Hair Loss is one of the more dreaded side effects of chemotherapy. But thats not the only side effect. Our contributors shared the other side effects they went through. Often the side effects were different in each cycle.
Here is a compilation of the various side effects experienced by our contributors. There have been a few who had no major side effects apart from hair loss. This article can help other patients and their families be prepared for these side-effects. Click on the name to read more about their experience.
Shachi Marathe - Breast Cancer
After the first session, the next fourteen hours I did nothing but vomit. The nausea subsided after the second chemo but I was still unable to eat properly, I couldn’t bear the heady scents of perfumes and incense sticks (agarbattis) and this caused many fights with my boyfriend. One side effect of the chemo was that my mouth didn’t form enough saliva, so every bite that I took would be like swallowing dry sand, and then I got mouth ulcers… I shifted to a liquid and semi-liquid diet, which helped a lot.
Must Read: How to Manage the Side Effects of Chemotherapy
Rajita - Breast Cancer
Loss of all body hair, loss of appetite, diarrhoea, constipation, vomiting, metallic taste in the mouth.
Minakshi Ray - Breast Cancer
Nausea, exhaustion, mouth sores, aversion to certain smells and tastes make the going difficult, no doubt, but as the doctor advised, keeping myself engaged was the only option not to pay too much of attention to all that. I went back to work again even when I was undergoing the therapies and that worked wonders for my mental health!
The taste buds only accepted food with minimum spices in it. Cravings for foods of all kinds would jolt me out of slumber even in the middle of night and I would rush to the kitchen to re-fuel. At times I wondered whether it was the side effect of chemotherapy or I was pregnant for the third time!
Typically the side effects used to nag me for 6/7 days after the therapy and life would go back to fourth gear after the mandatory 7-days of little discomfort till the next session. But even during the first week after treatment, I did eat... whatever my taste buds allowed – rice, curry without spices, boiled vegetables, plenty of tangy fruit, fish (but no chicken or mutton).
Kamini Pradhan - Ovarian Cancer
The side effects of second-line chemotherapy were terrible. The skin on my face, neck and hands peeled off. The skin on my hands was peeling off in layers, even at the joints between the index fingers and thumbs, making it impossible for me to hold anything.
I had to be spoon-fed and could not even hold a glass of water to drink. I had to bend over the glass to drink through a straw. My fingers were swollen and there were blisters filled with pus causing acute pain. To remove the pus, incisions were made on the fingers. I also had severe nausea, complete loss of appetite and severe backache, making it extremely painful to even get off my bed. My blood count was falling despite being given ‘growth factors’ (injections to raise the count). I also underwent blood transfusion to raise my haemoglobin level.
Nandita Muralidhar - Breast Cancer
First three days nausea, then three days of extreme exhaustion, along with soreness in the mouth and the whole alimentary canal. The blood count used to drop in a week and then slowly climb back up and be normal by the 20th day. 21st day used to be the next injection.
If the blood count dropped below 3000 (normal range is 4000-6000), there were restrictions in the diet and extra care to be taken because of lowered immunity (no raw food, no food from outside). Any fever over 100 degrees had to be conveyed to the hospital/docs. Luckily my appetite was ok.
Mamta Goenka - Breast Cancer
During my second cancer diagnosis, I did suffer a fatal reaction to a chemotherapy cycle. I experienced diarrhea, vomiting and high fever after receiving a new drug called A/C Protocol. I landed up in the ICU with low BP and had to discontinue my chemotherapy right away.
Urvi Sabnis Dave - Breast Cancer
It was the fifth chemo cycle, I got ulcers in my stomach. It was more painful than labour pain. I started throwing up. Nothing stayed in the stomach, I lost consciousness. I was admitted to the emergency ward. Next day was the perfect sunrise and we came home.
Dora Mukherjee - Breast Cancer
Chemotherapy was a very, very difficult phase as the treatment ruins the patient completely ---- physically, mentally and emotionally. It was very tough owing to lack of domestic support and radical physical changes. Hair started falling after the first chemo which was the last straw in endurance. A barber had to be called to clean shave my head as it was difficult to manage day to day living.
That was the day I cried bitterly for my helpless condition. Apart from the emotional turmoil, feeling weak physically made things very, very acute. The only help from relatives was in the form of get well phone calls which were then very demanding as I didn't have the mental and physical strength to attend to such calls.
Tulsi Chikhal - Breast Cancer
One of the surprising side-effects was loss of taste. I would find eating ice-cream similar to chewing on clay. Smelling the food before eating helped ease that. Joint pain, especially in my legs was very hurtful, notedly after the WBC injections. Daily massages helped a lot. I resumed work a whole month after Chemotherapy ended but it was tiring and exhausting to last the whole day. Many people think that once Chemo is over, the patient is supposed to bounce back but it’s not so easy.
Alina and Rabab Rizvi - Ovarian Cancer
The fatigue and her inability to eat, has been my biggest concern throughout her treatment. Being on a regular chemotherapy regime deeply affects the total blood count, especially the platelets and white blood cells. If the platelets go down, my mother is unable to digest any solids and often experiences side effects like vomiting and diarrhoea. These are major concerns which can lead to further complications if not attended to at the right time. Often, my mother has been admitted in emergency due to these side-effects, which have been the most trying nights. The unease, the anxiety and the fear of what the test results might say, is difficult to handle.
Neema - Osteosarcoma
During Chemo, I used to get a lot of vomiting, constipation, loss of hair and eyebrows, mouth sores and loss of taste. I remember vomiting and then forcing myself to eat without any taste in my mouth. Methotrexate also caused severe constipation. I would frequently be admitted for enemas and strong medications.
Shweta Chawre - Osteosarcoma
I began an aggressive 3-month chemotherapy treatment. I was constantly sick, and bed-ridden. My immune system was so weakened by the treatment that I was at high risk of developing other diseases. I lost all of my hair and a significant amount of weight
