Anyone willing to have a quick chat with me about chemotherapy (sorry to be gloomy)?

[bibbitybobbityhat]

My dad is having four doses of chemotherapy three weeks apart. He got through the first dose ok but felt bad for 3 or 4 days. Second dose he felt very rough for about a week but got up out of bed.

He is now on dose three and has been in bed for a week feeling terrible.

So my question is, are the effects of chemotherapy cumulative? Is this normal?

and will he feel even worse for the next (fourth) lot?

Thanks very much if you have any answers for me.

I think so...my brother had several bouts of chemo and they really took it out of him. As well as the physical effects, which did seem to be cumulative in his case, he hated the boredom, the hair loss, the repetition and found the whole thing generally depressing, which didn't help him stay upbeat about things.

Despite numerous painful surgeries and some radiotherapy, the chemo was definitely the treatment he hated most, and that affected him most.

Hope your dad makes a full recovery :) All chemo protocols are different, so I should stress that I don't actually know what I'm on about here Just wanted to give you one limited perspective.

My BIL is having 6 lots of chemo four weeks apart. He's on the 4th now and has fet progressively worse with each cycle.

So I guess the good news is that yes, it probably is normal, but the bad news is that the next one may be worse than the previous one.

I hope your dad makes a full recovery .

Thanks both. Its hard to watch, isn't it?

Very very tough. I find it easier if I remind mysself that the processes that cause the side effects are the same processes that are treating the cancer. Doesn't help all that much though tbh, it is still very hard.

i had chemo 16yrs ago,i had 9 treatments over 6 months so 3 weekly,it did get worse as time went along yes,i remember i didnt even want the last 2 my mum had to persuade me.What is it that he is finding,hard?Sickness or is he in pain?He must speak up cos modern drugs can go a long way to ease the side effects,personally i needed to try several anti sickness before one worked.
Happy to answer any other questions.

It does depend on the chemo though, where is the cancer? My husband has been on and off chemo for three years, last year being the worst, he had 6 months trial chemo, awful, just awful.

My understanding is that yes, the effects are cumulative.

There may be other types of chemo he could try, although I suspect none are much fun (clearly an understatement).

My dad has had perhaps three or four bouts of chemo over the last five years and did not tolerate them well; they changed 'types' several times at his insistence, but now because he stopped chemo early on a number of occasions (due to feeling so awful) he has now been advised he will receive no more treatment.

It's a long old road, good luck.

When I had it Bibbity it was definitely cumulative, if he gets a temperature, phone the chemo unit/cancer ward pronto (am sure you know this) but you are very vulnerable to infection about 7-10 days after your cycle.

Also watch out for mouth ulcers - phone GP and get something to help straight away, because they can be dealt with (I thought I just had to put up with them)

By the time I got to my last chemo, I was very weak - walking with a stick, leg muscle tends to disappear, also you can get very forgetful, not be able to think of the word you want to say etc. (chemo brain)

And he'll feel pretty tired possibly for several months after wards - they can give you advice in the unit on how to pace yourself, and deal with fatigue.

But the effects do decrease over time and you gradually get back to your normal self.

Loads of luck to him, it's not fun, but its doable. Feel free to PM me if you want to ask anything at all that I might be able to help with

Hi, I had eight chemo treatments over a six month period. Everyone is different. Another lady I know could only manage two and was so ill she could not have any more. Sometimes I felt ill for a few days afterwards, other times could be a week. It is very hard going and I myself wondered if I would get through it.

It is very hard. Wishing you all the best.x

Yes, I had 12 lots of chemo over 7 months - 2 different combinations of drungs. The first 4 lots were a combination that was pretty harsh and yes it was definitely cumulative. I wasn't sick the first time but was sick subsequently.

I found I just had to give in to it. So although you feel very rough, you know it will cease after a few days. For me it tended t0 be bed for a couple of days then very slowly coming up over the following 7-10 days. I found walking outside very helpful - even if just for 10-15 minutes a time. Obviously this is more difficult at this time of year though.

My second lot of drugs (over 4 months) was less aggressive but I felt 'low grade shitty' most of the time and energy really flagged towards the end.

When my energy came back - about 10 weeks later it was a wonderful feeling - I am still enjoying it!

Good luck. Its tough, but usually do-able. I realise some poor people have to give up as the Se's are so very severe, but for many people its doable.

Drinking loads of water on the day also helped me.

Oh thanks again, everyone, for posting. Sorry so many of you have been through it.

I will make sure that my Dad understands that this feeling worse business is to be expected and it is the chemo affecting him rather than the cancer.

On a slightly brighter note, I saw a piece today (in the Mail Online ) about a remarkable old lady of 100 who has beaten cancer 5 times! It was quite amazing to read her story - she said she didn't really start to feel her age until she was 96 .