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Trying to manage my father with stage 4 metastatic Pancreatic cancer
My father is struggling. He is on IV Chemo and Pill (Xeloda). He is basically getting sick every time he takes a pill, any pill. He has a grandchild due in Oct and he is fighting to make that. We are only a couple weeks into treatment and it has been very rough. We are crushing every pill we can and trying to give the others with yogurt or something but nothing seems to work. He's getting IV bags twice a week now and we are looking into a feeding tube. He wants to eat but the second he swallows his body rejects it.
Anyone ,have any tips or tricks.
and for the record. I HATE CANCER
Thanks,
AS
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AS, I did not have this dreadful diagnosis, but i am expecting the Doctor's know and are working to get this fixed. I had nausea and vomiting and was given Emend to step it. It works 72 hours. I am hoping they have tried these things. He must get food in him any way right now to stabilize him. Is he in the hospital?
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1 Reaction@asandstrom74 Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I am sorry to hear your dad is struggling to take his meds. My oncologist prescribed me ondansetron [from Medline plus: https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a601209.html%5D to help my nausea.
Our digestive track gets very finicky, definitely.
Ginger
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2 ReactionsI think his is a lot of mucous. Any ideas on that? Wishing I could crush the Xeloda
no, but we are working on a feeding tube and he is getting several IV's to do just that.
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3 ReactionsThank you. They will give him all the nutrient she needs to give him strength.
Is your father on anti-nausea meds? My sister tried valiantly to manage w/o but was told point blank to take them or she would most likely not be able to complete the course of treatment. Once she did she was as strong as a soldier! See if your doc or nurse practitioner can help. Hope this helps and best of luck.
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1 ReactionSo sorry to hear of your father’s diagnosis and problems eating and taking his Xeloda. It sounds like your father is suffering severe side effects and you need to tell his oncologist urgently.
Xeloda has a high degree of toxicity and needs to be taken with food in the tummy to delay absorption and reduce toxicity. Usually bland foods like white rice, skinned mashed potatoes, white bread, bananas are recommended.
I had the IV form of Xeloda (5FU). It can also affect your digestive tract which seems to be going on with your father.
It sounds very important to get your father checked out carefully. Too much weight loss can also cause anorexia and you want to make sure he doesn’t slide into that.
Please let us know how you go
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3 ReactionsLots of anti-nausea options, along with Zofran (Ondansentron), including Aloxi, steroids (dexamethasone), Compazine (Prochlorperazine), CBD, medical marijuana, Marinol (FDA approved synthetic THC -- i.e., "medical marijuana that's legal in all 50 states).
If the reaction feels like it's more reflux/heartburn in the upper GI (esophagus), ask a GI or palliative doc about meds specific to that, but doublecheck any of them with an oncology-informed pharmacist to avoid any bad interactions.
Hang in there!
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2 Reactions@asandstrom74, how is your dad doing? How are YOU doing?
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1 ReactionSorry for the late update. we had a brief hospital stay. Dad is on anti nausea every 4 hours. He has a gj tube, so he is getting nutrician now. This made a huge difference.
Tommorow he gets another round of Oxaliplatin and we are going to try dissolving the Xeloda and giving it into the j tube. Anyone have any expierence with that? Praying his symptoms aren't as bad since he will be getting food before and after the xeloda.
Anyway, it's a roller coaster but he is hanging tough!
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