Chemo and temperature

[picklemepopcorn]

DF has a temperature. He is on a chemo sprint at the moment. He was taken into hospital Thursday, had a night off chemo, was given antibiotics, no infection was found, sent home Friday.

Today having taken chemo last night, he has a temp again.

He won't let us call doctor as he doesn't want to be admitted again- it was a gruelling couple of days, nine hour wait for the ambulance to take him, people around us being sick etc.

Can you get a temperature just from the chemo, even though there is no infection present?

He's fine again now. It's odd. He spikes, looks and sounds awful, we start to get anxious and think about calling the hospital then he suddenly perks up a bit!

I think you know you need to call for advice.

Oncology nurse here. He needs to call in for advice ASAP.

You can get temperature spikes post chemo, but you can also look & feel reasonably well with an infection on board post chemo, and things can change very, very quickly. I am not trying to scare you but this could deteriorate very quickly without appropriate treatment.

Please call your chemo unit ASAP.

Thank you.

He's been fine this afternoon and early evening, no temperature, chatty, eaten cake etc. Neighbours who are doctors, one a neurological radiographer (?) have popped in to see him and seem happy.
I'll call hospital tomorrow if he is poorly again.

The hospital trip he had was so unproductive- made him unhappy and exposes him to infection. It was the right thing to do that time, I'm just not sure this.

I wondered if it is a side effect of the chemo, rather than an infection, and so just has to be managed and endured?

Sorry to look like I'm ignoring your advice, he just seems so well and cool now, it's a shame to go through the trauma of a several hour wait for an ambulance, then waiting in an assessment unit if he doesn't have to. The doctor- absolutely lovely, so kind and patient- didn't really know how best to treat him.

We've rung because he was a bit cool next. The HCP wasn't bothered, as he isn't unwell and he had such a thorough check yesterday.