Tips for getting through chemotherapy
Comments
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What Is Pomegranate Juice?
Pomegranate juice is filled with nutrients. In fact, it's one of the healthiest juices you can enjoy. Since pomegranates are filled with antioxidants, pomegranate juice is often said to help prevent cancer, boost the immune system and improve heart function. However, pomegranate juice interacts negatively with several different types of medications, making it more of a hindrance than a help for those on some prescribed drugs.
Interactions with ACE Inhibitors
ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors are a class of drugs that help to relax the blood vessels and keep high blood pressure under control. However, should you drink pomegranate juice, you'll modify how the drug works in the body. Pomegranate juice also relaxes the blood vessels, so it's very dangerous to take with ACE inhibitors. It may cause an overdose effect and an unsafe drop in blood pressure, especially if you drink the juice with or immediately following taking the medication. Low blood pressure can make you feel lightheaded, dizzy, faint or develop chest pains or even induce a heart attack.
Interactions with Fluvoxamine
Another drug pomegranate juice interacts with is Fluvoxamine. This drug also goes by the names Luvox and Faurin, and it is an SSRI, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (which boosts serotonin levels in the body to improve mood). It is used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, panic disorders, social phobias and even irritable bowel syndrome. However, when taken with pomegranate juice, the effects of the drug will be enhanced, resulting in an increase of adverse effects. Like grapefruit juice, pomegranate juice inhibits the functioning of enzymes in the body, so that SSRIs aren't processed properly and build up in the bloodstream.
Interactions with Statins
Statin drugs are used to keep high cholesterol under control. Common brand names include Zocor, Lipitor and Crestor. However, when taken with pomegranate juice, the effects of the drugs might be impaired, leaving your cholesterol uncontrolled. Pomegranate juice and grapefruit juice make it difficult for the body to process statins, so rather than digesting them properly, they build up in the bloodstream, leading to an overdose. This is potentially dangerous in someone with heart disease, especially if carried out over a long period of time.
Pomegranate Mirrors Grapefruit
On many medications' warning labels, especially those used to treat heart conditions, a note that you shouldn't take the drug with grapefruit juice has been printed for many years. However, pomegranate juice produces the same sort of effects in the body as grapefruit juice, making the drug's effects amplified and potentially dangerous.
These juices impair the functioning of metabolic enzymes, so rather than digesting certain medications, your body stores them, leading to an accumulation of drugs in your bloodstream and overdose effects. Consult your doctor before you begin drinking pomegranate juice if are taking these medications.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/28979-pomegranate-juice-effects-medications/#ixzz2AP0HIN1A0 -
I don't know when I'll start chemo, I'm thinking it's anytime this month. Thank you all for your tips, a lot of the things you guys mentioned hasn't even crossed my mind yet. Truly helpful!
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bump for the newbies. Good luck mafe!
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I recently started chemo and i had a health friend that told me to get some aronia berries (choke berries ) they are high in anti-oxidants so i was thinking great i live in tiny town that i would no doubt have to drive far to get them found some right in my town so i bought them at 4.00 a pound and have been making smoothies out of them then i go to my chemo treatment and i told the doctor what i been doing and he said not to cuz it might not make the chemo work right ugh really i guess ill just not try anything and eat boiled lettuce for the next four months frustrating
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Thank you for those tips. I am meeting today to discuss chemo so I found all of those tips helpful.
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bump
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Thank you so much for going to trouble of posting. My mom just started treatment on Monday. Scary times. Thanks again.
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I Just found this thread and will be starting chemo this month. thanks to all for their ideas. I have to go back and read again and take notes while I'm reading.
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I start chemo April 2, I have epilespy and a little concerned how the chemo will effect me. I very nervous and I am so glad I found this thread.
I feel better prepared now after reading all your information.
Any information you have is helpful. Was anyone told they could not have fresh uncooked foods, fruits and vegies?
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I just finished the A/C portion and am starting Taxol/Herceptin on Wed. I'm starting to get nervous! Any advice on what to expect? Is there as much nausea as AC? Is the bone pain similar to the Neupogen shots that I just finished? The ONC just says everyone is different so no info there..Please help?
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This is a great thread. I didn't read thru it all but I know all the tips everyone had helped me so much when I went through chemo - I'm 13 months out now and have a head of curly hair.
One thing I did everyday while going through chemo was to eat prunes or dried apricots everyday. During treatment my doc told me to take senokot and drink plenty of water (fluids). A few days before a treatment I would start drinking a min of 8 glasses of water a day and tried to continue this through a week after my infusion. If I couldn't drink water I had chicken broth - whole foods chicken soup was a g-d send during chemo. Not only did It actually taste good, it was nutritious and provided fluids. My worst cycle was the one that I just didn't drink enough.
And believe it or not I ate potato chips. The salt helped me drink and the fat helped keep me regular. If it was a bit to regular I just added some rice to that chicken soup.
Keep a pad and paper and write down everything and tell your doc. My first treatment I got this awful headache and felt like I was in slow motion. I was like well it's chemo I'm supposed to get a headache and other stuff and almost didn't tell my doc partially because by the time I went I had forgotten about it. Imentioned it as a after thought and my doc said that was from the aloxi and lowered the amount I got in my next infusion and no headache and no nausea. So write it down.
During treatments eat what your body craves it was miraculous how on the 6th day after chemo I started craving the kale avocado salad from whole foods. It's like my body was telling me you made it thru another cyle now get me nutrients to rebuild.
Good luck to all about to embark on this journey. Never, never give up!0 -
Bump
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bump for June chemo starters ♥
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Hi,
I am a newbie here and dont know much how things work. But I am in trouble and need some advice.
My mother has been diagnosed with BC recently, 3cm lump in left breast. She is 50. She has opted for lumpectomy for her treatment. So the doctors have adviced her to undergo 8 chemo cycles spread over a period of 4 months. First four cycles would be three weeks apart. After that one cycle every week for four more weeks.
They have placed a port on her a couple of days back and two days back she had her first chemo. I dont know what drugs the docs are using but the problem is that even when she is taking her nausea meds, she is unable to eat or drink anything. She has severe constipation and is feeling really heavy. She was unable to eat anything at all today except a few spoons of water and juice. (She's a vegetarian)
Can you guys please give me some advice for helping her go through this treatment. She is otherwise a very cheerful and happy person who loved to eat. Its heart breaking for us to see her like that.
Thanks a lot for your help.
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Mommysgirl you are so wonderful to help your mom.
You MUST call her doctors. chemo is sucky yes but there are a lot of different drugs to help her with the side effects and she is on the wrong ones.
Even on the weekends there will be an "on call" physician at the cancer center who can call in a different prescription that you can pick up for her today. These numbers will be in her initial folder of paperwork that she got for her first oncology visit.
Please dont be shy- the doctors want to help make it as easy as possible for their patients.
No one needs to suffer like this with today's toolchest of modern medicine. and constipation is dangerous.
Please call them.0 -
Dear sciencegal,
Thanks a lot for your reply. I will call the doctors tomorrow. Before reading this post I did not know that constipation is also a side effect of Chemo.
I am so glad to be here.
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Hi doubleAA,
My mother had her first chemo cycle two days back. She cant eat or drink and has a constant tendency for vomitting. Her next chemo will be in three weeks. Do you think the side effects will subside after a couple of more days or she'll be like this everyday for four months?
I am worried. Please reply.
Thanks
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The painkillers almost always cause constipation and she should have been given a medication for that as well.
Probiotics help but she is likely already on those if vegetarian- it sounds like she embraces a healthy lifestyle.
I was very sick the first week- on the wrong anti-nausea drug that did not work for me. And I thought the migraine headaches were from the chemo but no- they were from the Zofran (anti-nausea drug that wasnt working).
I ended uptaking compazine and it was important to take it as directed around the clock, not just when queasy. When I idid that I honestly had no nausea and ended up actually gaining weight rather than losing.
I hope they can get her meds sorted out right away. Everyone is different which is why there are many options.
Most of all she will be exhausted and should sleep. There is no medicine to combat the exhaustion because sleep is what is needed for the body to recover.
You are a good daughter for helping take care of her. Small acts of kindness like doing dishes, etc, goes a LONG way!!!!
Best wishes and (((((hugs))))) to both of you0 -
Hi everyone. I am new to this site and have read many of the posts already.
My history so far. I found a lump in my left breast on 1st April 2013 and a ultrasound showed 2 lesions. After a long wait for a biopsy i was diagnosed in May with with IDC about 4-5cm and also a tumour in the lymph nodes about the same size.
My onc and surgeon decided on neo-adjuvant chemo.
I started FEC on 10th June and I give myself the Neulasta shot the next day.
I must say I have had minimal side effects from both chemo and Neulasta.
The worse I had with dose 1 was thrush under my breasts which I used Canestan cream for. I had no nausea or vomiting.
Dose 2 I had mouth sores and thrush which I took Diflucan to clear up and used the Canestan for external symptoms.
Dose 3 I just had a few mouth sores.
I have been very lucky and had no issues with Neulasta. I do have fibromyalgia and take several meds for that,so maybe this helped me through the muscle and joint pain from the Neulasta.
I start Taxotere today (it is 1.30am and I can't sleep). I am concerned that my lucky streak will end and the side effects will hit me hard.
I hope it goes well. I will ask for the ice packs for my hands and feet and see if that works. I will let you know.
Thanks for listening and good luck to all of you0 -
Hi Everyone! Thank you so much for all the wonderful tips. I start chemo next week and I am very apprehensive about it. Will continue referring to this board.
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Viji how is it going for you?
Everyone else, doing okay? Bad side effects? Anything that we sisters can help with?
I am seven months post-chemo and just realized my ankles have stopped swelling up by the end of the day. I had such horrible edema for the first months that I could barely walk. I had to wear flat velcro sandals at work because my feet were puffy boats all day.
It has slowly gotten better. I was worried that my blood vessels were really damaged but had a test by our vascular center and the blood return was acceptable. Just a lot of fluid was getting out into the tissues.
Alll better now, yay!
So hang in there, if anyone is suffering from that- it does slowly get better, at least it did for me.
Hugs0 -
Thanks for all your tips!
Sciengal, I am glad you can walk!
I have had 4 doses (AC) and will start next week the next 12 doses (taxotere/taxol?) if my inmune system gets better. I have gone through quite fine... basically tired but no nausea or vomiting and hardly constipated (was another of my worries!).
I dont have hair but hope it will start growing soon! (learned too late about cold caps), any idea how long it takes? As well, I am having a lot of vaginal dryness... any suggestion will be appreciated! (I am 36 and it is definetely affecting me!) Have read about replens or something like that?
Thanks! and have a great week!
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Thanks for asking Sciencegal. Day 2, managed to get some sleep last night and went for a short walk this morning. Trying to hydrate and eat prunes, moisturise and trying to remember all meds. I can't say enough how much this board of wonderful contributers and fellow sufferers has helped me.
Onward sisters and have a wonderful day!
Viji
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Hi, thank you for all your posts!! I just had my 3rd round of dose dense AC (1 more to go and the I will start TH weekly for 12 weeks!!!!) So far the biggest side effect I have had, other than hair loss
, is a headache/ spacey feeling. My MO thinks I may be dehydrated and so they started giving me an infusion of fluids the day after chemo. Anybody else have this? So far I think it has helped but still my "spaciness" comes and goes. Is this what they mean when they say chemo brain. 0 -
hi all and welcome newbies. This is the best club you never wanted to join. I'm 3 years PFC (post final chemo). Last infusion was in July and by Sept had enough hair to call it hair.
Cuculi, I've tried a variety of products and good old KY jelly works best for me.
Girlstrong, yep that's chemo-brain. I'm a voracious reader but gave up on books during chemo because I couldn't remember the plot or characters from one page to the next. Frustrating but better now. Can't do math in my head anymore, and I make a lot of lists LOL.
Viji, glad you made it through the first infusion, that was the scariest one for me. For sure stay hydrated and try to walk some every day. The movement will help work the chemo out of your system. I started with a walk to the mailbox and have gone more than 3,800 miles since then.
sciencegal, I had terrible cankles from taxotere but the swelling did eventually subside.
Good luck, everyone! ♥
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Thanks badger, I will try KY... I believe it goes beyong that... I just cannot focus!
I will start my 1st of 12 sessiones of taxotere or taxol (I just get confused with so many terms!) and hope my hair will start growing soon... my last session should be by the end of December... so maybe February?? I hope so since it will be summer where I live and dont really feel like going to the beach without hair... I has affected me more that I thought it would!
So the side effects of taxotere is the swelling? Just curious... and to be prepared for what it comes!
cyber hugs!
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cuculi, I am taking taxotere without swelling, but maybe it is the water pill I've taken for many years for my blood pressure. My doctor okayed it for me to continue taking during chemo. Hope you don't have that problem.
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Cuculi, chemo affects everyone differently but the BCO chemo info page is very helpful, here's a link: http://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/chemotherapy. Have you joined a group of people starting chemo same month as you? There's nothing like the support of people going through it with you.
Taxotere and Taxol are from the same botanical family (taxanes) but are different medicines. Your onc should have given you a thick packet of info with a scary long list of possible side-effects. It's highly unlikely that you'll experience everying on that list, they are covering every possibility and thereby their butts. They should have someone on-call 24-7 and don't be shy about calling them if you have questions or need help managing the SE. It's their job and they want to help you.
So do we! ♥
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Thanks for your tips!!!
No I havent joined I support group... good idea...
Take care all of you!!!
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My mother had chemo when she was 72 and her dr told her older women get less side effects..the only side effect she had was exhaustion. I am 55 and I am scared to death of throwing up all the time0
