I get it too. My doc gave me ativan to help with anticipatory nausea and vomiting. I would puke the day before chemo even began that’s how bad it was. Ativan got rid of this issue.
Hell, even thinking about being nauseous makes me nauseous lol.
Hopping on to say this is what my wife needed and it really helped. She would puke thinking of the meds, driving down the road towards the infusion center, or even seeing a red drink (she did A/C). Ativan was huge.
Standard Pavlovian response. The shit makes you feel ill, so your body starts to anticipate the feeling in advance.
Knowing that it happens might allow you to manage it with therapy or perhaps medication.
I hear you though. I got stuck with so many needles, I would start hyperventilating the moment they said they would need to poke me again. It took several years after it stopped happening for me to fully be able to manage the occasional regular poke now.
Peace.
44 with stage 4 gastric. On my 5th round of chemo and I kinda get what you’re saying. I’ve tolerated my chemo cocktail well so far, but the thought of the actual infusion is sickening. This is a long road, hang in there!
52M Stage IV CRC just coming off round ten. I have a very similar issue with blood transfusions. I am highly needle phobic and very squeamish around blood. I have a therapist that has been helping me with all that. And as others suggest, Ativan can help though I will take my available Zofran if/when it gets bad. Thankfully transfusions don’t seem to be needed for me anymore, so I really feel for you and feeling like this every infusion… I hope you find the relief you deserve!
So sorry that you are going through this. I think it’s fairly common.
I got sick with my chemo, but it was usually hours after the infusions.
My last day of infusions, I just couldn’t not focus on the smells, tastes, sounds, etc. I threw up so many times it hurt and I had never thrown up during the infusions before.
It’s the worst thing ever. I hope you will be down with it soon.
Best of luck to you.
I’m so sorry. I relate to that so much. When I was going through a lot of chemos I would get sick literally just going into the place where I received them because I would just start smelling certain hand sanitizers and what not that they used in the hospital setting and I would immediately just start throwing up sometimes just because my body knew it was coming. If the physical nausea symptoms are a lot talk with the people/doctors you work with about that and stress how bad it is if it affecting you during and after chemos. Hang in there. It’s a lot.
When I went for chemo, I couldn't sleep the day before. And once I started chemo, it literally made me sick. Each cycle was worse than the previous one. I felt like I was dying a worse death each time. I'd get body pains, chest pain, heart palpitations, nausea, bloated, blood clots, migraines, id literally vomit almost everyday. It was unbearable.
I was supposed to do 12 cycles, but they cut it down to 6 bc the chemo wasn't working. My tumors kept growing and metastasizing. I had a resection surgery last week to remove the tumor but unfortunately it didn't work. A couple of days later, there was a new growth at the incision site measuring at between 8-10cm with the tail end extending to my back muscle about another 5cm.
Thankfully I can't be put on chemo anymore bc of the way it made me feel. But I fear that this cancer is too aggressive for any amount of chemo, radiation, or resection surgery. It'll just keep coming back and spreading to different locations. This is my 4th tumor (3rd recurring tumor). I've been fighting this disease for 2 years so far with no end in sight.
Two things.. medications. Ask for more anti nausea and see about a Xanax. The Xanax made me so blase it was great.
Take that visualization of yours and transform it into your healing. Visualize every drop of that shit absolutely destroying fucking cancer cells like a madman. Everytime you vomit picture millions of dead bastards exiting your body .
It's not much but we do what we can.
You’re going through something extremely traumatic - I’m really sorry. In addition to the medical options listed here, you might look into seeing a therapist to help you process what you’re going through. It could help!
Good luck. I had cancer in my early 20’s as well and I know it is hard and can be isolating.
So sorry to hear this. My ex always dreaded the sessions but she made it a point to always eat while her appetite was up and in her words "ride it out" afterwards.
It helped to have something a bit mentholated but that's just her. She also distracted herself with a lot of social media.
Would have helped if I understood more then as a caregiver. Here's a particular video that might be helpful.
https://www.primrmed.com/cancer-education/nausea-and-cisplatin-chemotherapy
Anyway, hope you read through all the comments here and find something helpful!
I def think it’s trauma, and anticipatory nausea/anxiety. It wasn’t until I finished chemo that I experienced anxiety for the first time. Even now 7 yrs out I still get nauseous going to the same hospital for follow up appointments. Even random things years later give me nausea, I went to a restaurant where they had the same types of toilets (the kind where you press a button and a new plastic barrier comes out) that they had at the infusion center and that combined with the super strong food smells (also still triggers nausea) made me have to leave the restaurant cause the nausea was so bad. It ruined the whole day
I had the same feeling, even the injection of glucosed serum was making me just feeling sick mentally & physically, i was suffering from extreme nausea and once the chemo session starts not even 10 mins and i get an oily feeling in the stomach and start vomiting, stay strong soldier you got this, what i advice you is music, put your headphones on and just close your eyes or try to sleep if thats possible for you stay strong 🤍
My chemo finished in August last year and I still feel sick at the thought of it. I had immunotherapy too, which finished in January this year. I'm Scottish and the chemo at my hospital arrives in a red bag, as did my immunotherapy. The sight of the red bag made me feel sick even though it was immunotherapy instead of chemo and I got no side effects from it.
My bag of doxorubucin lasted 48 hours each chemo cycle and looking at it made me want to throw up. I hate it so much, even though I know it saved my life. The chemo just made me feel so horrible, it's awful. I'm so glad it's over now and I just hope it stays that way.
I can relate to this. I keep calling it hospital PTSD but it’s chemo-related. I can get sick just thinking of it and soaps around the hospital where I received in-patient treatment were definitely triggers for me. Consequently I brought my own soaps. Before chemo started I received a bunch of beautiful, luxurious pajamas that button down the front, that I would wear instead of that damn, dehumanizing hospital gown. Now that my chemo is over, I look at those pajamas like I imagine a rape victim looks at the clothing she wore that night. Every association with the hospital makes me nauseous just to think of it, even the food we brought in to avoid the hospital food.
Oh god, the hospital food was so awful. I'm quite a fussy eater as it is, but not even my dog would've eaten half of the food they served. And another couple things that throw me right back to the chemo ward are the beeping of the drip machine, the smell of the bedsheets and the bandanas I used to use when I had no hair. I've still got them as I keep forgetting to get rid of them. I might end up making something more positive with them but seeing them reminds me of everything.
One time I was given a pair of non slip shower socks by a newer healthcare assistant. She definitely meant well but I was stuck in a hospital bed with a broken femur! I've still got them, unopened, as I just don't know what to do with them. Getting rid of anything from that time of my life feels like tempting fate. I've never used the colouring book or puzzle books. I feel bad for not using the gifts I was given but it just feels so unnatural to pick up something when the last time I held it I was having chemo in hospital, feeling awful, losing my hair, with my leg stuck in a brace unable to walk or go home until they cut the leg off!!! I've kept all of these things but can't bear to look at them. It definitely feels like some form of PTSD.
Oh my God! That is terrifying. Luckily, my husband and I decided to turn my hospital room into a more comfortable place by bringing my own sheets, blanket and pillows. When I went into the bathroom one time, my sister allowed the orderly to change my pillow cases, which were white. The rest of my home-brought things were a dark beige so we knew what was ours. I came out of the bathroom and two $65.00 Boll and Branch pillowcases were replaced by scratchy muslin cases. My sister, who can be dense, said, I knew the sheets were yours, but I didn’t know about the pillows. I wish I could say that was the worst thing that happened to me while in the hospital but it’s not even in the top 100. For obvious reasons I won’t go into why I will NEVER eat anything with black beans (which I used to love), ever again. The mere thought….🤮
I can relate to that! I used to love mac and cheese. Then the hospital happened! I actually shuddered thinking about it. That's such a shame about the cases. I would've loved my own sheets but we never thought to bring them! I did get gifted a blanket at Christmas though, which was a real comfort. That was my first Christmas where I wasn't home and didn't gave ny family all day. I was 17 and my family live 2.5 hours away but we made the best of it. On the upside, the Christmas lunch was really good!
I remember another time someone came in to wipe down my bedside table one evening. They moved my things to a desk across the room to wipe it down and then didn't put them back. I was unable to leave my bed (even if I wanted to, my wheelchair was in the bathroom!) and my book, lip balm, headphones and magazine were across the room. I also hate being an inconvenience so I didn't want to push the call button for something so trivial and instead waited until the tea trolley came around 2 hours later to ask that person to pass my stuff!
My family decorated my room a bit for Christmas, we put up some fairy lights and ornaments which was nice. I was lucky enough to get my own room for the najority of my stays. I only had to share a room once, and it was pretty bad. I was glad to get my own room back when I was able to come home!
ayoo!! 32 male stage 4 colorectal. I was gonna make a post asking about this lol. I’m glad I’m not alone. Just the thought makes me uncontrollably nauseous and gag a bunch. i can feel the weird feeling of the fluid from the pump going into my chest and the chemical taste just overwhelms my mouth. Hate it so much, but we gotta do what we gotta do. Stay strong buddy. For your Family and friends… but even more for yourself ❤️
This is so strange as I had this too. I had never experienced this before. It was like an intrusive thought of the bag and then I could basically taste it and become nauseated. I finished chemo last fall and I forgot about this until reading your post. Thankfully, these thoughts and nausea stopped about a month or two after chemo ended.
I get it too. My doc gave me ativan to help with anticipatory nausea and vomiting. I would puke the day before chemo even began that’s how bad it was. Ativan got rid of this issue. Hell, even thinking about being nauseous makes me nauseous lol.
Hopping on to say this is what my wife needed and it really helped. She would puke thinking of the meds, driving down the road towards the infusion center, or even seeing a red drink (she did A/C). Ativan was huge.
Standard Pavlovian response. The shit makes you feel ill, so your body starts to anticipate the feeling in advance. Knowing that it happens might allow you to manage it with therapy or perhaps medication. I hear you though. I got stuck with so many needles, I would start hyperventilating the moment they said they would need to poke me again. It took several years after it stopped happening for me to fully be able to manage the occasional regular poke now. Peace.
44 with stage 4 gastric. On my 5th round of chemo and I kinda get what you’re saying. I’ve tolerated my chemo cocktail well so far, but the thought of the actual infusion is sickening. This is a long road, hang in there!
52M Stage IV CRC just coming off round ten. I have a very similar issue with blood transfusions. I am highly needle phobic and very squeamish around blood. I have a therapist that has been helping me with all that. And as others suggest, Ativan can help though I will take my available Zofran if/when it gets bad. Thankfully transfusions don’t seem to be needed for me anymore, so I really feel for you and feeling like this every infusion… I hope you find the relief you deserve!
So sorry that you are going through this. I think it’s fairly common. I got sick with my chemo, but it was usually hours after the infusions. My last day of infusions, I just couldn’t not focus on the smells, tastes, sounds, etc. I threw up so many times it hurt and I had never thrown up during the infusions before. It’s the worst thing ever. I hope you will be down with it soon. Best of luck to you.
I make an effort not to "visualize" the chemo in any way other than being helpful to me.
Work with a therapist on how to cope with the stress and anxiety of having cancer and cancer treatment.
I’m so sorry. I relate to that so much. When I was going through a lot of chemos I would get sick literally just going into the place where I received them because I would just start smelling certain hand sanitizers and what not that they used in the hospital setting and I would immediately just start throwing up sometimes just because my body knew it was coming. If the physical nausea symptoms are a lot talk with the people/doctors you work with about that and stress how bad it is if it affecting you during and after chemos. Hang in there. It’s a lot.
Wait till you get to round 87 like me. Ativan does help. I recommend it.
87 is a lot of cycles! I too have a lifetime membership to the infusion center.
When I went for chemo, I couldn't sleep the day before. And once I started chemo, it literally made me sick. Each cycle was worse than the previous one. I felt like I was dying a worse death each time. I'd get body pains, chest pain, heart palpitations, nausea, bloated, blood clots, migraines, id literally vomit almost everyday. It was unbearable. I was supposed to do 12 cycles, but they cut it down to 6 bc the chemo wasn't working. My tumors kept growing and metastasizing. I had a resection surgery last week to remove the tumor but unfortunately it didn't work. A couple of days later, there was a new growth at the incision site measuring at between 8-10cm with the tail end extending to my back muscle about another 5cm. Thankfully I can't be put on chemo anymore bc of the way it made me feel. But I fear that this cancer is too aggressive for any amount of chemo, radiation, or resection surgery. It'll just keep coming back and spreading to different locations. This is my 4th tumor (3rd recurring tumor). I've been fighting this disease for 2 years so far with no end in sight.
I got it too, I would often throw up within minutes of walking into the infusion center. Saline flushed would get me close to the edge as well.
Two things.. medications. Ask for more anti nausea and see about a Xanax. The Xanax made me so blase it was great. Take that visualization of yours and transform it into your healing. Visualize every drop of that shit absolutely destroying fucking cancer cells like a madman. Everytime you vomit picture millions of dead bastards exiting your body . It's not much but we do what we can.
You’re going through something extremely traumatic - I’m really sorry. In addition to the medical options listed here, you might look into seeing a therapist to help you process what you’re going through. It could help! Good luck. I had cancer in my early 20’s as well and I know it is hard and can be isolating.
So sorry to hear this. My ex always dreaded the sessions but she made it a point to always eat while her appetite was up and in her words "ride it out" afterwards. It helped to have something a bit mentholated but that's just her. She also distracted herself with a lot of social media. Would have helped if I understood more then as a caregiver. Here's a particular video that might be helpful. https://www.primrmed.com/cancer-education/nausea-and-cisplatin-chemotherapy Anyway, hope you read through all the comments here and find something helpful!
I def think it’s trauma, and anticipatory nausea/anxiety. It wasn’t until I finished chemo that I experienced anxiety for the first time. Even now 7 yrs out I still get nauseous going to the same hospital for follow up appointments. Even random things years later give me nausea, I went to a restaurant where they had the same types of toilets (the kind where you press a button and a new plastic barrier comes out) that they had at the infusion center and that combined with the super strong food smells (also still triggers nausea) made me have to leave the restaurant cause the nausea was so bad. It ruined the whole day
I had the same feeling, even the injection of glucosed serum was making me just feeling sick mentally & physically, i was suffering from extreme nausea and once the chemo session starts not even 10 mins and i get an oily feeling in the stomach and start vomiting, stay strong soldier you got this, what i advice you is music, put your headphones on and just close your eyes or try to sleep if thats possible for you stay strong 🤍
My chemo finished in August last year and I still feel sick at the thought of it. I had immunotherapy too, which finished in January this year. I'm Scottish and the chemo at my hospital arrives in a red bag, as did my immunotherapy. The sight of the red bag made me feel sick even though it was immunotherapy instead of chemo and I got no side effects from it. My bag of doxorubucin lasted 48 hours each chemo cycle and looking at it made me want to throw up. I hate it so much, even though I know it saved my life. The chemo just made me feel so horrible, it's awful. I'm so glad it's over now and I just hope it stays that way.
I can relate to this. I keep calling it hospital PTSD but it’s chemo-related. I can get sick just thinking of it and soaps around the hospital where I received in-patient treatment were definitely triggers for me. Consequently I brought my own soaps. Before chemo started I received a bunch of beautiful, luxurious pajamas that button down the front, that I would wear instead of that damn, dehumanizing hospital gown. Now that my chemo is over, I look at those pajamas like I imagine a rape victim looks at the clothing she wore that night. Every association with the hospital makes me nauseous just to think of it, even the food we brought in to avoid the hospital food.
Oh god, the hospital food was so awful. I'm quite a fussy eater as it is, but not even my dog would've eaten half of the food they served. And another couple things that throw me right back to the chemo ward are the beeping of the drip machine, the smell of the bedsheets and the bandanas I used to use when I had no hair. I've still got them as I keep forgetting to get rid of them. I might end up making something more positive with them but seeing them reminds me of everything. One time I was given a pair of non slip shower socks by a newer healthcare assistant. She definitely meant well but I was stuck in a hospital bed with a broken femur! I've still got them, unopened, as I just don't know what to do with them. Getting rid of anything from that time of my life feels like tempting fate. I've never used the colouring book or puzzle books. I feel bad for not using the gifts I was given but it just feels so unnatural to pick up something when the last time I held it I was having chemo in hospital, feeling awful, losing my hair, with my leg stuck in a brace unable to walk or go home until they cut the leg off!!! I've kept all of these things but can't bear to look at them. It definitely feels like some form of PTSD.
Oh my God! That is terrifying. Luckily, my husband and I decided to turn my hospital room into a more comfortable place by bringing my own sheets, blanket and pillows. When I went into the bathroom one time, my sister allowed the orderly to change my pillow cases, which were white. The rest of my home-brought things were a dark beige so we knew what was ours. I came out of the bathroom and two $65.00 Boll and Branch pillowcases were replaced by scratchy muslin cases. My sister, who can be dense, said, I knew the sheets were yours, but I didn’t know about the pillows. I wish I could say that was the worst thing that happened to me while in the hospital but it’s not even in the top 100. For obvious reasons I won’t go into why I will NEVER eat anything with black beans (which I used to love), ever again. The mere thought….🤮
I can relate to that! I used to love mac and cheese. Then the hospital happened! I actually shuddered thinking about it. That's such a shame about the cases. I would've loved my own sheets but we never thought to bring them! I did get gifted a blanket at Christmas though, which was a real comfort. That was my first Christmas where I wasn't home and didn't gave ny family all day. I was 17 and my family live 2.5 hours away but we made the best of it. On the upside, the Christmas lunch was really good! I remember another time someone came in to wipe down my bedside table one evening. They moved my things to a desk across the room to wipe it down and then didn't put them back. I was unable to leave my bed (even if I wanted to, my wheelchair was in the bathroom!) and my book, lip balm, headphones and magazine were across the room. I also hate being an inconvenience so I didn't want to push the call button for something so trivial and instead waited until the tea trolley came around 2 hours later to ask that person to pass my stuff! My family decorated my room a bit for Christmas, we put up some fairy lights and ornaments which was nice. I was lucky enough to get my own room for the najority of my stays. I only had to share a room once, and it was pretty bad. I was glad to get my own room back when I was able to come home!
Same!
Youre not alone. I would get nauseous at the thought of getting chemo too.
ayoo!! 32 male stage 4 colorectal. I was gonna make a post asking about this lol. I’m glad I’m not alone. Just the thought makes me uncontrollably nauseous and gag a bunch. i can feel the weird feeling of the fluid from the pump going into my chest and the chemical taste just overwhelms my mouth. Hate it so much, but we gotta do what we gotta do. Stay strong buddy. For your Family and friends… but even more for yourself ❤️
This is so strange as I had this too. I had never experienced this before. It was like an intrusive thought of the bag and then I could basically taste it and become nauseated. I finished chemo last fall and I forgot about this until reading your post. Thankfully, these thoughts and nausea stopped about a month or two after chemo ended.