Nausea and Vomiting With Cancer Treatment

The Basics

Written by the doctors and editors at UpToDate пїЅ пїЅ

Why might people have nausea and vomiting with cancer treatment? " пїЅ Nausea and vomiting are common side effects of a cancer treatment called chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is the term doctors use to describe a group of medicines that kill cancer cells. пїЅ пїЅ

Not everyone who gets chemotherapy will have nausea and vomiting. Your doctor will tell you how likely it is that you will have these symptoms and how severe they might be. пїЅ пїЅ

When people have nausea and vomiting after chemotherapy, they usually feel better within 1 to 2 days. But some people have symptoms up to 3 to 4 days after their chemotherapy. This will depend on the type of chemotherapy medicines, the dose, and the treatment schedule. пїЅ пїЅ

Another cancer treatment, called radiation therapy, can also cause nausea and vomiting. Not everyone who gets radiation therapy will have nausea and vomiting. It will depend on the part of the body that is being treated, the dose of radiation, and whether the person gets chemotherapy at the same time. пїЅ пїЅ

Can nausea and vomiting be prevented? " пїЅ Yes. If your chemotherapy is the type that is likely to cause nausea and vomiting, your doctor will give you medicines before your treatment. These medicines can prevent nausea and vomiting. There are different medicines your doctor can use, and they come in different forms. They can come as a pill, skin patch, or tablet that melts on the tongue, or they can go into your vein. People can get 1 or more medicines. пїЅ пїЅ

People who are likely to have nausea and vomiting for a few days after chemotherapy might also take these medicines for 2 to 4 days after treatment. пїЅ пїЅ

If your radiation therapy can cause nausea and vomiting, your doctor will prescribe medicine for you to take before each days treatment. пїЅ пїЅ

What can I do to manage my nausea and vomiting? " пїЅ To manage your symptoms, you can: пїЅ пїЅ

• Take the medicines your doctor prescribes to prevent nausea and vomiting, even if you feel fine. The best way to manage nausea and vomiting is to prevent it from happening.
• Make sure to drink enough fluids so that you don't get dehydrated. Dehydration is when the body loses too much water. It can cause people to have dark yellow urine and feel thirsty, tired, dizzy, or confused.
• Eat 5 or 6 small meals during the day after chemotherapy instead of 3 big ones, especially if you feel queasy.
• Learn how much to eat or drink before your cancer treatment. Some people feel better when they eat or drink a small amount before treatment. Other people feel better if they don't have any food or drink beforehand.
• Avoid foods that are spicy, greasy, or "heavy. " пїЅ Instead, eat foods that are bland, such as crackers, rice, and toast. Other good food choices are soup broths, clear soda, tea, bananas, chicken (broiled or baked), oatmeal, yogurt (plain or vanilla), pasta, and popsicles.
• Wait 1 hour after your treatment before you eat or drink.
• Eat and drink slowly.
• Ask someone else to cook your food, if the smell of food bothers you.
• Drink ginger ale or take over-the-counter ginger supplements to settle your stomach.
• Ask your doctor about an alternative treatment called acupuncture, which might be helpful for some people.

When should I call my doctor or nurse? " пїЅ Call your doctor or nurse if you: пїЅ пїЅ

• Are unable to keep any food or drink in your stomach
• Vomit up the medicines your doctor gives you to prevent nausea and vomiting

All topics are updated as new evidence becomes available and our peer review process is complete. пїЅ пїЅ

This topic retrieved from UpToDate on: Nov 04, 2014. пїЅ пїЅ

Topic 16303 Version 3.0 пїЅ пїЅ

Release: 22.8 - C22.206 пїЅ пїЅ

пїЅ пїЅ 2014 UpToDate, Inc. All rights reserved. пїЅ пїЅ

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