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Physical Health Cancer
1

Hello,

My name is Scott and I am 5 ABVD treatments into stopping Stage IIB Hodgkins Lymphoma. Since I have run the gammut of almost all of the side effects, I am looking for some support on how to combat some of the fatigue and associated constipation I get with this treatment. Anything to help with combat my sleep interruptions would help also. Anyone have any food or supplement advice? It is so tough to eat anything worthwhile sometimes anymore. Most importantly...can someone tell me if there is light at the end of the tunnel? Will some of these side effects go away once treatment is complete?

Help needed in Ohio

Scott

2

I just started my treatments and go for my second one on Wednesday. The constipation is a killer. I take a stool softener in the morning and night called Dulcolax and take a laxative by Dulcolax at night as well. You can get these at any drug store in the laxative section. I also drink Smooth Move herbal tea by Traditional Medicinals- I buy it at whole foods. It gets things moving but I have to do all of them. On treatment weeks i find I need an additional laxative at night.
Drink hot liquids, eat prunes and no matter what- keep eating, even if it is just a little at a time

For my mouth- my nurse (who had breast cancer) suggested rinsing with water and baking soda- It feels good, and takes the acidity away, and keeps your mouth clean.

Supplements- whey protein in smoothies has been great. Some people says it has helped them with fatigue. L-glutamine is great for digestion overall- a few tablespoons in a smoothie will help or mix into juice. (I am meeting with a oncology nutritionist and will post more then)

For sleep I take Xanex or Ativan- never together- I haven't slept through the night since I was diagnosed months ago. I had to do fertility treatments first so I just started treatment.

As for the fatigue, I am not sure yet. My nurse does encourage me to walk, even if it is a few blocks, just to keep things moving (helps with constipation)

3

sdjkennedy,

Welcome to you! Since I did 12 infusions of abvd with Rituxan, I will at least say "hello." You can read what I have already written elsewhere regarding breathing issues and some other abvd side-effects by following my eariler posts (just go to my log-on name of "FTNIN," and you will be able to open them.

I never suffered constipation from treatment, but would offer the routine reminder that drinking huge amounts of water is helpful for reducing chemo pain, and usually constipation as well. I never drank enough water, which can readily cause serious dehydration, and pain.

Also, I never got insomnia. Just the opposite -- I was so fatigued that I often slept twelve or more hours a day, sometimes as many as 15 hours per day. My doc gave me a sedative before I started treatment, which I never needed. Generally, I find over-the-counter Unisom very effective, so try that, if it is OK with your doc. The active ingredient in Unisom is very different from Sominex, which has always been usless for me.

I lost all normal sense of taste, and nearly quit eating. I did NOT have nausea, just no appetite. Even water had an odd taste to me, sometimes tasting like mud, or other, very odd sensations. I never had a sensation of "metal," but rather, my mouth usually felt like it was full of salt. I used the various breakfast drinks, recommended by the doctor. Force yourself to get adequate nutrition.

My other main issue was neuropathy, mostly in my feet. My feet were often numb, often to above the ankles. This I still have, five months after treatment ended. The symptoms are treatable, but not the underlying nerve damage, which causes the sensation. This is caused by the vinblastine.

"Light at the End?"

YES ! I began at stage III-a, and moved straight into full remission. It was a six month process, but worth every moment.

In the meantime, it is very much "one day at a time." And, getting over side-effects (in my experience) was a SLOW process. My neuropathy is most likely permanent, I am told.

Keep us up to date.

There are numerous patients on abvd here, so hopefully several people will offer their insights.

don

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4

Don,
Thank you so much. This is incredibly insightful. It seems that the side effects re-occur instead of new ones developing- although I guess everyone is different. I am sorry to hear about the nerve damage- I am losing sensation in my fingers and think I am headed down that path. I am constantly looking to the light at the end!

5

KM,

Neuropathy strikes the hands as often as the feet, so it may be neuropathy. In the fingers, it affects touch, and the ability to grasp thin objects, such as a sheet of paper, or to turn pages in a book.

My feet stay somewhat swollen, and my regular doc gave me a diuretic, which did help my blood pressure, but the swelling never reduced, so I think that it is neuropathy-related, in some manner.

Technically, neuropathy is considered to attack the nerves mostly in the “digits” (fingers and toes), but at times, the effects are more severe, such as my whole feet staying numb.

I was told that the chemo (vinblastine, and other in its group)kill the tiny sheathing around the nerve endings, which in turn damages the nerve itself. Diabetes causes neuropathy, but through vascular damage to the same nerve linings, so it is the same symptoms from a differing causality.

The SYMPTOMS are (I am told) treatable, but it is not reversable. Some writers say that it will in some cases go away very gradually, so we can hope for spontaneous improvement over time as well.

Bless your progress,

don

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Thanks Don

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KM and All Others,

I found out at my treatment center yesterday that I am eligible to be part of a clinical test for a new neuropathy cream.

The advantage is that it is not another pill to take. I will share the name of the cream, once I get started. (I do not know the name of the ointment yet myself).

don