Staying on top of two chemotherapy side effects
- Nausea is usually most intense for the first few days of chemotherapy.
- Medications to manage nausea are administered during infusions and also after treatment.
- Fatigue tends to build during the course of chemotherapy. Staying active helps to keep energy up and promotes faster recovery following treatment.
“When I counsel patients about what to expect, I tell them that typically it’s the first few days days afterward that they’ll feel blah, drained, and a little nauseated,” says Dr. Erin Crane, gynecologic oncologist at the Levine Cancer Institute in Charlotte. “We’ll administer either Zofran or Ondansetron, usually for 3 days after treatment, to help prevent nausea. There are other medications that can be taken for breakthrough nausea if the Zofran's not controlling it such as Phenergan, also known as Promethazine, or Compazine. If patients are still having a hard time, they can take the Zofran as needed afterward, and we’ll also add other medications to their IV during infusion.”
Read MoreLearn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.