1. Nausea's Negative Effects
Treating nausea from chemotherapy is important to cancer patients for several reasons. Uncontrolled nausea can lead to vomiting, which compromises a cancer patient's nutritional status and ability to recover from cancer treatment. Nausea affects a cancer patient's quality of life by preventing him from engaging in normal work, leisure and family activities. Nausea that leads to vomiting can cause physical complications such as esophageal tears, electrolyte imbalances and even broken bones.
2. Eating Well to Prevent Nausea
Patients can select certain foods that don't aggravate nausea, yet still provide good nutrition during cancer treatment. Many patients easily tolerate bland, starchy foods, such as potatoes, crackers, rice and noodles. Serving foods cold or at room temperature can reduce odors that trigger nausea. Patients shouldn't force themselves to eat any particular food during a bout of nausea, as this can trigger a permanent aversion to that food.
3. Treat Nausea with Medication
Depending on the symptoms of the nausea and the other drugs a patient is taking, the doctor may prescribe one of more than a dozen drugs used to treat nausea from chemotherapy. Prochlorperazine is one of the most common anti-nausea drugs, and the doctor can alter the dose for children or adults experiencing acute nausea and vomiting. Metocloperamide is also an effective anti-nausea drugs for chemotherapy agents that cause severe bouts of nausea and vomiting, such as Cisplatin.
4. The No-Drug Approach
Patients experiencing nausea from chemotherapy don't always have to add yet another medication to their treatment regimen to find relief. Doctors recognize the value of alternative approaches in reducing nausea. Patients can practice guided imagery anywhere to prevent the onset of nausea. This personalized approach distracts patients when they are able to focus on positive images and thoughts. Patients can also ask their doctors for a referral to an alternative health practitioner who administers acupuncture or acupressure treatments. These treatments use pressure or thin needles to manipulate certain areas of the body.
5. Synthetic Marijuana May Help
Patients desperate to find relief from their nausea and vomiting may wonder about the possibility of using marijuana cigarettes as an anti-nausea treatment. For patients who haven't gotten relief from their standard anti-nausea drugs, there is a legal, healthier alternative to exposing themselves to the smoke in a marijuana cigarette. The FDA approved a synthetic version of the substance in marijuana that relieves nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy. The trade name is Marinol, and cancer patients can ask their physicians if this is an option when standard treatment approaches have failed.
