Newly diagnosed with mesothelioma - 1263677

Hi sharonp,

It is not unusual to experience problems with nausea and vomiting after most types of chemo; the burping may just be a part of what's going on in the digestive system. Each patient reacts differently, but for many the nausea subsides after a week or two. To help prevent it, he should try taking his anti-nausea meds on a schedule, rather than when he feels nauseous...it's easier to prevent than it is to get rid of. Small, frequent meals are better than larger ones, and taking a walk can also help. If it persists, perhaps his doctor can prescribe a different anti-nausea medication.

Fatigue can occur as blood counts drop after chemo. They tend to rebound in the second half of the cycle, so hopefully he'll start feeling a bit better soon.

JimC
Forum moderator

You can also ask his doctor about taking an OTC like Prilosec. Cisplatin can cause heartburn, so adding it along with the anti-nausea drug might help. But always check with is doctor first, though I took it with carbo/alimta and it helped. Take care, Judy

I'm sorry he's having a tough time.

Though every patient is different, it's most common for people to really turn a corner right around now -- 5 to 7 days after the chemo is given. Cisplatin-based chemo is notoriously challenging, sometimes leading to more severe and longer-lasting side effects than alternatives. Cisplatin with Alimta (pemetrexed) is the best studied, clear standard of care chemo combination for mesothelioma, but there is also evidence that substituting the less challenging carboplatin for cisplatin can lead to very comparable efficacy results:.

http://cancergrace.org/lung/2007/08/10/carboplatinalimta-results-asco-2…

Good luck.

-Dr. West