How to fight cisplatin side effects like nausea & fatigue?

@justwow
Ultimately it all boils down to individual choices .
You are in charge of your own body and we all hope our oncologists will steer us in the right direction and help us get through treatments with the least amount of pain and suffering. If treatments go south like mine did with cesplatin chemo then we need to make changes, pause or come up with a different plan.
Some of the more prominent cancer treatment centers like Mayo, MD Anderson and MSK to name a few are now offering more individualized treatment plans steering away from the standard of care plans of 7 chemo/35 radiation.
Hopefully others will come around and do the same especially for us H & N HPV + people.
Until then some of us accept the standard of care plan and make our own decisions based on progress as we go.

@woodsy1
Hi - I’m so sorry things went badly with the cisplatin- where were you treated? Did you have high bolus dose? Was it a split dose? I’m sorry to ask especially if you already posted this previously

@justwow
No worries, Had a 74mg dose cesplatin each cycle 7 days apart. The 1st one was manageable but
after the 2nd dose things went south fast .

@woodsy1
Makes me wonder if there’s any difference then, receiving bolus dose 3 times (if make it that far) or, weekly. It’s a truly nasty agent…

@justwow
The phase 2 H & N HPV trials at MSK results released in 2024 ? showed excellent
curative results with 2 chemo and 15 radiation (30 gy) treatments. Different chemo drugs and doses and timing than mine may have been used .
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03323463

@justwow
Sounds like you are on the right path doing the research and weighing best options.
We can certainly learn a lot from other people's past experiences with different treatment plans and outcomes so am thankful for this forum and people willing to contribute already.

If you haven't seen the excellent links roblem posted on the other thread titled "HPV Tonsil cancer: I'm very nervous about chemo and radiation" do read through ALL of those.

I was diagnosed Oct 2 2025, T1 N1 M0 HPV P16+. Right tonsil, right node. Stage 1. the tonsil tumor was 3,5 cm and node was 1.5 cm . By the time treatments started the tonsil was probably 4.5 cm. Took almost 3 months for treatment to get lined up with all the tests, scans, consultations and scheduling so that all made me a bit anxious.
Am now 11 radiation treatments and 2 chemos in.
Done with chemo that cesplatin 74 mg dose per cycle 1 week apart really wreaked havoc on my body, immune system and digestive tract.
A shingles outbreak and minor cuts or abrasions became infected.
Noticed blood work showing low RBC red blood cell count after 2nd week chemo. Other blood tests showing changes as well all heading in the wrong direction.
Anyway long winded today getting excited about finishing radiation next week . I am dropping out at 16 radiation treatments. The tumor is hardly visible anymore. My call based on compelling research data, trials and studies.

Let the dust settle while I still have some quality of life left and see what a pet scan shows in 3 mos. and go from there. My years here are growing slim anyway so I'm ok with my choices. I've had a good run. Best of luck to you and whatever you choose to do. Keep up the fight.
Just my opinion but the standard of care 35 radiation treatments and 7 chemo cycles seems like an antiquated plan for most any P16+ oropharyngeal cancer patients today . Keep researching and I bet you will come to the same conclusion.

@woodsy1 This is a tough battle, a really tough one. I'm starting my third week of radiation photon as the other one is not avaliable in Canada. Constipation can get really bad, I have increased my dose of stool softener and laxatives. I'm trying to increase my liquid intake as food taste has drastically changed. I feel like now I have to eat to survive. I did tors surgery so now I have 30 treatments of radiation and 6 cisplatin. But doctors are happy if I get 5.

@justwow
Sounds like you are on the right path doing the research and weighing best options.
We can certainly learn a lot from other people's past experiences with different treatment plans and outcomes so am thankful for this forum and people willing to contribute already.

If you haven't seen the excellent links roblem posted on the other thread titled "HPV Tonsil cancer: I'm very nervous about chemo and radiation" do read through ALL of those.

I was diagnosed Oct 2 2025, T1 N1 M0 HPV P16+. Right tonsil, right node. Stage 1. the tonsil tumor was 3,5 cm and node was 1.5 cm . By the time treatments started the tonsil was probably 4.5 cm. Took almost 3 months for treatment to get lined up with all the tests, scans, consultations and scheduling so that all made me a bit anxious.
Am now 11 radiation treatments and 2 chemos in.
Done with chemo that cesplatin 74 mg dose per cycle 1 week apart really wreaked havoc on my body, immune system and digestive tract.
A shingles outbreak and minor cuts or abrasions became infected.
Noticed blood work showing low RBC red blood cell count after 2nd week chemo. Other blood tests showing changes as well all heading in the wrong direction.
Anyway long winded today getting excited about finishing radiation next week . I am dropping out at 16 radiation treatments. The tumor is hardly visible anymore. My call based on compelling research data, trials and studies.

Let the dust settle while I still have some quality of life left and see what a pet scan shows in 3 mos. and go from there. My years here are growing slim anyway so I'm ok with my choices. I've had a good run. Best of luck to you and whatever you choose to do. Keep up the fight.
Just my opinion but the standard of care 35 radiation treatments and 7 chemo cycles seems like an antiquated plan for most any P16+ oropharyngeal cancer patients today . Keep researching and I bet you will come to the same conclusion.