Living with lung cancer - Introduce yourself & come say hi

Hi Chris,
I removed the image that you included with your post because it included your medical record number. Feel free to post it again without the MRN.

Hi, everyone. I have stage 4 lung cancer with metastises to lymph notes, pleura and breast. I have been on Tabrecta (capmatinib) for about a month. Started getting nausea about 2 weeks ago and have lost 10 lbs because I can't eat much. Feeling very weak and wondering how long I can tolerate this. I had been given Compazine and Zofran for nausea but now they have prescribed Zaprexa at night and Zofran in the daytime. Wondering if anyone else has issues or advice about nausea.

@thieschafer- I hope that you are feeling better today. You have certainly had a tough time with side effects! And it looks like your doctor is thinking outside the box, too! Zaprexa seems to block multiple neurotransmitter receptors, and e can be used as a single broad-spectrum antiemetic for nausea and vomiting. So, let's get you feeling better and gaining some weight back if we can.

Here are some not so "out of the box" suggestions: you never know what works, right?

Drink Water.

While you may not want to put anything else in your stomach, drinking water can actually help your recover from your nausea. Or, you can opt for an herbal tea, like peppermint or ginger, to help get rid of the tummy blues.
Try an At-Home Remedy.

In addition to drinking water or hot tea, you might try some classic at-home remedies. Suck on sugared ginger, smell peppermint oil, or wear an anti-nausea bracelet. Although these methods aren’t clinically proven to work, many people swear by them.
Change Positions.

Certain body positions can put unnecessary pressure on your stomach, which doesn’t feel so hot. For example, sitting down crunches up your stomach. Instead, try standing up, laying down, or going for a short stroll. Movement can also help get things moving.

Let's start with foods that don't make you ill. Can you handle toast of any kind? What is the main ingredient in the foods that you can keep down?

Merry

Wow! Thanks so much. I am feeling better today after the first half dose of Zaprexa and after also two doses of Prilosec. I have copied this text into a document and will use it as a guide when things go south. Wondering about THC?

Hello thieshafer,
You really need to check with your oncologist before you think about taking some THC to help with your nausea and eating. THC is contraindicated with some cancer chemotherapy drugs rendering them to be ineffective per scientific reports that have been posted on this blog.

Good luck.

Hi Chris (@chris0126), welcome to Mayo Connect. I'm glad that you found us. We have other lung cancer patients here with Squamous Cell Carcinoma like @snoekie and @coryw . You've been though the ringer, but it sounds like you are in the home stretch of this set of treatments! That has to feel good. You have positives to focus on, even with the size of the largest tumor it sounds like the cancer hadn't spread beyond the lungs, and the chemo should take care of any cells that may have slipped by. Based on your profile photo you have family support which is so important too. Enjoy each day!
Have you been told how long they'll wait before doing the next set of scans?

Not sure how to remove it. Feel free if you know how and put it back up. No worries here. Thanks!!

4-6 weeks is what I was told. Waiting to see now.

I have my days. But most times I do pretty good. I just wish the radiation was done to give my throat a chance to heal.

That's what I was afraid of. So I will only take what they give me:) Thanks for the warning. I apreciate it.