Topic: anti-nausea drugs

I used a drug called anzamet. This worked well for me but it seems not alot of doctors use it these days. There is also Emend that seems to have worked well for others. Don't give up, make them work with you to find the one that works for you. They gave me a script for compazine too but they said it was for 'break through' nausea, not the main line of defense.

Thanks Nancy, that's interesting that you mention ears.  I told my husband the other day that my ear is clogged; I never thought it could be related. 

Otherwise I called the pharmacist and he told me not to take the emend until the first day I generally get the nausea, which is day 4 or 5.  Too late for this treatment, but I'll wait until the next one and do it right. 

I am feeling a little better, and I'm going to try to eat some dinner.  All I've had otherwise for the last 2 days is Coke.  I'll never want to drink pop again. 

Hope everyone's having a good Mother's Day.  Mary

Hi Azerisoul,

You should probably post your message as a new conversation on the metastatic site. Here's a link:

http://community.breastcancer.org/topic/8

I'm sure you'll get lots of responses.

Hugs,

Annie

Hi Mary--

I don't know about the dizziness, but I do know that the only thing that worked for me was a combination of Zofran and Phenagran (sp?)

Hope you are feeling better soon.

I was v. seldom ill
but took Kytril (many yrs ag)
decadron (taxol)
and..

Always kept soda crackers
in purse
Gravol
I do know it is v. important to take this EXACTLY WHEN THEY tell you to.. do not wait I had all my meds lined up on the table :)
drinking coke
or ginger ale

Best to you on your journey

Get after the doctors
to change this, or help you

Hugs


:))

Thanks again for all the advice, I had my 4th treatment Wednesday and the onc wanted to stay on top of it by having me go to the hospital this morning for an IV.  When I got there I had nausea and dizziness and it was even worse when I left.  I went home and straight to bed and the nausea just kept flushing over me in waves which kept me from sleeping even though I'm exhausted.  I finally got up and decided to force feed myself a lite lunch, or actually my husband fixed it,  and I then took my first Ativan.  They gave it to me at the end of the nausea for tx #3 so I didn't need it then. 

It's so weird, it's like it's lifted the feelings from my body and I don't feel too bad right now.  I never thought I would need something like this, but it's true I do get panicy when I have the nausea and I think it has a lot to do with the things I can't take care of when I'm sick.  Having my 90 yr old Dad live with us is the hardest by far.  I have no privacy, always have to do things for him and worry about what he's going to do next.  He's always in the living room watching Westerns which drives me crazy, thank heavens for my den.  I prayed that I wouldn't have to go through chemo as long as he was with us, but that was one prayer that wasn't answered.

Oh well, if I can get relief from a drug like this I'll take it.  I just hope it keeps helping and I can get through this.  I know I'm one of the lucky ones, but sometimes it's hard to realize it.  Thanks again for the advice gals, Mary

I am on day 8 of tx #4 and the nausea is horrible.  I am so dizzy I can hardly walk across the room.  I go in this afternoon for my 2nd IV.  I just wrote down your formula to take to the doctor.  I know I have to get something else because I can't take this otherwise.  Thanks for the "recipe"  glad it worked for you, Mary

Dear Mary

I haven't seen anyone recommend Kytril (common name Granesetron).  I had it during my Ovarian treatments and during my  first three breast cancer treatments.  It is given via IV during treatment and orally after.  It's heavy duty and causes constipation.  I always popped a dulcolax as soon as the iv came out and everyday until I went.

I'm in Canada so I don't know if it's given in the States or is prescribed under another name but it sure worked for me.

Barbara

Sometimes docs can use lorazepam (Ativan) for nausea. Sometimes metoclopramide (Reglan) helps, or dronabinol (Marinol). Some like other antiemetics that are related to Compazine (for example perphenazine.) (Besides the family of Zofran (ondansetron), Anzemet (dolasetron), and Kytril (granisetron).)

Its rather curious about Compazine - it was first developed in hopes of curing intestinal worms (in about the 1950s.) They tried it out on people in mental institutions (since they can be more prone to worms), and found it helped with psychoses. (So the general family is known as anti-psychotics.) Then they found in psychotic patients who also had nausea, it helped with their nausea. By the late 1990s, it was used almost exclusively for nausea and vomiting, and was only rarely used for other uses in the general hospital. Until they stopped making the injectable form, so they couldn't use it in the hospital after operations for several years. Now its back, but usually other drugs are used first in the general hospital. One drug can sometimes have many uses.

Ativan can be used for sedation, anxiety, seizures, nausea, muscle spasms (not a complete list I'm sure.)