TOPIC:
Preventing & Treating Nausea
Some people (not everyone) experience nausea at some time during the course of chemotherapy or other treatments. Tell your oncologist or oncology nurse if you feel nauseated during chemotherapy treatments or later at home. Do not suffer in silence with nausea. Your treatment team can add or change medications to fight the nausea while you are in the office and give you medications to help you at home. Be sure to take any anti-nausea medications exactly as prescribed.
If you are nauseated and do not address it, you can become weakened and/or dehydrated, two things that you want to avoid!
To help avoid nausea during chemotherapy treatment, try any of the following ideas, after discussing it with your oncology doctor or nurse:
Wear loose, comfortable clothing to treatment.
Eat food before going to get your chemotherapy treatment.
Be fully hydrated before your chemotherapy treatment. Drink plenty of water before you go to the office. Remember: WATER really hydrates!
Bring filtered water with you to treatment. Sip water continuously while you are getting chemotherapy infused.
Bring small snacks with you and eat while you are receiving your chemotherapy. Keep something in your stomach if possible. Simple or bland foods may be best such as saltine crackers, mild cheeses, fruit, applesauce or yogurt. Avoid spicy or rich foods during your chemotherapy treatment.
You may think: if I am fully hydrated and drink water during chemotherapy treatments, I will have to go to the toilet. Although it IS awkward to drag your IV pole to the bathroom, it is perfectly all right to do that with your nurse’s permission. Your oncology nurses will help you if you have trouble, and there will be a call button to use in the bathroom if you need help. You will get used to it!
To help avoid nausea after chemotherapy treatment, try any of the following ideas:
Wear loose, comfortable clothing.
Eat small amounts more frequently. Avoid large meals.
Let people know what food smells bother you and ask them not to cook/eat those foods while you are home.
Eat by yourself if eating with others brings on nausea.
Avoid fried, spicy, and fatty foods.
Eat slowly. Drink slowly.
Ask your oncologist if you can sip on peppermint or ginger tea to fight nausea.
Drink less liquid WHILE you are eating. Enjoy a warm, comforting drink AFTER you eat.
If too much food around you is undesirable, then only look at a small amount of food at one time.
Try eating only one kind of food at a time instead of having several things on your plate at once.
When people are preparing food for you, ask them to bring it to you in very small quantities. If they are freezing or storing food for you to reheat, ask them to divide the food into smaller than usual quantities.
Keep notes about when you feel nauseated and when you do not. You may begin to see a pattern of what helps you avoid nausea. Share your findings with your team.
Read the handout about preventing and treating nausea on the American Cancer Society website: http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/content/@editorial/documents/document/acspc-031610.pdf