top tips for surviving chemo please

[beep]

i am having chemo for breast cancer, so far have had 2 lots out of 8. Has anyone got any good tips for getting through the bad days.

no advice, but bump for someone more knowledgable, i know there are a few on here. and sending you love (in a non-hun way)

Sorry to hear you're going through this. What makes a bad day bad? If it's sickness, DH finds that eating small amounts, little and often, eases the nausea. Take every day at a time and go with the flow, ie if you're tired, don't force yourself to do things. Don't be afraid to mention any side-effects to your dr. There are often medications that can help so don't suffer in silence. Hope that helps and I hope you don't have too many bad days.

My mum had acupuncture during her chemo, and it was brilliant. It really helped her to keep her energy levels up.

the sickness wasn't so bad the second time as they gave me more anti vomiting stuff, but i do seem to feel nauseous for a lot of the first 4 or 5 days.

thanks for your replies every one. I am lucky in that exh has the children when I am feeling bad and I just stay in bed mostly from tuesday evening til saturday afternoon. Today has been great , it is so nice to feel nearly normal again. I can't seem to find the right hat or head covering yet, i am either too hot or cold or there is a seam somewhere uncomfortable when i am laying down, I feel very fusy at he moment.

Try the forums at breast cancer care. You will find lots of support through the link here.

make sure you're getting the best anti-nausua medicine possible. My mum was very sick with the chemo I was really to discover that they could be giving her better meds, but didn't want to because of the cost.

I was on capecitibine,for colon cancer but it's mainly used for breast cancer.

It was really good. It was 6 tablets a day for 2 weeks, then 1 week off.

I only had one day off work in the six months I was on chemo. I didn't lose my hair or throw up once.

I'd strongly recommend you find out whether this med is appropriate for you. It was quite expensive, though, but worth every penny.

The only side effects were feeling knackered and having v. sore soles and palms.

Good luck.

Definitely speak up about not feeling so well to your doctor or breast nurse. There are lots of drugs they can try and sometimes it takes a while to find the best ones for you.

My mum's just finished chemo and did have to try a few things. Also, mention all symptoms even if they seem minor/an annoyance. Sometimes there are things they can give you to help but they won't know unless you say.

Good luck. Hope the better days are due soon.

Steve found he got a rally sweet tooth on chemo and that things tasted different, he says sucking sweets help him

Hello beep, I'm going for my second chemo today.

I felt nauseous a lot too - had the chemo Tues and my worst day was Friday, also felt rough on the Thurs and Sat.

Are you having the same drugs as me? I'm on doxorubicin (adriamycin) and cyclophosphamide - once a fortnight for 4 cycles, then they will change me to another drug once a week for 12 weeks (can't remember what that one's called). They told me it was the standard treatment. They give me a regime of anti-sickness drugs for the first 3 days (I guess they might adjust it today when I tell them exactly how I felt) and have told me which over-the-counter drugs I can used alongside them. And I have to inject myself every day on the second week with something that boosts my blood count. Same for you?

I find that certain foods and smells really revolt me, other things are fine. With me it's milk and cereal, vanilla, cookies. I had a ravenous desire to eat salads with french dressing. Went right off wine. I wanted to eat curry and spicy things. Things tasted different to normal. I made a peanut butter sandwich and it tasted like cardboard.

I found small frequent meals were the best, a small salad, or toast and butter, or a banana. Lots of rest if you can. I've done a lot of the worst housework like washing bed sheets and towels and mopping the floors so I can relax for a few days. I'm going to cook enough food for 2-3 days later on because it gets so I can't face even going in the kitchen.

And I take my vitamin and mineral supplement daily and some herbs to strengthen my immune system.

I read somewhere that a short walk in fresh air and sunshine each day really helps, though I don't know if I can be bothered getting dressed when I'm feeling really crap.

My DH is taking the Fridays as work from home days so he can do the school run.

Have you lost your hair now beep? Someone else said their scalp became really sensitive so that's probably what you're experiencing. Mine hasn't fallen out yet but I'm expecting it anytime now.

Hi thanks for all your messages I am on a treatment called FEC (which is a combination offluorouracil, epirubicin and epirubicin) for 4 cycles, then on Taxotere for abnother 4 cycles.I have a cocktail of three anti sickness drugs at the moment for varying amount of days up to day 5.
I have found I start to feel unwell quite quickly about 4 or 5 hours after I get home and it stays like that til saturday( my treatment day is tuesday too).Then by the the monday or so I feel positively human again.

My sense of taste hasn't changed yet thank gooodness, I am however suffereing for the first time in my life with heartburn.My sense of smell on the other hand is very sensitive, ds1 has had to take his newly acquired puppy to his girlfriends house.I have also found I can really smell the drugs on my skin for the first week it is not nice.

What herbs do you take anorak? I have been taking echinacea and also acidopholis. I too have found the small frequent meals to be helpful.

My hair started falling out about 10 days after first treatment and after about a week I got afriend to remove what was left as I was fed up with it falling in my food and everywhere.

I feel quite lucky that I feel as well as I do at the moment, my best friend also has breast cancer and is on a different regime to me. She has been quite ill at times and ended up in hospital several times, at the moment she is plagued with mouth ulcers and is qute down with it all.Luckily she only has one more treatment next week.

Hi beep

My mother has had breast cancer for about 10 years, and has had several rounds of chemo. She's not usually into alternative therapy, but she always used this 'Sleep Enhancer'. It seemed to really help her if she was too wired on steroids.

Hope you have a speedy recovery

thanks adam that sounds nice, I am not yet expierencing sleep problems and am not on steriods til the second half of the treatment.

Hi beep, how often is your treatment? Mine is every 2 weeks at the moment. Had my second dose on Tues, my scalp is really sensitive today, just waiting for the first fall!

I've been taking Neways echinacea formula for years, you can get it from Revital. I hardly ever get coughs and cold, except when I run out of it.

Yes my sense of smell is very acute, I got my dh some aftershave for valentines and I had to get him to wash it off - it smelt ok when I wasn't on chemo!

What a coincidence your best friend having breast cancer at the same time as you! Well at least you can keep each other company.

Hi anorak my treatment is every 3 weeks. My scalp is getting a little more acclimatised now though it does still hurt if it gets cold.

will you have to have radiotherapy after your chemo?

I've been taking echinacea on and off for years too, and seldom had colds I had also managed to avoid takinfg antibiotics for about 17/ 18 years, until after the mastectomy when i had to as they thought the scar was getting infected.

No I am not having radiotherapy. Are you? Is your hair growing back in between treatments?

Re nausea.

If you are feeling sick, tell the doc and try some different anti emetics.

Dh has tried lots and for him the best combination is ondansetron and levinan.

But these are expensive and hard to get, so they will try the cheaper ones first, which do work for some people on some regimens. But if what you are on isn't getting rid of the neausea there are other things that you can try.

sending all of you my love

Hello anorak yes I am going to have radiotherapy after th echemo is finnished. I don't know that my hair is growwing back but the falling out seems to have slowed a bit,though tommorrow is the day of the cycle that t started falling out last time if you see what I mean.

Hi martianbishop I will mention it next time and see if they can change it next time.