Ginger is all its forms is great for fighting nausea. I always have a pack if dried ginger pieces / strips handy (not the crystallised kind) and I also make sure I nibble on them during chemo. I get my preserved ginger from Chinese medicinal shops, Asian markets or snack shops. They're hot in a gingery kind of way. I avoid synthetic anti-nausea drugs as much as possible. I don't even take the ones they give me to take home at the end of each chemo session, and I feel fine.

    You can make your own gingerale, but that takes work. 

  • TifJ
    TifJ Member Posts: 1,568
    edited May 2011

    Thanks Chilli! I can drink gingerale, but do not like the taste of ginger in general. I had horrible morning sickness with my first child and drank ginger tea often-even though i didn't like the taste. I will try gingerale ale though!

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