terrible headaches and sore throats

• By shirlmac
• Posted June 19, 2009 at 12:30 pm
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thanks, I too am beginning to feel better. Just get dizzy and the ususal. think we will go camping this week end in the motor home just to get away. My husband has chemo (stage 4 colon cancer) on Monday and I don't have my next one until 6/30. So I will feel better each day and will have a good week end.

You ladies have a great week end also and are always in my thoughts. We have to lean on each other and share our experiences as we go. No one else can understand and encourage without having been there as we have.

God bless us all.

Shirlmac.

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• By Carmeta
• Posted June 19, 2009 at 9:22 am
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I use the Prevention mouth rinse for oncology patients, and it works like a miracle. No alcohol in it, and it is healing and soothing. It was amazing to me that my health care providers hadn't heard of it because (at least for me), it is remarkably effective at curing mouth sores.

As for headaches while on Avastin, it could be one of the symptoms of the blood pressure increase that is a definite side effect of Avastin, along with hoarseness and nose bleeds (less frequent) or blood in the stuff when I blow my nose in the morning (more frequent).

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• By eamom
• Posted June 19, 2009 at 5:29 am
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Sorry to hear about your symptoms. I'm glad you're feeling better except for the mouth sores.

I think I get migraine headaches. I get nauseous with those. I had one a few days ago where I actually vomited. This was before my chemo started. I don't know if migraines are affected by menopause. I'm not on Neulasta at this point, and I'm hoping I won't have to get that.

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• By Talismom
• Posted June 19, 2009 at 2:51 am
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Shirlmac,
Sounds like we are having a similar experience. The mouth sores are my lingering issues two weeks after my first treatment.
I have started doing 2 different gargles that are helping-one is with apple cider vinegar and the other is biotene which is a type of mouthwash. One more week until treatment number 2. In the meantime I am enjoying feeling good again. It is amazing how difficult it is to remember how awful I felt just 10 days ago.

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• By shirlmac
• Posted June 18, 2009 at 6:45 pm
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With my reocurrence the Dr. added Avastin to Toxal/Carbo. after one treatment this has caused severe headaches, stomach pains, mouth sores, bloody nose drainage and sore throat which I did not have the first time round. The pain seems to be getting better after a week and half after chemo, but the mouth and throat sores are worse.

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• By Shearaw
• Posted June 17, 2009 at 5:08 pm
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Talismom, Sorry if I posted something confusing. I was told that Tylenol/acetaminophen is fine. Its the Advil or Motrin or ibuprofen that I was told to stay away from.

Sheara

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• By esther3kids
• Posted June 17, 2009 at 12:32 am
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Colds seem to be going around these days. Here in San Diego it's been unusually cooler than normal. My husband has a cold right now and I'm trying hard not to get sick, because you know how week our imune systems are because of the chemo.

I wanted to tell you that I heard of this mouth rinse that helps for mouth sores it's called "Prevention". I haven't had to use it but I heard that it works.

Hope you feel better.

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• By Jennali
• Posted June 16, 2009 at 11:41 pm
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I think we get so tuned in to having cancer that we forget that something else could be causing us to feel bad.

Talismom, I am glad that you "only" have a cold. At least you know you'll be feeling better soon.

Hang in there, hon.

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• By Talismom
• Posted June 16, 2009 at 11:17 pm
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Thanks everyone,
After two nights of waking up with terrible sore throat and earache, I decided to go see my regular doc and low and behold I have a real cold, enlarged and yucky tonsils etc.
So, while I wait to see if it is strep, I am doing what I usually do that helps a lot. Apple cider vinegar gargle takes care of it usually within a couple of days.
The early headaches were from chemo, but I am glad to learn I won't be having a non-stop burning throat and headache for the next 4 months.

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• By scubadvr
• Posted June 16, 2009 at 10:29 pm
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Had carbo/taxol, but not Avastin. No mouth sores, but did get a horrible headache. My chemo nurse thought it was from the Zofran (ondanestron) which they give before chemo for nause, and she switched me to Kytril. This really helped, and I never had any more headaches. Check which antinausea med, they are giving you pre-chemo. This could be the cause of the headache.

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• By esther3kids
• Posted June 16, 2009 at 12:05 am
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I'm on my fourth chemo treatment of Taxol/Carbo, this last time was harder than before. I was more tired and achy than I have ever been. And this time I had more headaches, no mouth sores. Check with your doctor. I was told I could take motrin.

I'll being praying for you, Good Luck!

Love,
Esther

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• By lovemnms
• Posted June 14, 2009 at 10:45 pm
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I had a lot of mouth and throat sores. My doctor prescribed an oral rinse for me too. Many women know it as "magic mouthwash". It works. I was told I could swallow some of it (not more than once a day) for the sores in my throat. Ask before doing this though.

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• By smac5
• Posted June 14, 2009 at 5:55 pm
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HI Talismom--I've been away and just saw your question. The avastin is very likely the reason for your sore throat. About 3 days after treatment I get a runny nose, hoarse voice and plugged sinuses. The docs say it because chemo irritates sinuses. I know it was the Avastin because I added it after 3 treatments that didn't do it, but they hope when I am on Avastin only, the combined effects will be better. I practically get laryngitis, which is bad for a teacher! However, it didn't cause any worse headaches than the other chemos, but if you are prone to headaches that could be the cause.

BTW--my docs said Tylenol was no problem but they waited until my first blood tests after the first treatment because some people have trouble with ibuprofen (advil, etc.) affecting their white/red blood cells. If it doesn't show up the first time, then you are OK.

I also did get some more mouth sores each treatment even before Avastin was added, although now that I think about it, it has been worse since I added Avastin. Thanks for the suggestions on helps for that, y'all!

Just got back from a weekend of spiritual healing. the mellowness is wonderful--now if I can just hang on! Love and best wishes to all.

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• By Talismom
• Posted June 14, 2009 at 1:30 pm
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This is so helpful.
I did get the neulasta shot and it sounds like that may be the culprit. I am doing the biotene thing which is helping and am taking tylenol which also makes a difference.
This week I go in for my first blood tests. I will be interested to see what it says about my white blood cell count as well as my CA-125 which is incredibly sensitive. (This recurrence was detected when it went from 12 to 15 to 17- (still within the normal range but an upward trend over 9 months)

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• By Manuelaingermany
• Posted June 14, 2009 at 9:05 am
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Never had mouthsores but had a terrible headache after my first chemo that lasted almost 3 weeks. I went into hospital one week after the first chemo for a high fever, didnt have neulasta until the second chemo. Since I had migraines before cancer, I thought it would last forever and drove me crazy, but the good news was, it went away after about 2 or 3 weeks, and then I didnt have another headache for month, and then they were normal headaches that would go away with tylenol or advil. Hang in there.
Manuela

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• By dollycat6
• Posted June 14, 2009 at 8:38 am
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My doctor prescribed "magic mouthwash" swish and rinse. That helped numb it. Then the baking soda as said in the above notes.

dollycat6

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• By ccdatty2
• Posted June 14, 2009 at 8:11 am
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I just had my 1st recurrence after 2.5 years and started the Avastin, Carbo, Gemzar regime on Friday. I did have a headache that night but has not reoccurred. I am set for the Neulasta on Monday also and that is where I anticipate the horrific headache. This shot is very potent in working on bone marrow to produce the white blood cells and does cause headache i.e skull big bone as the traige nurse once told me. I appreciate all the other entries re mouth sore issues and will start my mouth washes to hopefully avoid that. If you all stick together with sharing remedies for any side effects to this drug we will all come out the other end just fine. Bless everyone and have a good day.

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• By Talismom
• Posted June 13, 2009 at 1:01 pm
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Thanks so much. I am going to try the neti pot.
I hadn't heard about not taking tylenol or advil during chemo. Have others been told this as well?

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• By Shearaw
• Posted June 13, 2009 at 12:54 pm
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I have had minor mouth sores on another chemo and rinsing with lukewarm saltwater several times a day definitely helped.

I had terrible headaches on the same carbo/taxol/avastin combination, also. I had been a major migraine sufferer most of my life. The oncologists told me not to take any Advil, Motrin or other ibuprofen while on chemo. It makes the platelets or white cells (can't remember which) that we have left less effective in doing their jobs. Here's what didn't work for me: I was prescribed several different of the migraine meds, but they just resulted in my getting worse rebound headaches - a very common situation. They also gave me an antidepressant (nortryptilin) as a headache preventative - just made me gain about 15 lb. over a year.

What worked for me? I started using a neti pot. Like the mouth rinses using lukewarm salt water. I believe it works the same way as rinsing for mouth sores. That is, it toughens up the membranes and desensitizes them. It also cleans out anything that creates extra pressure in the sinuses, and keeps the local blood vessels from becoming too constricted. It does feel a little weird at first, but after one week it becomes the most normal habit. Even now, I almost never get a headache, and a simple Tylenol or Advil (preferred when not on chemo) at the first sign, does the trick!

Hope this helps and good luck!
Sheara

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• By Stoogemom
• Posted June 13, 2009 at 11:44 am
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My Dr. prescribed an oral rinse for me when I had sores on my tongue. You just swirl it around in your mouth and spit it out. It gave me complete relief in a few days and the sores never came back. Also you should rinse your mouth with baking soda, salt and warm water twice a day. I made up a little container of the two and then it was handy and ready to go. I'm not sure about the headaches though. Always check with your Dr. Feel better soon!
Stoogemom

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