First TCH treatment and digestive problems
 

I recently had my first TCH treatment. The first few days I was fine although I did not have a bowel movement. It is now 4 days layer and I am experiencing pretty severe cramping and still having a difficult time using the bathroom. I did not have any nausea until the cramping started. I am told this is not to be unexpected but I am looking for hints as to what foods to avoid and what to incorporate. If it were not for this problem I would be doing pretty well. Thanks for your help.

Re: First TCH treatment and digestive problems
 

Congrats on finishing a treatment. I thought chemo would give me loose movements but I ended up very constipated (there is no dignity in cancer and you will probably get used to talking about these things with others). It caused me to become nauseous. My Onc recommended MiraLAX and said it's fine to double the dose, but always check with your doctor before taking anything.

Good luck in your treatment.

-Julie

Re: First TCH treatment and digestive problems
 

Hello,

I was caught off guard as to being constipated as well!! After my first TCH, I was very constipated!! I "thought" this would be the complete opposite! :(
My oncologist prescribed "Lactulose"...it helped me quite a bit! I also drink lot's of prune juice! And, drink LOTS of water!!!
I know this feeling, the Zofran can be constipating, I was not "warned"...hang in there...as Julie stated, dignity loses at times here, BUT, YOU CAN AND WILL DO THIS!!!!

Re: First TCH treatment and digestive problems
 

Thanks ladies. After 3 days of constipation I am now battling diarrhea. Lucky me. I am only starting to feel slightly OK almost a week after treatment. I don't want to be feeling sorry for myself, I wanted to be SO strong, but this is really hard! I hope to do some research so when I get my next treatment it goes easier. One down 5 to go.

Re: First TCH treatment and digestive problems
 

Hi,

This is a link to an old thread where I wrote up my approach to bowel problems. Mine were a bit extreme, but there is some info in there for you. If you use the search function, you'll find some other threads covering gut issues

http://her2support.org/vbulletin/sho...ht=Aussie+Girl

Best Wishes
Aussie Girl

Re: First TCH treatment and digestive problems
 

Thank you for the info Aussie girl. I read through the thread and there is a lot of useful info. I am a little disappointed in my health care team for not properly preparing me for the effects of the chemo. I would rather expect the worse and it not be so bad then to think it wasn't going to be so tough. I know I don't tolerate meds well so I guess I shouldn't have been surprised. I was told this want brutal chemo; really??? It makes me feel like i am weak. I get my next TCH treatment in 2 weeks and I want to be proactive to hopefully avoid this horrible cramping and diarrhea.
How about mouth sores anyone have advice on that.? I can feel changes starting so I am anticipating those issues next.

Re: First TCH treatment and digestive problems
 

I used biotin mouthwash and spray for dry mouth. You can buy them at any drugstore. I also had a prescription for " magic mouthwash", which is a mixture of several drugs that you gargle with. Each oncologist has their own formula. You can google it to get more info. There is also a lozenge that can be prescribed if the mouth sores get really bad. Just try to keep your mouth moist with non-alcohol based mouthwash like the biotin, I lived off of that stuff. As a point of reference, my onc reduced my chemo dosage because the mouth sores came on almost immediately.

The steroids that you take for the first couple of days after chemo constipate you, then the diarrhea arrives. You can take Imodium but double the recommended dosage with your doc's approval. I had to get a prescription for lomotil to get me through the week after chemo. Eat very bland - bananas, white bread, rice, applesauce, turkey for protein. No yogurt, veggies, etc.

Don't blame your health team; everyone reacts differently as seen by all the different responses.

It's ok to feel sorry for yourself - I would bet we all did at one point or another. Cancer sucks but you're fighting it.

Best
Janis