How to Overcome Chemotherapy Nausea

Whether or not you suffer from nausea and vomiting during chemotherapy treatment depends on which chemo drugs you receive; whether you have other cancer treatment, including radiation, during chemotherapy; and whether you are prone to nausea and vomiting when you're ill. Some chemo drugs are more likely to cause these undesirable side effects. They include Altretamine (or Hexalen), Dacarbazine, Doxorubicin (or Adriamycin), Mechlorethamine (or Mustargen), Procarbazine (or Matulane), Streptozocin, Carmustine, Cisplatin, and Carboplatin.

Various medicines to combat nausea could be prescribed, depending on your doctor's diagnosis and recommendations.

Instructions

Anti-Nausea Drugs

• 1

  Discuss with your doctor prescriptions that might work for you based on the type of chemo drugs you're receiving. The anti-nausea drugs may be given either before or after treatment begins, and may be given orally or intravenously. Some drugs that prevent nausea and vomiting are classified as serotonin antagonists, such as Ondansetron (or Zofran), Dolasetron (or Anzemet), Granisetron, and Palonosetron. Others are steroids, such as Dexamethasone. Another class is dopamine agonists, including Metoclopramide (or Reglan), Haloperidol (or Haldol), and Prochlorperazine. Finally, doctors may also prescribe adjunctive medicines, including alprazolam (Xanax) and lorazepam (Ativan); anticholinergics, including scopolamine; and antihistamines, including Benadryl.

  In 2003, the Food and Drug Administration approved a new drug, Emend (or aprepitant), to be used with other anti-nausea and anti-vomiting drugs during chemotherapy treatment.

  Emend was the first FDA-approved medicine for nausea and vomiting symptoms that occur more than 24 hours after receiving chemotherapy.

• 2

  Consider other ways to prevent nausea and vomiting. These doctor-recommended strategies include eating smaller meals during the day rather than fewer, larger meals; eating foods that appeal to you; avoiding foods that are sweet, fried, or fatty; drinking lots of fluids, especially cool drinks such as water, unsweetened fruit juice, tea, or flat ginger ale; avoiding unpleasant odors that may trigger nausea; resting and wearing comfortable clothing after eating; relaxation methods such as meditation and deep breathing; and fasting for up to 12 hours before chemotherapy.

• 3

  Take ginger as a method to prevent nausea, according to a University of Rochester Medical Center study that was funded by the National Cancer Institute. Patients in the study were given ginger and a placebo, and those who received the ginger rated their nausea level at just two or three on a scale of one to seven.

  Patients took ginger three days before and three days after getting chemo. They took three capsules twice a day. The most effective doses were 1 g and 0.5 g a day, which equal 1/2 tsp. or 1/4 tsp. of ground ginger. Ginger is available at most health food stores.

  During the study, patients also received a standard drug, such as Zofran or Kytril, that prevents nausea and vomiting. The study involved 644 cancer patients who were scheduled to have at least three chemotherapy treatments.