Cytoxan & nausea

[Sangye]

Nicole, yikes! You definitely have to be on an acid-blocker with pred doses over 10mg. Pred will burn holes in your stomach. It's very dangerous. I can't believe your doc hasn't put you on one. How much pred are you on?

Once you get below 10mg, some people don't need the acid-blocker anymore and some continue to need it until going off pred. If you try an acid-blocker and it doesn't work, try a different one. Zantac and Prilosec didn't work for me and one of them gives me headaches. Protonix (pantoprazole) works fine for me.

I couldn't tolerate ctx without food. I got severe stomach pain immediately. When you call to yell at your doc for not following standard of care and prescribing an acid-blocker with pred, ask if it's okay to take your ctx with food, too.

I'm only half-joking about yelling at your doc. You might have done serious and permanent damage to your stomach. When I was first dx'ed and hospitalized on high-dose pred, my doc prescribed an acid-blocker but didn't tell me about it. I refused to take it, thinking it was unnecessary. I had no idea pred could harm the stomach. I wound up with a near gastric bleed and my doctor storming in at midnight to yell at me for not taking it. It was quite the scene.

[NicShaf]

Wow, thanks Sangye, I had no idea it was that serious. I think part of my problem is that my first Rheumy was HORRIBLE and told me nothing...she never even explained Wegs to us, told us to look it up on the internet...and when I changed to my new Rheumy, I think he assumed the basics had been covered. He does ask me how I'm tolerating everything every time I go it for a checkup, but before this past week it has been tolerable, so I didn't complain about it. I will email his office today about the acid blockers.
I'm on 40mg of Preds daily as of Monday, last week I was at 50mg daily...slowly working my way down, yay!

[Sangye]

You've been on 50mg pred without an acid-blocker? Oh man. Your new rheumy should have noticed that it wasn't listed under your meds. Grrr. This is really upsetting to me.

[pberggren1]

Grrrr! from me too. I was just put back on 60mg of pred from 20 and that is one of the first things my doc discussed with me was an acid blocker.

[gunnyl]

Ginger is a good natural anti-nausea remedy. vegetarian.about.com/od/morerecipes/r/GingerTea.htm I take famotidine for the antacid which is pepsid AC. I have been having a lot of nausea since they upped me from 125mg to 200mg but 5 days later seem to be getting better. I remembered the ginger from when I lived in Japan as they use a lot of natural remedies and this one has proven to be affective. Ginger Ale will settle your stomach as well if you tolerate sodas but the tea is better.

GL