*If you can afford to do so, get an Amazon Prime account for $99 a year. Completely worth it. I am able to get supplements found at places like Whole Foods, but at anywhere from 40-80% lower prices as well as free 2-day shipping for the most part. I am not giving this recommendation to get free or discounted stuff. Amazon Prime is the real deal.
Saturday, November 7, 2015
esophagitis due to radiation therapy
Chad takes radiation 5 days a week, his last day will be Monday, November 9th. According to his radiologist, the majority of patients experience problems with esophagitis, an inflammation of the esophagus, which is essentially a really bad sore throat. He did start having esophagitis symptoms after the end of week 5. However, his doctor was flabbergasted that he only started with symptoms well into his treatment. Here is why I believe that is so: I put him on L-glutamine, an essential amino acid which is used by bodybuilders to assist with tissue healing after heavy duty weight lifting. L-glutamine has also been found to significantly reduce the side effect of esophagits due to radiation therapy. Chad DID start having symptoms in week 5, as I said, but for the most part, has been able to eat well, though we've cut back quite a bit on the spices in his food. He also uses a prescribed viscous lidocaine 2% solution. His dependence on this numbing medicine is minimal, but overall, he's done remarkably well. His oncologist and radiologist have now added this supplement to their recommendations to other patients who get radiation in the chest/throat/head area or in any area which may lead to esophagitis. I was able to get it at a very reasonable price on Amazon* (a godsend, those guys). Look for products that have really good reviews and READ THEM. I bought a brand of free form L-glutamine with excellent reviews from a company with an excellent reputation. Their products are sold extensively at Whole Foods.
natural supplements to try if on radiation and chemo
My husband was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer on September 4, 2015. I have done exhaustive research to help him deal with the ensuing chemotherapy and radiation treatments. His symptoms have been relatively minor with a few exceptions, the worst being, of course, a drastically low neutrophil count.
1) he received Granix for his low counts. It's side effects included severe bone pain after the first injection, especially in his hips. His is 6'3" and a big tough guy. It was so severe, he was in tears, and could barely move, much less walk.
2) he was given Norco, a narcotic pain killer containing acetaminophen as well - DID NOT WORK!
If you have experienced the above, this is what I specifically requested the doctor order for him (he was hospitalized at the time): Claritin and ibuprofen, an NSAID. I also requested a dose of tizanidine as he was having back spasms from being in bed for so long. He has spinal stenosis, a fact clearly noted on his last two CT scans. She denied the tizanidine, so I gave him one of mine, and after a "whatever you say" sarcastic remark, also ordered the Claritin and 800mg of ibuprofen. Within 20 minutes, he was crying again, but with relief, and asked, "Really!? That's all it took?! I suffered for the past 14 hrs for nothing?!!"
Do your research!! After he was told "that's just how it is with Granix...we gave you pain medication," I was not ready to accept that, so I did research it. Come to find out, a large reason for the bone pain from meds like Granix and Neupogen, is due to the inflammation and the release of large amounts of histamines into the system as the bone marrow struggles to create new white blood cells.
That's it. It's that simple. As an RN, I knew what to look for in his labs, ie., his kidney function and his platelet count. The doctor can check these things and give the OK for an antihistamine (like Claritin [loratidine] or Benadryl [diphenhydramine], as well as for an NSAID such as ibuprofen or naproxen. All of these can easily be purchased inexpensively. I often buy my OTC meds at $ General. Just as good, but much cheaper. Skip name brands and go for the generics'
1) he received Granix for his low counts. It's side effects included severe bone pain after the first injection, especially in his hips. His is 6'3" and a big tough guy. It was so severe, he was in tears, and could barely move, much less walk.
2) he was given Norco, a narcotic pain killer containing acetaminophen as well - DID NOT WORK!
If you have experienced the above, this is what I specifically requested the doctor order for him (he was hospitalized at the time): Claritin and ibuprofen, an NSAID. I also requested a dose of tizanidine as he was having back spasms from being in bed for so long. He has spinal stenosis, a fact clearly noted on his last two CT scans. She denied the tizanidine, so I gave him one of mine, and after a "whatever you say" sarcastic remark, also ordered the Claritin and 800mg of ibuprofen. Within 20 minutes, he was crying again, but with relief, and asked, "Really!? That's all it took?! I suffered for the past 14 hrs for nothing?!!"
Do your research!! After he was told "that's just how it is with Granix...we gave you pain medication," I was not ready to accept that, so I did research it. Come to find out, a large reason for the bone pain from meds like Granix and Neupogen, is due to the inflammation and the release of large amounts of histamines into the system as the bone marrow struggles to create new white blood cells.
That's it. It's that simple. As an RN, I knew what to look for in his labs, ie., his kidney function and his platelet count. The doctor can check these things and give the OK for an antihistamine (like Claritin [loratidine] or Benadryl [diphenhydramine], as well as for an NSAID such as ibuprofen or naproxen. All of these can easily be purchased inexpensively. I often buy my OTC meds at $ General. Just as good, but much cheaper. Skip name brands and go for the generics'
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