Diarrhea frequently during Chemotherapy

Thank you! Same to you! Hoping he can find something to help with his weight loss. I lost 60 lbs but am finally maintaining.

For control of diarrhea from irinotecan, Imodium was ineffective for me. I was prescribed Loperimide, Lomax, Lomatil and the generic form diphenoxylate atropine. These were all effective in controlling the diarrhea. I took the anti-diarrheal proactively, i.e., well ahead of the chemo to have a therapeutic level already in the circulation by the time I was being administered the irinotecan. I continued taking for two days after administration.

Thank you for all your insight. Hopefully he can get this under control and gain back his strength and weight. It is a long journey for all dealing with pancreatic cancer. It is so hard staying positive and hopeful throughout his treatment.

My husband also starts getting diarrhea when they start irratatican.
He gets medication about two in the morning. I’ll start , Imodium 2am before his treatment n every six hours two immodium with his compazine. He usually needs to take it for a week regularly every six hours.
He still will have some diarrhea, but this is helped a lot.

He lets me know when he thinks he won’t need it anymore.
He had six treatments and the first six treatments. Every time they would add a new medication and we would try something else because he was so sick.
If your husband is doing that, don’t let them drag it out and add a medication. If in a couple days he still sick call them and make them give you more medication. Keep on them and ask for more. I wish I would have done that at first instead of him suffering so bad.
Now he takes a lot of medication for nausea, and his treatments are going better

Just checking in to see how your husband is fairing with his treatments and side effects? My husband finished his last treatment at end of September, but the side effects are still in full swing. He has increased his enzymes and still diarrhea everyday. Very discouraging. I hope things are better at your end.

Apologies for asking the obvious, but were you given materials about which foods to avoid / which to eat after a Whipple? If not, please contact pancan.org or the NPF and ask for links.

I hope things have gotten better since you posted; good luck.

Sorry he’s having such trouble! I take diphenoxylate atropine after each event up to 4 a day. If that doesn’t help contact the cancer center for help.

Thank you for responding. We also have that prescription. Our Oncologist has ordered specimen testing to determine his enzyme deficiency. Wishing you well.

Yes, thank you. Doing our best to stay within the guidelines, however he lost an excessive amount of weight from Whipple and Chemo that our goal is to try and get his appetite back and gain weight. Thank you for your thoughts.