Side Effects
New cancer patients and their families are usually overwhelmed by the whole cancer scenario and have little or no idea about what choices to make or which direction to go. We would never have put our daughter in that first hospital had we known what to look for (general sanitary conditions, for instance). Don't assume anything. Ask and investigate.
We had no idea what to expect or where to find simple, concise information about cancer therapy and accompanying side effects. Volumes of information are available on the internet and in bookstores. Simple, condensed information is hard to uncover. That is the basic reason for this Website. We hope we can provide simple answers to complex questions.
This is heavy reading, but we want you to know what can happen.
Side effects can be suffocating and are listed below in no particular order. Your side effects, hopefully, will be less severe, but you should be prepared for the worst.
1. Hair loss is common in most cases, but not all. Our daughter's hair grew back with breathtaking, beautiful curls. They eventually grew out, but were beautiful while they lasted. In time, her original, pretty chestnut hair was restored.
2. Regurgitating or vomiting is common in most cases with chemotherapy drugs (a few don't get sick at all). Our daughter experienced violent vomiting for hours after each chemo session began (sometimes all night long—eventually going into dry heaves, the body trying to expel the chemo drugs long after the stomach is empty).
3. Seizures can sometimes occur due to low sodium levels caused by vomiting (according to the resident neurologist). Our daughter had a severe seizure fifteen minutes after the second round of chemo began and almost died. Doctors, responding to a "Code blue" alarm, managed to stabilize her and she survived. We watched her sodium level closely after that. Ask your nurses about sodium levels and counts. They should provide a "counts" booklet and help you understand the numbers provided during each hospital stay (filled in by nurses).
4. Nose bleeds are common due to anticoagulants cancer patients are given to enable the blood to flow freely and expel chemo drugs as quickly as possible. Nurses told us nose bleeds are expected on a regular basis during chemotherapy. Bleeding can be severe. Sarah's first nosebleed literally soaked her sheets and puddled on the floor. This is obviously a worst-case scenario but it was common during her chemotherapy sessions.
5. Mouth sores are also common. Sarah had sores larger than quarter-size that made eating too painful. After only nine days in the hospital, she had lost 25% of her body weight. The first set of doctors gave her nothing to heal the sores. She even turned down milkshakes.
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Footnote: The local hospital we took Sarah to for fevers (that always spiked one to two days after each chemo session), solved the mouth-sore problem with a solution of Maalox, hydramine, and xylocaine 2%. The doctor who provided it was shocked that Sarah's oncologists offered nothing to help heal the sores. He called it Magic Mouthwash. Swished like mouthwash and spit out, her sores healed the next day and she ate like a horse from then on (another reason we left the first hospital). We kept the bottle detailing the ingredients.
6. Fevers invariably occurred one or two days after each chemo session ended and required another one or two-day hospital stay to bring the fever down. Frankly, it was a revolving nightmare. Fevers of 104 or above can be life-threatening, so be watchful.
Footnote: Doctors at the new hospital prescribed an at-home nurse to administer a drug called Neupogen® immediately after each chemo session. This basically eliminated Sarah's fevers and helped build up her white blood cell count, making quarantine less necessary. Cancer patients are often quarantined (not allowed outside visitors at home, or outside contact) when their immune system is compromised due to chemtherapy (another reason we left the first hospital—they offered nothing to counteract fevers).
7. Allergies can develop in patients during chemotherapy that did not exist before. Sarah, for instance, became allergic to plastic strips (bandaids) and her chart was marked, "No plastic tape of any kind. Use only paper or silk." One nurse didn't read her chart and used a plastic bandaid that caused an infectious sore at her port access area. That led to three more days of hospitilization to bring down the fever and deal with the infection.
Footnote: Sarah is no longer allergic to plastic. She does, however, have a dime-sized scar from the infection.
She also developed an allergy to Benadryl®, a drug used to help prevent nausea and vomiting caused by chemo drugs. I repeat-don't be afraid to ask questions.
8. Night Traumas. Three months into chemotherapy, Sarah began to have what my wife referred to as night traumas. Our daughter would wake up screaming, imagining spiders and snakes crawling on her legs. She would also stumble occasionally and drag her foot. My wife researched these particular symptoms and a particular chemo drug was the culprit. A nurse, who witnessed Sarah's night traumas, convinced doctors to suspend using that particular drug temporarily. The dreams and stumbling stopped almost immediately. A few weeks later, they resumed using the same drug and the familiar side effects started two nights later. (I don't mention the drug's name for legal reasons.)
Footnote: While receiving this particular chemo drug, Sarah developed small red spots on her skin, had jaw pain, trouble sleeping and had difficulty walking. Hallucinations and confusion seemed to be fairly common with this drug according to attending nurses. Remember to ask your doctors about any drugs they prescribe, including benefits and side effects.
9. Radiation side effects: Radiation burns the skin surface and the area beneath the skin. Skin exhibits redness like a severe sunburn. The skin soon peels away leaving white blotches and blisters. The burning can be felt beneath the surface.
10. Constipation is another prevelant side effect. Doctors constantly asked if Sarah was experiencing constipation. We had Sarah on highly concentrated fruit and vegetable supplements and made sure she drank lots of water. The doctors seemed to doubt my claim of no constipation. We are convinced the supplements and the high volume of water she drank contributed to regular bowel movements.
Conclusion: I'm sure many other side effects can occur depending on the individual drugs used in chemotherapy and accompanying drugs to deal with side effects. I counted over sixty chemo drugs on one Website that are in common use today. If you experience side effects I am not familiar with, I would be glad to include them in this discussion. Contact us and let us know.
♦ Next, learn about potential conflicts between
Vitamins and Supplements and chemotherapy drugs.
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Updated June 7, 2010
Updated June 7, 2010
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