Part III
Chapter 1
How to Cope with the Side Effects
Coping with the Side
Effects
Before, during, and after radiotherapy or chemotherapy, there are some prescription drugs and natural products that can be used to reduce specific side effects induced by the therapy. In addition, there are also some activities that patients can do to reduce the discomfort from cancer therapies. Let’s look at them according to the types of side effects.
Dealing
with Type 1 Side Effects
In general, patients should first consult their doctors to find out what medications are expected to work best for their situations. Other activities are described under individual side effects below.
Fever and Infection
Chemotherapy often lowers WBC count in
the blood resulting in neutropenia. Because white blood cells are very
important in fighting against infection, when a patient’s WBC count is lower
than normal level, the patient is more susceptible to infection.
To reduce the chance of infection,
patients should avoid going to public areas, such as theater and shopping mall.
Also, avoid close contact with anyone who is ill. Wash hands frequently and
when washing hands, use appropriate hand soap especially when the hands are
visibly soiled. In recent years,
alcohol-based hand sanitizer is becoming popular and it can be very effective
in reducing the number of germs. In addition, do not eat raw food including
fish, beef, oyster, and food containing raw egg. Thoroughly wash the vegetables
and fruits for salad. Wash the cutting board especially after cutting raw meat,
poultry, or fish. A patients should call his doctors if the body temperature
reaches 101 °F (or 38.3 °C) or higher.
Flu-Like Symptoms
After a chemotherapy treatment, some
people may experience flu-like symptoms such as pains and muscle aches. If not
serious, patients can take over-the-counter medications such as Tylenol or
Advil to relieve the pain. However, if the symptom persists, patients should
contact their doctors for prescription drugs. In many states and Washington
D.C., marijuana may be prescribed by physicians for pain management.
Nausea and Vomiting
For the management of nausea, patients
should try not to skip meals. An empty stomach can worsen the symptom. Eat
small and light meals. Drink lots of fluids, such as water, tea, and juice.
Acupressure is being used by some people to reduce nausea basically by pressing
a specific acupressure point near the base of the arm. There are special wristbands available for such an acupressure; the wristband usually has
a knob to apply pressure to the correct spot.
Further, there are some anti-nausea over-the-counter drugs
available to prevent and treat nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy.
Fatigue
Fatigue is a common symptom for people
treated for cancer. For some, the fatigue may last a long time after treatment,
and it can discourage them from physical activity. However, proper exercise can
actually help patients reduce fatigue. Physical therapy can also help patients
maintain strength in the muscles, which could help fight the sense of
depression that sometimes comes with physical fatigue.
Most cancer drugs can reduce the RBC
count and may cause anemia, which can make patients feel tired easily. Most
people have to make some adjustment in work and family responsibilities. For
anemia patients, it’s a good idea to plan their major activities and try to maintain
their regular daily activities as much as possible. The fatigue should
gradually go away after the patients recover from chemotherapy.
Doing regular exercise such as yoga,
taichi, and walking may be helpful in relaxation. If necessary, physicians can
prescribe iron supplement or other newer drugs to boost the blood cells. These
include Epogen (by Amgen), Neupogen (by Amgen), and Leukine (by Berlex), which
function as colony-stimulating factors because of their ability to stimulate
the formation of blood cells in the bone marrow.
Appetite and Taste Changes
During chemotherapy, one may lose
appetite and becomes more sensitive to odors. As a patient becomes healthier,
his/her appetite will improve. Again, one should try to stay with healthful
food (low fat, low calorie, and high fiber) and drink a lot of liquid. Also,
it’s a good idea to avoid spicy food. For some people, eating too much spicy
food can result in diarrhea.
With a loss of appetite, important
nutrients may be lacking. Suitable dietary supplement products may be used to
supply needed nutrition.
Menopause
Depending on a woman’s age and the type of chemotherapy administered, chemotherapy may temporarily stop the periods. As a result, one may experience symptoms such as hot flashes, decreased libido, vaginal dryness, mood changes, and sleeping disturbances. If a patient experiences any of these symptoms, she should call her doctor or nurse about suitable treatment for the symptoms. Meanwhile, consider eating soy products (such as soy milk and tofu) which may reduce hot flashes. Wear light cotton pajamas to help prevent overheating when sleeping. Use vaginal moisturizers or other water based lubricants as needed.
© Jiajiu Shaw, 2022
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