getting sicer with each chemo

• By Shelter
• Posted October 27, 2009 at 1:57 pm
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after each chemo, I found I had to take the recomended stool softeners,... as well as the Maxeran, to stop nausea ,
I also had from # 3-4-5 just Carbo
Keep trying your doctors office or cancer clinc number
ours calls us back same day when we leave a message.
the Cancer clinic nurses where great at returning my calls)

A friend of mine recomended I gently massage my abdomen, to encourage the moving along of things

also heard, that hot water bottles sometimes brings a relief.

but.. please do make sure you contact your doctors office or the chemotherpay unit/ cancer clinic..
I am sure you have a few contact numbers on hand

best of luck!
wishing health & peace
MA

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• By zircons
• Posted October 27, 2009 at 2:49 pm
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My doctor says no enemas because you can get a bowel obstruction. I do use stool softeners and senna. Some days I load up on the dosage, like two stool softeners and three Senna. Keep calling your doctor until you can speak to someone to answer your questions.

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• By Cheryl4Teal
• Posted October 27, 2009 at 2:55 pm
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I agree call the doctor or place go for treatment. Do you have a nurse helpline? We do at my Cancer institute. They are great with answering questions.
I was told a bowel obstruction was when you had fever, did not pass stool for a few days even with stool softners and pain as well as vomiting.
I would just call them to ask.

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• By tex2step
• Posted October 27, 2009 at 5:55 pm
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I took stool softeners twice a day thought out chemo and I continue to do so today eight months after chemo with my Doctors recommendations. I had a colostomy which has been reversed, but constipation is a very big problem and this keeps me moving. I don't need extra problems and this seems to work for me. Good Luck! Stacey

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• By ohmama123
• Posted October 27, 2009 at 6:12 pm
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I don't know the signs of a true bowel obstruction, but I hope you have been able to reach your drs office...
I have had so much trouble with constipation - stool softeners weren't enough and dulcalax had me convinced more than once that I needed to go to the ER, but never did. I found for me the perfect medium is Milk of Magnesia tablets (I gag if I take the liquid) - I take 2 the night starting chemo with 2 stool softeners and I have been fine - I take that for the week. There is also a tea called "Smooth Move" that works overnight if there is still back up. In my grocery store it is in the pharmacy/medical area. I wish you luck with this - I hope it is just a back up of "stuff" and that all will be fine very soon.

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• By loveoneanother
• Posted October 27, 2009 at 6:34 pm
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Thank you ladies for your replys. The doctor still has not answered my call.Iam trying again as I write this. I thank you all. Like I said Iam doing so better but Iam tender and the pain in my stomach is still there. Hopefully I'll get the answers I need. I will try some of the things you all have tried.

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• By dwm26
• Posted October 27, 2009 at 8:00 pm
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After chemo the last thing i needed was a stool softener Rather then being constipated I had diarrhea.

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• By wright2fight
• Posted October 27, 2009 at 9:46 pm
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I have had an obstruction and been constipated after chemo! Saving grace! I am a big believer in a probiotic, which get the senior level at any health store. A probiotic is a natural enzyme...that chemo really screws up! My trick was taking a probiotic and a stool softener a couple days before chemo! The probiotic I take every day!

If you have an obstruction you are in "extreme" physical pain! Anything that you try to eat or drink well be coming back up! I don't think that an exorcism vomiting would even come close! Hope that your doctor contacted you today! Girl, I will be praying for you tonight....I have been there and it sucks!

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• By wright2fight
• Posted October 27, 2009 at 9:54 pm
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I always forget something..... I should ask how many times were you sick to your stomach in a 24 hour period of time?If you have a bad obstruction, the max, I'm going off of my life, was about 3 to 4 hours! Once you get sick, you will feel better for the next couple of hours and then will be sick again. The best way to put in into perspective is like a kink in the hose or the sink backing up!

I'm here for ya! Write back when you feel up to it.....I'm going to be worried about you!

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• By Patricia123
• Posted October 28, 2009 at 6:59 am
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Check in with your MD but everything I read told me the fourth cycle was the peak of the hardness and after that it gets better.

Hang in there or as we now say in our family, "Man up",,for some reason it is our mantra.

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• By lifeisgrand
• Posted October 28, 2009 at 8:27 am
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I hope you are feeling better by now and have heard from your doctor. It is hard to believe until you've been through this how miserable you can be from constipation. And the things we do to try to correct it make us even sicker. I found that preventing it was much easier. Take the stool softener every day (unless you get too loose then cut back), drink plenty of fluids and add fiber to your diet. I also take the probiotics every day.

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• By kennebec
• Posted October 28, 2009 at 11:24 am
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I suffered with constipation (and the attending fear). Stool softeners, Milk of Magnesia, ducolax laxative. It was a vicious cycle. And NONE of them worked. Well...the laxative worked but that is not a long-term remedy.

My nurse recommended Miralax. Took a few days but it worked wonders. There are some minor annoyances with Miralax (sometimes going to the bathroom multiple times a day) but it was a lifesaver for me.

I still use the Miralax 3 months post-chemo. I'd like to think I will someday no longer need to use it but that day has not yet arrived.

I echo everyone else's comment that if you are continuing in pain, call your doc/nurse/clinic.

And if the remedies you are currently using don't work for you, be persistent with the doc in finding something that does.

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• By Sue_Shustar
• Posted October 28, 2009 at 3:26 pm
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I have not had a bowel obstruction but have great difficulty with bowel movements for about 2 weeks after chemo (final one next week). Its like everything gets stuck at the "back door" if you know what I mean. Frustrating, painful and time consuming. I own and run a shoe store for problem feet and often client's medical issues are discussed in depth. One of my best salespeople who happens to be a gorgeous blond gal was helping a client going through chemo. She was sharing with my Char how she would spend hours trying to "go" and pushing with all her might. Char was relating this story to me with tears in her eyes as she said "Sue, she started bleeding so badly she had to go to the hospital so the doctors could 'sodomize' her!" I had to tell her that she probably meant 'cauterize' her. We laughed til we cried! Best wishes and blessings to all my on-line girlfriends!

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• By Lynn1947
• Posted October 28, 2009 at 6:12 pm
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Diarrhea and vomiting after chemo can lead to an imbalance in your electrolytes. I would try to see a doctor as soon as possible.

Best wishes for a strong recovery!
Lynn

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• By NotDyingToday
• Posted October 29, 2009 at 5:50 am
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Constipation is a HUGE post-chemo problem.

As I became more aware of how my body reacted following treatment, I began to cut out some of the post-chemo drugs for nausea etc. because they often compound the problem. Anti-anxiety meds do as well. I wouldn't drop everything wholesale but you might ask your chemo nurse or doctor which ones you could ease up on and see if that helps.

Ginger tea is a great anti-nausea substitute for drugs and the warm water helps soothe jumpy tummies.

And raisins werepart of my answer to constipation--much tastier than prunes. I kept a big box of raisins with me at all times and just popped them into my mouth throughout the day. They REALLY got things moving.

And speaking of moving....that truly helps. Even though the first desire is to lie down and not get up for hours at a time, I found that a good walk in the fresh air with my husband or a friend, and a few yoga poses or stretching exercises do more for constipation than anything.

Good luck!

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• By Jen457
• Posted October 29, 2009 at 11:01 am
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I prefer chocolate covered raisins! I haven't had to use them for a while but they work for me. Also, I agree, walking really helps me also.

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• By ms51409
• Posted October 30, 2009 at 11:20 am
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Definitely check with your doctor, but I found that Mira-lax worked very well for me. My doctor told me to start taking it about two days before the chemo, which I did, and I found that I need it for about a week then I would be OK. One other positive thing about the Mira-lax is that if you mix it with juice it's tasteless.

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• By Cheryl4Teal
• Posted October 30, 2009 at 6:16 pm
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I found raisins worked too yup. I like those choc covered ones ala raisinettes on the cheap , me however had to go to a had to go candy gormet shop lol
IT does work. I was pro active. I just take a colace one every other day im ok. I find thats enough. Everybodies diffrent though. Some people can go with more needed some less, you got to come up with your own well formula.
I hope your feeling better.

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• By loveoneanother
• Posted October 30, 2009 at 11:23 pm
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wow sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you all. But I have been feeling pretty lously since my chemo on the 23rd, and the constipation thing. Family I talked to my doctor and they are not sure why my stomach reacted so badly to the stool softner and senna. But she did say that the chemo drugs are so harsh they shut down your muscles that move stool , and so it gets stuck and compacts and gets hard so when you take laxatives it starts the muscles again and that starts the cramping in my case I should have taken them days before chemo and drink lots of fluids. I didn't take the proper steps and look what happened. But I didn't have bowel obstruction. Thank God i sure felt like I was going to die. wow never want it to happen again. I really do have a tollerance towards pain and I do not take any pain meds at all. I dont like putting all those drugs into my system. I want to thank all of you for your concerns and prayers. I will try harder to prep before te next chemo. By the way it was my 9th chemo and 23 doses of avastin with out such pain like that, but hopefully It will never happen again. Thank you everyone

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• By verlinda
• Posted October 31, 2009 at 11:34 am
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Milk of magnesia was my wonder cure! Senna in any form was way too harsh for me, although it shouldn't have been. Once you find what works for you, stick to it! The stool softeners didn't help me, so I just did my milk of mag every few days.

I'm so sorry you went through this. Do try to drink tons of water.

Hang in there. You're an inspiration.

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