Coughing a lot after lung cancer treatment. Don't know why

Hello Sanygita15,
I had a similar situation to what you are facing regarding your upcoming chemo treatment so I thought I would share the following (this is largely based on my personal experience):

1) The cisplatin/permextred combination you will be receiving is what I was also treated with about a month after my lung surgery. Cisplatin is a toxic drug.......it is meant to kill whatever cancer cells might still be existing in your body. However there are a number of known side effects. There are less toxic platinum based drugs utilized however they may not be as effective as cisplatin.
2) Be sure to read the materials supplied by your oncologist team and adhere to all the pre- and post-treatment drug treatments that they provide. They have undoubtedly treated many patients before and can anticipate very well how you will be progress through the treatments. However, every person is different and react differently to chemo and its side effects.
3) On your infusion treatment days it will be a long day (probably at least 5-6 hours) as it takes time to set you up, administer hydration fluids and then to slowly infuse the chemo drugs and then most likely more infused hydration fluids. You will be undoubtedly quite tired at the end of each infusion treatment.
4) At about 4-6 days post treatment you may start to feel tired and nauseous.....that will probably last a couple of days.......keep up with your prescribed medications as needed and absolutely get rest when your body tells you to rest.
5) Staying hydrated is absolutely critical to help ward off the potential kidney damage that cisplatin can cause. You may need a number of different beverages available (water, sport drinks, juices) because finding something that you can really drink that much of may be a challenge. Food is another issue...........your appetite will most likely be impacted including your sense of taste. I went through so many phases of what I wanted to eat, what tasted at least OK, and what I could no longer eat was just crazy. Resort to your comfort foods to get you by.
6) By the time of your next chemo treatment day you will probably be feeling pretty good and then the cycle starts all over again. Keep track of you specific side effects and keep your oncology team informed and reach out to them if you are really struggling. And stay hydrated!
7) Just two other comments.......for your infusion treatments you may be asked if you want a port installed or just go with direct arm vein administration. I went with the direct arm vein administration without any real difficulties. Be aware that another possible side effect of cisplatin is hearing loss. You may want to see if you can have a baseline hearing test done just to be able to monitor any changes in your hearing after the chemo is completed.

As I have stated before......chemo can be a challenge however you can get through it by following the instructions from your oncology team and listening to your body and reacting accordingly.

Finally, you had previously asked about financial assistance to help defray the costs of Tagrisso particularly for non-US patients. I would suggest that you reach out directly to the AstraZeneca Tagrisso patient assistance team to see what may be available for someone in your situation.

Good luck!!

Welcome, @sanyogita15. I removed your personal contact information from the public forum. It is more secure to exchange contact information using the private message function.

I might also add that by sharing here in the forum, you are connecting with several people where all can benefit from group support.

Thanks@sglaza for your valuable insights on chemo. They are giving me
platinum therapy. As mentioned before they have provided a booklet which
has tablet names n post treatment care instructions. No infornation on
whether i need to come empty stomach or not for the chemo . They have asked
me to come at 9 am n said discharge would be at 6 pm in the evening. Only
Nausea n hairfall are the two effects they told me about. I have asked my
medical oncologist to share his personal no so i can stay in touch whenever
required with my post treatment experiences. I will also ask them if i
can have electrol and coconut water along side water to stay hydrated. Also
n terms of food i thought of having hard boiled eggs n chicken soup n rice
for now. Basis how my apetite is n nausea or any other side effect will
make modifications in my diet. Thanks a lot for your help. Take care. Best
wishes. Stay in touch.

Thanks so much for this help . From last night i was trying to figure out
how i delete it as i had mentioned also in msg itself . I was like in
facebook we have an edit comnent button i can go n remove it but there was
none. Really appreciate your help!!!!

If I lay down flat, I cough a lot. If I sit up of prop myself up, the coughing subsides. I am on Tagrissso, it could be a side affect.

Sadly, my husband is still coughing, sone days less than others. He sips lots of water and uses sugar free cough drops.

Yea I have started to antihistamines and the cough has gotten better along with cough drops
I think alot of it just allergies

@mikee2all , sorry to hear about your coughing, but you can't blame Tagrisso. I've been on it for over 3 years and I've never had that problem. I cough and more when lying down, but that's because it's Spring and northern Alabama has seen over 5 inches of rain so far this month. EVERYTHING'S in bloom!

Beyond my personal experience, I recently had the opportunity to interact with over 200 survivors and caregivers, and that's not a Tagrisso side effect anyone mentions. I'm also applying to be a research advocate and am learning a lot about all types of lung cancer, including the EGFR mutations treated by Tagrisso. I should speak formally and say IF it's a side effect, it's very uncommon.

I'd look for other reasons. It is Spring in many places. I'm sorry I don't remember your history, but I encourage you to seek other reasons for your coughing. Have you tried antihistamines Have you contacted your Primary Care Physician? I've had a few other things pop up since I've been treated for cancer that have nothing to do with the treatments, although that was my first thought. It's a natural reaction. Ask yourself what you'd think is causing the coughing if you didn't have cancer treatments.

I hope you find some relief.

Thanks so much for your reply. I tend to agree with you. I have always had sinus problems and believe that this is a cause of my coughing.
How has Tag been doing for you. I have only been on it of 4 months. I have sort of lost my apatite and lost a bunch of weight. My Dr. has me going to get a brain scan today. She never explained the connection with nausea and vomiting. She did mention that the cancer could have spread to my brain.
I'll keep in touch.

what is this medicine you guys are talking about