Severe nausea and vomiting
this has been going on for a couple of months. Feels like the kind of nausea you get when you're pregnant, except I'm not (hysterectomy last year). All day, most every day. Occasionally have days with no nausea. When I'm nauseous, I feel like I'm "full" up to my throat and sometimes I puke, it's so bad. Kind of feels like that lump in your throat when you have reflux (which I had during chemo and pregnancies). Other symptoms: memory issues, fatigue. Other very minor symptoms: numbness in toes, occasional vision issues in my right eye, sometimes feel like I'm talking slurry, like I have had too much to drink, moments where I can't think straight. I'm overweight and get tired easily when going up stairs, etc. Oh, I have sleep apnea that is under control. Just want to mention everything.
Lots of testing, all negative for mets: endoscopy, brain MRI, abdomen CT, EEG
Lots of meds tried with no results: tums, maalox, Prilosec, anti-nausea meds don't work either, which is weird
Only meds i'm on: sertraline (Zoloft) - 100 mg a day, and calcium - 1200 a day.
Endoscopy: mild gastritis, benign gastric polyp, no mention of GERD
MRI of brain: white matter changes, no mets (white matter changes on previous brain MRIs too - history of occasional migraines)
CT of abdomen and EEG: nothing of significance
HELP!! Something is clearly wrong with me. I am tired of being so sick. Could I possibly have a brain met that is showing up as "white matter changes"? Could it be cardiomyopathy because of the chemo and herceptin I had? (Last echo showed normal EF - probably over 6 months ago). Any other ideas? I'm desperate for answers. Thanks, ladies.
Comments
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Just wanted to tell you to keep your chin up. After chemotherapy, we are so glad. Then, we get a knock at the door, and we sometimes forget about our new friend "Side Effects" and I refer to them as "Sidekicks." The numbing or tingling maybe neuropathy, chemo tries really hard to get out of our bodies so it goes to the hands and feet. And, sometimes this damages the nerves and tissues. The lump in your throat could be from gastroparesis. Chemo damaged my nerves and muscles so my stomach doesn't work anymore, so I take reglan. Chemo brain can last for quite some time. You can talk, then suddenly forget what to say to finish a sentence that you started. Difficulty with short term memory or long term. Chemo caused me several years of trying to remember names or dates of special events. Patience will help. Vision can be related to chemo, it's best to get an eye exam to see if your eyes have changed or maybe cataracts. Nausea is something that I live with daily, just resting and not overdoing it helps. When we take on chemo, radiation and hormonal therapy, we don't think about the longterm effects, we are just fighting to stay alive. Talk to your doctor and list down all your serious concerns, he is there to help you live a better quality of life. I remember being so upset with the aftermath of chemo (Gastroparesis, neuropathy, autoimmune disease, chemo brain and the other little issues.) What helped me the most was accepting the changes, because my body had to adjust, mentally I was ready, but my body needed more time to heal. Keep up with the blood work and hope you start feeling better soon! Positive vibrations to you! Oh yeah! Remember to write down all your concerns and go over them with your doctor.
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thank you so much for the encouraging words. My primary doc mentioned gastroparesis to, but my oncologist wanted to rule out the mets possibility first. I will follow up about that.
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Hello Nicky,
I don't have cancer but have b9 breast issues and had a scare with IBC last year. Had mastitis but they never figured out where it came from (not lactacting). You can imagine my horror, when I started getting headaches 24/7 and now nausea. I'm going through the same tests as you. BUT my neurologist asked me to reduce my antidepressant (Cipralex) - I used it for anxiety - and the headaches have reduced too dramatically. Not saying that's your situation but just sharing an experience. If you are using an antidepressant, it's worth checking out the side effects.
About the white matter spots, I'm having mine re-checked (had a scan three months ago). But that you have already done.
It could be something with the heart or even the gastric thing
Good luck, I just wanted to mention the antidepressant thing
Best
Alicki
I
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