Anyone use pepcid, Nexium, etc?

[Chelee]

This isn't quite the most important question of the day. lol But I was curious since I am new to chemo if your oncologist gave most or you something for your stomach. Not just anti-nausea meds...but medication for that super bad heartburn and indigestion you get after chemo?

My first session of chemo I went an entire month in PAIN. I could hardly drink water without that burning in my throat...let alone eat anthing. I played heck eating food.

Well this second full session of chemo I changed oncologist and I asked her IF there was anything I could take for the heartburn and indigestion...that it was killing me. I told her I can't eat cottage cheese and apple sauce without pain. She looked up at me and said loudly, "You mean you have NOTHING for this....absolutely nothing?" I told her "No". I said the other oncologist gave me not a thing for it. She really sincerely seemed shocked. She said I had to have something for that...she could not believe I went that first row of chemo with nothing.

She imediately wrote me two prescriptions for Pepcid and Nexium. Since I have those meds...like is so much better after chemo. I can EAT again. Sure things don't taste as good still...but at least I can put some food in my body without pain in my stomach and major heartburn. These meds are great. I can eat just about anything now thanks to these meds.

Did all of you get medications for your stomach like these? And I am curious if these hamper or affect the way the chemo works in the body?

[chrislmelb]

I too took perscription medicine for that horrible feeling. I was assured it was fine and i stopped it once i stopped chemo. The active ingredient is pantoprazole. It is taken as a preventative, not when it strikes. If you have been suffering so much i suggest you get on something similar.

Good luck
Christine

[janet/FL]

Chelee
I took Prilosec for the heart burn and it did work wonders. Sorry your first oncologist did not prescribe something for you. But that is where a support group such as this one can be of help. When anyone has a problem or question with their treatment, just ask. Someone from this group probably can help and is happy to do so.
Janet

[tricia keegan]

Hi Chelee
I had a bad coeting on my tongue.They checked with a camera up my nose and promptly prescribed nioxin.Not sure why. It did'nt work and I still have the coating 6 weeks after chemo.Hope yours gets better quicker than mine.They said it wqas something to do with the chemo killing all the good cells in my mouth but I did'nt have heartburn or any symptoms of stomach problems.
Tricia

[Liz J.]

Hi Chelee,

I have been on Nexium forever. I have gurd . Don't know if I should be taking it every day but my PCP doesn't have a problem with it and Onc. knows about it. I was planning to stop it just before chemo as I figured I had enough stuff going in but my Onc. said it would be a bad time to stop. Anyhow, I was prescribed something called Emend. Had to take one pill about an hour before chemo and then one pill for the next two days. I got chemo every 3 weeks. I don't know if I was just lucky or that stuff really worked. Although I didn't have a good appetite (dropped 34 pounds in the 18 weeks), I fortunately did not have much of a problem eating when I felt like it. I got really turned off to the smell of some things like garlic, which I love and when any close by neighbor was barbecuing (sp?) which used to be one of my passions I would lose my stomach. I guess it was marinade or something they were using. My thoughts and prayers are with you and please ask your Onc. about Emend. Hugs, Liz J.

[Bev]

Hi, Had emend for nauseau for AC. While on taxol I'm sure they gave me IV heartburn meds. I can't remember the brand but can look it up if you wish. BB

[doh2pa]

Hi Chelee,

I am lucky enough to have a husband who is a physician. Three weeks into my chemo regimen, when I was having terrible stomach acid pains (besides the nausea) he started me on Prilosec. I stayed on it througout my 6 months of treatment and it worked wonders. I would take it on chemo day and then for about 2 to 3 days later to control the acid. Then I would stop until the next treatment. Get some!

Donna

[clisa]

Hi there - just a note to keep in mind I was experiencing minor heartburn myself with my chemo and my doctor gave me zantac which helped temporarily. The symptoms got worse as I continued on chemo and was given losec which worked also very well. When it stopped working a few weeks later it took a persistent emergency room doctor and cat scan to find out that one of my liver mets was wrapping around my gallbladder bile duct which was causing the pain - so just a heads up to be persistent with your doctor if you are having heart burn/ bad tummy as it can be more than a side effect but another problem.

Now I am treated for the pain and swelling in the liver and rarely have heartburn or other - but if I do losec always helps if it breaksthrough.

L

[Johanna Johannsdottir]

Hi there,


I experienced heartburn with a Navelbine-chemo last year and got some medicine. Now I avoid all food (bread, buscuits, speices, suces etc.) that contains yeast. I bake my one bread with raising-powder and read all labels to avoid yeast. Currently on Taxotere and Herceptin and have no heartburn from it. My husband eats this bread also and is delighted because he had heartburn from yeast too. Avoid yeast and see whether it helps.

regards, Jóhanna

[rachelhmmd]

I gave myself OTC prilosec during my taxol. I thought it was the decadron that was giving me the heartburn. Anyhow, it was a gamechanger for me. It really helped. The heartburn was contributing to my feeling of dread and when that improved, I slept better and felt less anxious.

[AlaskaAngel]

When I was treated in 2002, the insurance company refused to cover Nexium, which was a new proton pump inhibitor. We had a fine new doctor here who had worked for Mayo Clinic previously, and I sent him a note saying that I "promised not to sell it on the street" if he would argue with them! And he got it approved for me for the duration of chemotherapy. It helped a lot.

AlaskaAngel

[NEDenise]

Oh yeah! Nexium is a game-changer! I can't even go a single day without it...the heartburn comes right back!

[Laurel]

Denise,

During chemo I had esophagitis and suffered severe heartburn after chemo had ended. I was on Protonix, a proton pump inhibitor like Nexium. It worked well. In fact, my Onc told me I would probably be on it for the remainder of my life. A few months after ending chemo I saw a naturopathic who told me that the Protonix would inhibit the absorption of much needed nutrients in my diet and from supplements. She suggested a powdered form of probiotic that requires refrigeration. After taking the probiotic powder for 2 weeks I was able to stop taking the Protonix. Today I put a quarter tsp in a water bottle daily and usually take a bottle with the probiotic powder to bed with me. My heartburn is very rare and usually occurs when I take a supplement too close to bedtime. It seems I can never go long without the probiotic powder in my life, but I was able to forgo the parp inhibitor. I do think the weight gain contributes to the heartburn, but woman who have gained very little post chemo experience it as well and it is quite common.

It's worth a try! You can find a bottle at your local health food store. The better quality probiotic requires refrigeration to keep the bacteria alive.

[Vicky]

Chelee,

Yes, I was prescribed Ranitidine (Zantac) and take it almost daily. It works really well and I don't know what I would have done without it! I have taken it for 7 months now and he doesn't blink when I ask for a refill so I assume its safe to take daily like I do. I hope you get continued relief!!

[Lani]

Laurel, I think you mean a proton pump inhibitor, not a parp inhibitor, The former is for gastritis and esophagitis...the latter works against some triple negative breast cancers in particular.

Just want to be sure some one reading your post doesn't ask their doctor for a parp inhibitor (wouldn't get it anyway as none is FDA approved yet)

[norkdo]

darn i wish my oncologist knew about nexium (prescribed yesterday by my new family doctor) a month ago when i complained abt the heartburn. i have suffered needlessly for a month.

[mollecat]

I had heartburn something awful too. They put me on a PPI (proton-pump inhibitor). Worked wonderfully, no problems after that, although I still didn't eat anything spicy while on it, only salt and a little pepper. I eventually went off of it after the dose-dense chemo cycles were over.

[alicem]

Chelee,

So good to hear from you. You might try searching for the post titled . . .
"CHELEE - how are you? Anyone know? "
We have missed hearing from you!!

Now to answer your question, I did use Nexium and it worked for me. As for the awful taste in my mouth, I found rinsing with a solution of salt and baking soda was very helpful. I mixed 1 tablespoon of both into 2 quarts of water and would swish it around like a mouthwash any time that bad taste came on. At the beginning, it was once or twice a day. Towards the end of my treatment, it was once an hour. It did make it so I could tolerate eating.

Hope this helps and again, so good to hear from you!

[Laurel]

Lani, you are right. Corrected! Alice, Chelee posted this initially back in '06. Someone resurrected the thread. I want to hear from her, too! I thought the same thing you did at first.

[Cal-Gal]

I was on a prescription either Priolosec or Nexium-forget the entire time I was on chemo-then afterward found out I had an ulcer-and was on Nexium for about a year-finally ulcer disappeared-