Headache post 1st chemotherapy treatment

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Photobuff
Photobuff Member Posts: 17
edited November 2019 in Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After

Hello everyone: Last Thursday I started my first chemotherapy treatment of doxorubicin (also called Adriamycin) and cyclophosphamide which I will have 4 rounds every other week followed by 4 rounds every other week of Paclitaxel (or Taxol). Treatment went smoothly but after treatment I had a powerful headache which caused nausea. I do not normally have headaches and nausea. It became so bad that I had to call the chemo team. They suggested that perhaps one of the drugs had been infused too quickly and will infuse it more slowly my next round. I am normally a high energy woman but this past week has surprised me at the lack of energy I currently have. Has anyone out there experienced an intense headache post treatment? Any tips on regaining some energy? Perhaps I am being to hard on myself, because like I said I am not a sit around type but right now I have to do things in small doses that's for sure.

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  • ShetlandPony
    ShetlandPony Member Posts: 4,924
    edited November 2019

    Tell your chemo nurses about the headache and ask them to push the drug more slowly. That may solve the problem.

    Oh, I see you mention that. Maybe that was your edit. I had made a note to myself to come back and suggest this earlier.

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  • kaaadams
    kaaadams Member Posts: 43
    edited November 2019

    I rarely have headaches, but did have a moderate one preceding my first Taxotere/Cytoxan chemo treatment. I chalk that up to stress, but it got worse during my chemo. I was cold-capping with the Paxman system and thought that was it, but the P.A. and nurses said that the dexamethasone steroids I take the day before and 4 more days (to prevent allergic reaction to chemo and nausea) maybe the cause. They also give Aloxi IV at the start of chemo to prevent nausea and vomiting, plus Benadryl IV to prevent allergic reaction, so they told me it could have been any one of these causing my headache. I took Tylenol before chemo, but my headache increased so much my eyes became light sensitive and I closed my eyes, my DH pulled down the window blind, and they ended up giving me Ativan IV. That helped a bit.

    Good news for me and I hope this happens with you Photobuff, I had no headache pre chemo this time (maybe knowing more what to expect this time?) and took Tylenol pre chemo for prevention and did not have any headache or light sensitivity this time. Hope it goes better for you next time, like my experience, but I would definitely take Tylenol before for prevention. Good to know your team listens to you and keep speaking up about your SEs!

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  • Photobuff
    Photobuff Member Posts: 17
    edited November 2019

    Thanks so much for connecting and sharing your experience with me. Perhaps the next go around I too will not have that painful headache and it is good to know to take Tylenol pre chemo for prevention helps.


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  • Photobuff
    Photobuff Member Posts: 17
    edited November 2019

    Thank you for the advice and connecting with me. After calling and speaking with chemo nurse she did mention that they will infuse more slowly on the next go around because they said this may have contributed to the headache. Nice to know that the advice was correct and we will hope for a better outcome next week.

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  • berries
    berries Member Posts: 277
    edited November 2019

    I have this exact same symptom... dull achy headaches since my first and second round. Glad to see that this is normal. I almost wanted to ask for a brain MRI. Thanks for the tip!

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  • RosieRed
    RosieRed Member Posts: 257
    edited November 2019

    After my first AC treatment, I ended up with a bad headache that turned into a sinus infection due to the Cytoxan being pushed too fast. Got a fever and ended up in the hospital for a few days. The next AC treatment the nurses changed the push so instead of being done at 30 minutes, I was done in 45 minutes and that helped with the headaches.

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  • 2019whatayear
    2019whatayear Member Posts: 767
    edited November 2019

    Yes had a headache too during A/C worst first time better with subsequent treatments. Do not have with Taxol.

    Hope the next round is better. Also for me I would have A/C on Wed, then Thursday- Sat def. needed Zofran to keep the nausea at bay, by Sunday no need for Zofran but tired tired tired. Sun -Tuesday. Then the next week each day feeling better and better and more and more energy to the point where I felt my 'my old self' on Wed the day before the next round! Good luck! You got this!

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  • Trishyla
    Trishyla Member Posts: 1,005
    edited November 2019

    Zofran can also cause horrible headaches. It did for me, but I really needed it to control the nausea, so I just had to live with the pounding pain. Drinking a lot of water seemed to help.

    Good luck with your treatment. Trish

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  • berries
    berries Member Posts: 277
    edited November 2019

    RosieRed, do you mean the push of AC actually took 45 minutes?

    They inject me with two huge syringes and both take about 10 minutes. Am I missing something?

    A week post Round 2 and I still have a headache. It's actually just a dull pain that moves around, but is mostly above my right eye. Ugh, I don't know if I should be concerned or not. I have no symptoms otherwise.

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  • Photobuff
    Photobuff Member Posts: 17
    edited November 2019

    I can relate to almost asking for a brain MRI RosieRed because the headaches are brutal. I see the Oncologist tomorrow and hoping that slowing down the induction to 45 minutes will help with those nasty headache. Fingers crossed.


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  • Photobuff
    Photobuff Member Posts: 17
    edited November 2019

    Thanks for connecting 2019Whatayear. Yes, it has been quite the year for me as well. I lost my husband to cancer in March and in July got diagnosed with breast cancer so the year has been quite the ride. This past two weeks post 1st treatment have been a little overwhelming to say the least. I thought I would immediately go back to work with very few side effects. I guess I was being a little unrealistic. I have had them all, the headaches, the nausea and even the diarrhea. I am hoping when I see the Oncologist tomorrow they can figure out way to relieve some of the side effects. The did say they would improve if they did a slower induction and I am counting on that. Fingers crossed for this Thursday's treatment, hoping it will be better than the last. Just trying to stay positive.

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  • MinusTwo
    MinusTwo Member Posts: 16,634
    edited November 2019

    vmb - because of what I'd read on this site, I insisted that NO chemo infusion was going to be pushed faster than 60 minutes. I had TCHP the first time (almost 8 hours), and because there was not a pCR, I had AC after surgery. Even with one hour drips, I had to go in for extra fluid between each infusion. That made a big difference to the headaches.

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