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Immunotherapy side effects
My husband had lost a kidney due to cancer, had immunotherapy, and lost 80% of his hearing. He then had lung cancer, had immunotherapy and now has lost his sense of taste and is losing weight. Neither of these were mentioned at the time so now trying to figure out what to do. Has anyone else experienced these side effects?
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welcome to the group,
i had a nodule that was cancerous and went straight to my brain, which turned into a massive tumor.
removed and they had to go back a second time days later for a bleed. Radiation and a couple infusions chemo and took another radiation to the brain but made me cancer free. i was i guess blessed and lucky- I'm sending you a prayer now-------sent
prayer groups are amazing if you have the faith and the more the better. have a blessed day.
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4 ReactionsIs your husband doing immunotherapy as a monotherapy or in conjunction with chemo?
There are some things that you might try. It may take some experimentation but try serving him foods that have strong scents. It may help to stimulate the appetite. But some scents may make him nauseous so be patient when experimenting.
Try giving him small portions of foods with different textures and temperatures on a single plate.
If he finds something tolerable but can't focus or has no interest in eating have him work on a project or read a book while eating. Example: Have him read a page then have two bites, read a page and have two bites. Or, do a few crossword hints then eat a couple bites.
There are several appetite stimulants that are available by prescription. Megace and marinol come to mind. Some anti nausea meds help too. I'm thinking of Olanzapine which was developed for something else but does stimulate the appetite. Talk to the oncologist to learn what might be the best options for him.
If you are in a state where medical marijuana is legal, try giving him a gummy or a piece of a brownie.
Calories are more important than a balanced diet right now. I had my hot fudge sundae therapy 3-4 times a week fifteen years ago. It didn't hurt me at all.
Meet with the hospital's nutritionist. They may have other ideas. If you can get him to eat ice cream or smoothies, add a protein powder to it.
Sending hope one of these works for him.
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3 ReactionsI'm so sorry that your husband is having such a hard time! That must be difficult for both of you. My husband had lung cancer and also got immunotherapy. He reacted badly to it. One of the side effects is Pancreatitis which he got and almost died from it. After that he refused to have any immunotherapy treatments or any other cancer treatments. It worked well for my husband to give those treatments up. He lived with lung cancer for 14 years. He died in 2024. However, that's not for everyone. Everyone is different. You have to decide if the treatment is helping your husband enough to continue with it even with the side effects or not. Discuss it with his doctor and see what he thinks. But in the end, it's your husband's decision. It's his body and his money.
Prayer works wonders in situations like these especially. Just ask God for help and he will be there for you. Prayer and God got my husband and I through a very hard time. Now that I'm alone, God is there for me still and it helps immensely. I will say a prayer for you and your husband.
I wish you the best.
PML