What are the worst side effects after first chemo treatment?

Hello! You can do this!!! I had my first round of TCHP on 01/30. Day 5-11 were the worst for me. I shaved my head by Day 16. I am about to get round 2 tomorrow. Praying the side effects are the same (please not worse) than round 1. Luckily some of the side effects got better as the days went one. My biggest one is the heartburn/indigestion. I’ve had that every day. Just focus on one day at a time. We will get through this!

The first chemo treatment can bring challenging side effects, and what feels overwhelming now often becomes more manageable as the body adjusts to treatment. Many patients in this community have shared that staying in close contact with the care team about side effects helps them find relief through medication adjustments or supportive care options that can make subsequent treatments easier to tolerate.

Melissa, hang in there! You’ll figure out what foods set well with your tummy. You’ll learn to prioritize tasks due to fatigue. And the housework will patiently wait if you can’t find a friend to do it… no worries there!

Thanks Helene! I’m super lucky and have a great support system at home! My husband and adult daughter lives at home. They have both been super helpful through all of this. Cooking, cleaning, and supporting my ups and downs. I do try to help out when I can. But those days I’m down I AM DOWN! I’m trying to exercise when I can. And trying to eat healthier when I can. My oncologist advised that those that watch their diet and exercise tend to have better outcomes when it comes to side effects. I’m learning how much to push myself and when to rest when my body is telling me. This is one heck of a “journey”. But as much as I get tired of hearing it, cancer warriors are super strong! But like most cancer warriors say “what choice do we have?” (:

Melissa for heart burn etc ask your doc if you can take Pantoprazole, it works great. Also drink lots of water and fluids such as electrolytes etc helps with side effects.

Picked up that script yesterday!!! Hoping it helps! Thanks for the recommendation.

The first is by far the worst. It’s the loading dose. I told my husband to skip calling 911 and just call the coroner. I seriously felt like I was dying and didn’t think I could do any more. The second was more tolerable. I started stepping down my steroids so I didn’t have the day 4-6 crash and it really helped.