Nausea and Vomiting

A normal side effect of cancer and cancer treatments is nausea. The following are the most common:

• Anticipatory typically starts after several chemotherapy treatment sessions and happens in response to environmental cues such as the smell of an alcohol swab or sounds in the treatment center. You may reduce symptoms with behavior modification, hypnosis, guided imagery and relaxation techniques, or by simply distracting yourself. Antiemetics (drugs to combat nausea) are not effective.

• Acute is most commonly related to chemotherapy; the drug, dosage, schedule of administration and individual factors determine the frequency and severity of the nausea.

• Delayed is most likely to occur in patients who receive high-dose chemotherapy, this type occurs when symptoms are present more than 24 hours after treatment.

• Chronic is different from nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy and is common in patients with advanced cancer. It may be related to several factors, including constipation, antidepressants, pain medication, or the cancer itself.

Acute, delayed and chronic nausea are commonly treated with antiemetics. Ask your doctor about which one is best for you.

Self-Management

While antiemetics are generally effective, a number of natural remedies may help prevent nausea and vomiting:

• Stay away from fatty foods, fried foods, very spicy and sweet foods

• Do not cook during periods of nausea. If possible, ask someone to cook for you. Another option is to cook and freeze meals before chemotherapy and then reheat when needed

• Maintain proper nutrition by drinking shakes or liquid nutritional supplements.

• Try relaxation techniques to control anticipatory nausea and gain a feeling of control.

When to Call Your Doctor

Be sure to take your medicine as instructed. Taking your prescribed dose regularly stabilizes the amount of drug in your bloodstream, which helps control nausea and vomiting. Whenever you have concerns about your health, call your doctor, but call specifically if:

• You are vomiting and cannot take your medicine

• Your drugstore does not sell antiemetics

• You cannot pay for your antiemetics

• You are not sure how or when to take your medicine

• If your medication is not as effective as you'd like it to be.

Think your experience is uncommon? Want to speak with someone who has gone through a similar one? Call the Y-ME Hotline at 800-221-2141 and speak with a trained peer counselor who is a breast cancer survivor.

SOURCES:
1. National Breast Cancer Foundation. Preparing for Side Effects: What to Expect from Breast Cancer Therapies (video).

2. National Cancer Institute, www.nci.nih.gov.

November 2007