Nausea & Vomiting Due to Chemotherapy

As valuable as it can be to patients suffering from cancer, chemotherapy can have some ravishing side effects. Nausea and vomiting can be two of the worst symptoms of chemotherapy treatment to deal with.

Identification

• Nausea is the feeling that originates in your digestive system which tells you that you need to vomit, while vomiting is the actual forceful emptying of your stomach contents.

Considerations

• Nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy may be lessened by increasing fluids and eating smaller meals instead of three heavy meals.

Prevention/Solution

• There are certain medications which your physician can prescribe that can help alleviate the feeling of needing to vomit. These can be taken before, during and after chemotherapy.

Potential

• There is no concern that the anti-nausea medication will not be kept down because it can be given intravenously at the same time as the chemotheraphy agents.

Warning

• If you vomit four to five times within a 24 hour period, or you begin to feel bloated, give your physician a call. You should also call if the anti-nausea medication is not controlling your nausea and vomiting.