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Written by Barbara Tiger
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Chemotherapy Side Effects such as NauseaChemotherapy nausea is one of many different side effects that cancer patients are likely to face. The side effects of chemotherapy often can cause the individual a lot of discomfort, a feeling of being sick all the time and being very tired continuously.
The drugs that you must take to get rid of the cancer you are facing cause these things. Those drugs are often very powerful, as they need to kill off the cancer cells within the body quickly. For many people, getting over the nausea is also important and doctors can help with medications that help.
What Is This?Chemotherapy nausea is a term used to describe the feeling of being sick. You may feel like you are going to vomit or that you are going to get sick, but in fact you do not throw up. Those that feel like this often have symptoms such as a faster heart rate, more saliva than what is usually, feel dizzy or unable to focus, and they are cold and clammy. Many times, you do not want to eat and the thought of doing so may be awful. This feeling is caused by the body's reaction to medications. The stomach muscles are usually contracting which causes the food or other substances in your stomach to feel as if they are going to come back up. Some people will retch, which means that they will try to throw up but nothing comes up.
Why Does This Happen?There are several reasons why you may get sick. The cause of sickness during chemotherapy treatment is different for each person based on your body's reaction to medications. The body is working like this to get rid of the substances that you have consumed that it does not want there. Your brain controls this function and tells your stomach to contract to remove whatever has been consumed. You actually have an area of your brain known as the vomiting center where this is controlled.
That area of your body is triggered by the response from other areas of the body. For example, your senses of taste and smell, your emotions including anxiousness, and your stomach all react to the chemotherapy drugs and in turn send a signal to your brain that this is not making you feel good. Additionally, those chemotherapy medications release a number of different chemicals into your body which work as neurotransmitters. They cause another signal to be alerted to the brain that something is wrong.
Getting Through Chemotherapy SicknessThe good news is that the chemotherapy sickness that you are feeling is not going to last. For most people, it lasts through chemotherapy cycles and then will fade as the medications are slowly removed from your system. Another benefit to consider is talking to your doctor about anti nausea medications which are widely available and usually can be taken to help reduce this uncontrollable pain and discomfort that you feel. They work for most people, at least to some degree of doing so.
Nausea during chemotherapy is a normal reaction to the drugs. Nevertheless, for most people, the worry and the feeling together can be enough to really cause you to be exhausted. You will want to get more rest and try to drink enough fluids. Doctors can help with other chemotherapy side effects as well. For example chemotherapy hair loss, pain in the mouth or other areas as well as appetite control are all things that your doctor can offer help with. These treatments need to be provided so that you can continue to improve your overall health and well being. |
