I had my first Alimta treatment on Friday. Went okay but didn't feel too great for a few days (today is the first day I feel pretty decent). The problem I have now is I have HORRIBLE headaches. Is this common with Alimta? Thanks.
Susan
I had my first Alimta treatment on Friday. Went okay but didn't feel too great for a few days (today is the first day I feel pretty decent). The problem I have now is I have HORRIBLE headaches. Is this common with Alimta? Thanks.
Susan
I have never experienced that with alitma, but it could be a side effect, for sure call your oncologist and let him know. see you soon x
Susan, I just got out the book type information they gave us on Alimta and Headaches are a side and they say Unusual pain including intense headaches.....you should contact your doctor. So Suzie2 had good advice., call your doctor and just report it. Hugs
Hmm... thanks. It's too late today but I will call tomorrow. The good thing is tylenol does get rid of it, but since I feel nausea, I don't want take anymore of it.
Susan
I have headaches all the the time too - I'm guessing allergies or menopause...both are getting on my last nerve.....lol
Peyz:
If these were normal headaches I wouldn't worry, but it is my entire head (back, sides, top, etc.) and so bad, they almost make my face numb! Never had anything like it, but again since tylenol helped, not too worried!
Susan
Hi Susan,
Sorry to hear about the headache problem. Hopefully it's just a coincidence and will go away. How is your blood pressure? I know that headaches are considered somewhat common with Avastin, but I think it's related to a rise in blood pressure. Perhaps a similar thing can happen with Alimta.
Anyhow, although this won't really answer your question about headaches, last weekend I put together 2 sets of links to forum posts and longer essay posts related to Alimta on OncTalk and cancergrace.org. Here's the URL of the Alimta link collections. Hope they will be of some use to you:
http://cancergrace.org/forums/index.php?topic=660.0
bev
Thanks gonehiking. That helps a lot. I experienced a lot of nausea yesterday but after drinking some ginger powder in water, that helped. My headaches seem to be better today too. It looks like Alimta side effects are just the luck of the draw. Hopefully the worst is over for me. Thank you for all of the good information.
Susan
Susan - I hope you have reported this to your oncologist? I am starting fifth round of Alimta on Friday. I experience very low grade dull headaches at time but nothing like you are experiencing. I had a brain scan done and everything was fine. My not feeling good days usually peak on Day 6 and 7 every time. Every cycle seems to get better. Hope you are feeling better.
Sylvia
Hi Sylvia: Thanks. I called my doctor this morning and I have a brain MRI scheduled in two hours. This first round of Alimta was tough, I am hoping it will get better. Thanks for your post.
Susan
Susan - I am glad you phoned the Dr. and are having a brain scan done today -that is what I hoped you would do - if nothing else it will put your mind at ease - I know it did me! It seems everyone has different side affects from different chemo drugs. My worse side affect from both chemos I have had has been terrible heart burn. I have finally figured out that it is the anti-nausea drug, Dexamethasone, that you take 2 days before, day during chemo and 2 days after that seems to be causing it - unfortunately you are not at all hungry when you have heart burn (I would actually rather throw up a few times) and I have a hard time getting rid of it. Sending positive results from the scan going your way. Let us know how you make out. Hope you are soon feeling better.
Sylvia
Hi Sylvia:
I found the heartburn remedy and it is a wonder drug. You may need to fight with your insurance to get double dosage though - I did, but won. My doctor prescribed Protonix 40mg which I took faithfully. It didn't do much for me. Then she told me to take it twice a day every day and I have not had one problem with heartburn since! (A few weeks ago I went back to one tablet while I was on Avastin only and unfortunately did not start back on 2 pills until 3 days before Alimta so had a minor problem, but since I went back to 2 pills, heartburn is not an issue anymore). Ask your doctor about it. It saved my life during my last chemo.
Susan
Thanks Susan - I will check with my Dr. today. Told her about the problem yesterday and she did recommend a few over the counter type drugs. Last time they had me on a prescription drug but it didn't work that good. I think it was called Provoloc. I started my pills yesterday and had heartburn that day so I know that is what it is. Fifth chemo cycle today - yuk! Also just found out that here in British Columbia the Cancer Society only kicks in for six sessions. Are your cancer drugs paid for? So far they don't have anything more for me after this so I am hoping. Hope your headaches are a bit better today and glad you had the brain scan today. Yah, wouldn't you believe a long weekend! It's four years since diagnosis for me today! Without any remission! Yah! The oncologist said she hadn't had a file as thick as mine. Yes! I told her it was gonna get a lot thicker!
Take care and let us know results of scan and how you are feeling.
Sylvia
Hi Susan1, Just a note to let you know I was on Alimta for 12 cycles and did have severe headaches. Some were so bad my eyeballs felt like they were coming out. Almost like a migraine. My onc. had a MRI done on me but came back clean. The Alimta stopped working for me and I am now starting Tarceva. Good luck on the Alimta. The side effects weren't fun, but it worked great for the 12 cycles. Have a good day, chuckles66
HI Sylvia:
Definitely check out the Protonix (though it may be the same thing you have, just a different name in BC), but taking one didn't do anything for me - two was the magic number. One in the morning and one at night. I have insurance which pays for my chemo. I had a maximum out of pocket which I reached quite a while ago, so for the rest of the year, chemo is paid 100%. Of course all chemos have to be approved.
Sylvia - I am so sorry that you've never had remission in 4 years, but do you know who encouraging that it is me and people like me who can't get to remission either, that you can keep going? You've just changed my thought process a lot by not being able to get to remission. I hope remission for you soon and that your treatments until then aren't too unbearable.
Susan
Thanks Chuck. I feel really good today and headache free so either it was the Alimta or sinuses or something. I feel almost normal today. I was wondering what migranes felt like because I couldn't do anything for two days - tried to work on computer and it killed me. Even laying down hurt.
Thanks for the info on Alimta. My JH oncologist thought Alimta would be real easy on me but I guess she was wrong, but if it works even a little, I'll be happy. I really hope the Tarceva works for you. (Do you have the EGFR mutation?)
Susan
Thanks Susan for sharing your thoughts - I hope that my not having any remission in four years DOES help other people - it can be done! Yes, I am sure this gives you another direction to think about - sometimes I am amazed myself - my friends and family are in awe and say that I don't look any different that I did before the horrible diagnosis. Some say I look better - I sure try as our motto here is "look good-feel good". The first few weeks after diagnosis were, as we all know, the worst until I made up my mind that this was not going to get me - I was going to work hard and quit feeling sorry for myself - not eating, dropping to the floor crying, etc. etc. was not going to help me fight this! Positive thinking goes a long way. The longer we can keep going the more chance is that there will be "miracle cure" come along. Went to my fifth chemo session yesterday and onc gave me a prescription for Rabeprazole (ran) for the heartburn so hope it works.
Hope you are feeling better today and I think you will find everything session gets a little better. Keep in touch. You will get a lot of fatigue with this drug so don't fight it - only lasts for about a week after.
Sylvia
Hi Chuck. What did you do for the headaches? Yesterday I felt somewhat good, but today the headache is back as bad as ever. One of my temples hurt so bad I feel like someone hit me with a hammer!! Any suggestions on what I can take to help alleviate the pain? I've never quite felt anything like this!
I hope you are doing well.
Susan
I know this is simplistic, but I have had some terrible headaches before ( to the point of throwing up) that had nothing to do with chemo, but, One thing that may help is an ice pack to your head. Can't hurt to try huh?
Hope you are feeling better. Headaches are misery.
Hi TerryL:
I'm going to try that. My neighbor told me to do that yesterday and I had never heard of ice on my head, I thought it would make it worse, but since you say it also, I'll try it. Thanks. They are still really really bad today too.
Susan
Definitely give the ice pack a try. I've had migraines on and off for most of my life and the most surefire way of knocking them down has been to put a very cold, wet facecloth over my forehead (I usually cover my eyes too) and just lie down for awhile. Works better than anything else.
Add to the discussion