Day 4 of Carboplatin. Sickness feeling kicked in. It's so lonely at this time through the night.!! Tired and want to sleep but can't . Hubby snoring his head off does not help.
I can hear the birds already .
When does the sickness feeling start to go? Got tablets 2 different ones but not that good.... at least not being sick ..yet. AND Big bonus no constipation yay!! Got on top of that bugger instantly all prepared with everything you can buy. Last time that was awful 9 days without going !! Got that bit right this time. xx
Written by
ricky23
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Hi Ricky. For me, my worst day was always day 3 - i.e. had the infusions on Tues, and Fri was the worst day. Made sure I showered on Thurs, as I knew I wouldn't be up to it for a couple of days. Couldn't do anything except watch TV on day 3. Day 4 not much better but could manage to read. By teatime on day 4, I could shower and it was all down-hill from there. Such a fun time, I'm sure you agree ! Good luck. Pauline
Hi Ricky, I had four Taxol & Carbo and the last 2 were Carbo only and they were stinkers for me I'm afraid so I do empathise and sympathise. Carbo is a high nausea drug which doesnt help if youre sensitive to its side effects. I wore wrist travel bands, had Emend, Ondansetron and Domperidone but still felt yucky for quite a few days - day 3 to day 8/9.. Fresh pineapple (not tinned) helped with the horrid chemo mouth and also a fresh good quality traditional lemonade. Your Unit should be able to offer suggestions too.
So sorry you're suffering, it will pass but it doesn't help to hear that does it.
Hi Ricky. hope you eventually got some sleep! if the antisickness isnt working ask to try something else dont suffer in silence. I ended up on Cyclizine (think thats how its spelt lol) and it worked amazingly well. Kathy xx
Hi Ricky, perhaps you could ask them for something else? What works for one person often does not work for another.
Also, if you are not sleeping, even though you may not want to take them, could you ask for sleeping tablets? I did in the end, just to get me through a phase and not feel wretched at least from tiredness. It might not ease your sickness but will help you sleep and so avoid being up all night.
I remember with carboI felt okay on day one and two, but by day three I felt like total crap. My problem was weakness, not nausea. I was too weak to move or do anything. I had two anti-nausea medications in case I got sick, but I didn't need to use them during my frontline treatment. And then on day four I was still weak but starting to get a little bit better. And on day five I would go back to work. Thank goodness I have a sitdown job. I'm just wondering if the nausea goes along the same timeline as the weakness. Even though I didn't have nausea I wonder if yours will last a couple of days and then will get better..... I was in remission for a couple years, and then when I had to start treatment again the chemo drug Doxil made me nauseated. What helped me a lot with the nausea was knowing exactly when I was going to be sick, and then taking my antinausea meds several hours before I would start feeling even a tiny bit sick. This seemed to help a lot. If I waited until I was sick to take my anti-nausea meds, I would feel a bit better, but still a little queasy for about two days.
Hi Ricky, it's that bloody carbo that does it, taxol was ok, but carbo 😬. I had my chemo on a Thursday, Friday & Saturday were ok, Sunday not so good and Monday was a total write off. I was never actually physically sick but just felt really rubbish. Tuesday onwards were really OK and I got better as the week went on. I found that nibbling on good old fashioned ginger biscuits really did help, ginger is good for sickness but if you're on blood thinners check with your chemo team as ginger can thin blood a little (I had 3 rubbish pregnancies when I virtually lived on ginger biscuits for nausea/vomiting for the entire pregnancies so became quite good at dealing with the nausea and the carbo effects took me right back there). I also found milk wasn't the best thing for me, but only on the nausea days thereafter I was ok.
I really hope you start to feel a little better very soon, nausea is horrible isn't it?
Well done with the constipation, that was a side effect I really had to fight hard to overcome. Maybe this is why we are all slightly fixated with our bowels these days, well I am 🤔, is it just me?
I hope you managed to get some sleep, it's bad enough feeling rough but being shattered too isn't good. I found that by day 4 I avoided mirrors as I looked rubbish as well as feeling it and think I scared the postman to death on one rubbish feeling day when I answered the door minus both war paint and wig 😂, bless him he was never quite the same again 🤣.
Take it really easy over the next 24 hours or so and it will pass. If you are really struggling speak to your chemo team they should be able to help with alternative meds. Take lots of care, sending big hugs and lots of love ❤xx Jane
Hi Ricky, I always started to feel horrible on day 3 or 4 and it lasted for about three days. I found that drinking as much water as I could manage and eating little and often (sometimes just a piece of cheese ) here and there also helped with the nausea. I also struggled to sleep because of the steroids (my mind used to go into overdrive when I would lie there wide awake whilst everyone was asleep and then I understood the true meaning of cancer being a lonely disease) so I went to see my GP and he gave me some sleeping tablets which I would take for a couple of nights. Well done on making sure you don't get constipated, that can be a pain in the bum (scuse the pun) as it can make you feel so uncomfortable. Keep going, you've got this, big hugs Kerry x
It is horrible being awake in the wee small hours - I found that I was awake almost all night for a couple of days after chemo, which made me feel weak for the next days. I got into the habit of taking a sleeping pill in the evening after chemo and that seemed to sort it out.
For the avoidance of doubt, I meant chewing the ginger for feeling nauseous not for difficulty sleeping!
If I couldn't sleep, I didn't even try, I read my Kindle or my iPad or phone, anything with an internal light that meant I didn't put the light on and disturb those snores! After a few hours, I'd have another try at sleeping. I was lucky because I didn't have to work so I could oversleep or go to bed early if I felt like it.
Exactly the same for me, 3 days after carbo felt totally drained but only started to feel sick after cycle 4, never was actually sick just felt it. I went for my old remedy a stodgy cheese sandwich, pkt crisps (craved salt) and a beer or a lemonade........always works for me! The sleeplessness is awful, I have been wide eyed since before 6am, usually awake until 1am.........too many gremlins in my head! Hope you feel better soon. xx
I found the sickness on Carboplatin really difficult along with that nasty taste. I found nibbling a rich tea biscuit even if I didn't fancy it settled my tummy. I also changed my anti-sickness tablets, I rang the helpline and they prescribed a different medication for hubby to collect. I had Emend for the first three days along with the steroids too. Are you eating okay?
That's weird reading all the posts on this one ( while hubby watches footie), because I Got the worse after effects on taxol. First 3 treatments were combined taxol, carbo and avastin. Don't think anything/ anyone can prepare you for how you are going to feel after that very first treatment ( for me it was painful tingling and twitchy legs and feet especially through the night, sleeplessness, nausea, loss of taste and appetite AND constipation. Next round it seemed more bearable mainly because I knew what to expect and as you say learnt to get ahead of the dreaded constipation with lactulose ( rather than the awful movicol drinking sachets which were sick making in themselves!) . I soon lost my hair BUT when I was taken off taxol due to a bad reaction and went back to Carbo/ avastin after surgery all those effects disappeared AND my hair started regrowing... on the other hand I then started worrying that maybe the double whammy of chemo drugs had a stronger effect to help get rid of everything and that somehow if you feel worse perversely it is better for you in the long run?
However like everyone else here, yay to the steroids which keep you level for a couple of days then plough through days 3,4 to start coming through to the new normal....
I heard the birds this morning but when out for a walk, thank goodness I don't wake up any more in the small hours.... saw a lot of dawns last summer.
As if everything else isn't bad enough.....adding the lack of rest factor makes everything else seem worse! I had the same issues when I was on carbo/taxol. The day of infusion was good and the day after was great because of the steroids (affectionately known as 'shower day'). The following 3 days were the pits.
My antinausea worked well (zofran and/or compazine). I took it like clockwork beginning the day after treatment and ending 5 days later. I had a friend going through treatment as well. Instead of taking it right away she would wait to see if she got nauseous before taking it. She could never get ahead of it and was miserable for 5 days. By round 3 she started taking it the same way I did and it worked like a charm. Everyone is different though. Perhaps you need a different type.
My GynOnc did give me a prescription for sleeping tablets. We went through 3 different ones, but finally found one that worked well without making me a zombie for days on end. I also found a natural supplement called Gabba Calm that works really well for me. It is a folic acid. It has zero side effects and doesn't conflict with anything. It's not for sleeping necessarily, but more for calming your mind and relaxing your muscles. I found that and a cup of hot chamomile nighttime tea helped.....at least for a few hours!
Hope you can find a combination of things that will work!
Hugs!
Jodi
I hope you got something better to take than the usual over the counter stuff for anti sick. The steroids are keeping you awake but you could go to your gp and ask for a light sleeping tablet, I did and it was great really, I agree nibble on a plain biscuit and have Chicken Bovril to hand that does help
Hi Ricky, it's hell not being able to sleep especially with this horrible illness. I hope you start getting into a good sleep pattern soon. Take care Cindyxx
Feeling sick is the worse thing Eva ... do try other sickness tablets ... the sleeping too I tossed and turned and you worry as so many things go through your mind ... I got to resent my snoring hubby too as soon as head hit pillow asleep but there was me staring at ceiling .... think there are sleeping pills you can take during chemo so do please ask your onc ... best wishes and big hugs 🤗
Hi I had the same problem when I first had my 1st session of carbo/taxol, but I find that it's the coming off the steroids after treatment. The steroids is the one that keeps you awake according to my ONS . I'm still having treatment and my last one will be on the 15th of Feb. What my oncologist did was to gradually decreased the steroids to 5 days instead of 2 big dosed for 2 days and abruptly stopped! I felt better with the 5 days slowly decreasing it.. This is only my personal experienced which helps me tremendously . Maybe some of the ladies have different experiences to share. Good luck and take care..xxx
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Feeling so desolate
Etoposide and cisplatin 
round two!!!!!
I would welcome your thoughts on timings for a phased return to work.
