for chemo
There are very effective anti-sickness medicines (antiemetics) that can help to keep any sickness under control. If you’re having chemo, you’ll automatically be given these drugs with your treatment, usually by injection into your IV line. You’ll then be given tablets to take regularly at home for a few days after the chemo. Often a low dose of a steroid drug is given with the anti-sickness drug. This is because steroids are very good at controlling sickness caused by chemotherapy.
for radiotherapy
If you’re having radiotherapy to the brain or to the tummy (abdomen) it’s likely that you’ll be given anti-sickness tablets before your treatment. You’ll also be given some to take home with you in case you feel sick in between treatments.
for other reasons
If you’re feeling sick because of another reason, not chemo or radiotherapy, then your doctors will give you anti-sickness medicine, but they will also try to treat the underlying cause. For example, if your sickness is caused by constipation, they’ll treat that problem as well as the sickness. Or if you’re on morphine-based painkillers, you’ll automatically be given anti-sickness medicine to take regularly.
do the drugs always work?
Doctors will always prescribe the type of anti-sickness drug they think is most likely to work for you. But if you find that you still feel sick despite having the drugs, then you must let your doctor or nurse know. There are lots of different ones available and sometimes you have to try out one or two to find the best one for you.
There are different ways of giving anti-sickness drugs:
- tablets
- injection into a vien (intravenous)
- injection into a muscle
- injection into the fatty tissue under the skin
- suppositories (into your bottom)
- patches on the skin
These are some commonly used anti-sickness drugs:
- metoclopramide (Maxalon®)
- domperidone (Motilium®)
- haloperidol (Serenace®)
- cyclizine (Valoid®)
- ondansetron (Zofran®)
- granisetron (Kytril®)
- dexamethasone (Decadron®, Hexadrol®, Dexasone®)
- lorazepam (Ativan®)
what about side effects?
Sometimes anti-sickness drugs can cause side effects. Different drugs will have different side effects but some of the most common ones include constipation, headaches, indigestion, irritability, agitation and tiredness.
If you’re having troublesome side effects from your anti-sickness medicines, it’s important to let your doctors know as things can be done to relieve the symptoms. You may need to take some medicine to prevent constipation, paracetamol will help a headache, or you can take a liquid medicine to relieve indigestion. A sleep during the day can relieve the tiredness.
