How long do you feel unwell after chemotherapy and how to get rid of it. Menstruation after treatment procedures Menstruation during chemotherapy

Oncological diseases are increasingly affecting young and middle-aged people. Previously, it was mostly older people who died from cancer. Nowadays this evil disease affects everyone, even newborns. Stomach cancer and lung cancer mainly affect men, while breast cancer affects the weaker sex. Malignant tumors of the skin and intestines are becoming more and more common. Causes? It is impossible to name just one. But it is obvious that often stress and abuse of sunlight pushes the development of a tumor.

How to eat

Chemotherapy often adversely affects the digestive tract. Patients who eat properly during this period tolerate side effects more easily.

If before the start of chemotherapy the patient did not have diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver or pancreas, it is recommended to include protein, dairy, grain and fruit and vegetable diets in the diet.

Protein group: beans and peas, nuts and soy products, eggs, fish, meat (veal, beef, pork, poultry), liver. It is advisable to eat foods from this group twice during the day. For example, eat a cup of boiled beans or 2 eggs, or 60–90 g of meat, fish, poultry, etc.

Dairy group: kefir, fresh yogurt, fermented baked milk, yoghurt, cottage cheese, milk, cheese, butter, condensed milk - to choose from. It is believed that lactic acid biokefirs enriched with bifidobacteria and bifidobacteria are healthier. You need to eat dairy products twice a day. For example, 1 glass of kefir or yogurt, 30 g of cheese or 90 g of cottage cheese, or 1 glass of milk, 1/3 cup of unsweetened condensed milk or 1/3 of an ice cream bar.

Fruit and vegetable group: all types of raw and boiled vegetables, salads and fruits, as well as juices and dried fruits. This is especially useful on days when anticancer drugs are administered. It is advisable to eat citrus fruits (grapefruits, tangerines or oranges), apples and vegetables containing vitamin C 4-5 times a day - zucchini, eggplant, cabbage (white cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts), sweet peppers, beets, carrots are a must. Useful greens - lettuce, dill, parsley, green onions, celery. Start each meal with fresh fruit or a glass of fruit or vegetable juice (you can mix 1/2 glass of carrot and beet juice), as well as a salad of raw or cooked vegetables.

Bread and cereal group: bread, oatmeal, corn and wheat flakes, a variety of cereals, cookies. Porridges according to the degree of usefulness are arranged as follows: buckwheat, oatmeal, rolled oatmeal, oatmeal, semolina, barley, Poltava, rice. You need to eat this food 4 times a day.

Add butter or vegetable oil, sour cream or mayonnaise to this diet to increase the calorie content of your food.

With any diet during chemotherapy, in between courses and after its completion, be sure to take multivitamins daily, for example, “Dekamevit”, “Undevit”, “Complivit” 1-2 tablets per day, as well as concentrates of the “Golden Ball” drink . Imported vitamins include multivitamin complexes with microelements. It is advisable to combine multivitamins with ascorbic acid.

During chemotherapy, carrot, beet, tomato, raspberry and lingonberry juices are especially useful.

If there is no edema or kidney disease that impairs excretory function, drink 1.5–2 liters of liquid per day - mineral water, tea, milk, lemon and other drinks. In case of edema and the presence of fluid in the abdominal or pleural cavities, the amount of fluid drunk should not exceed by more than 300 ml the amount of urine excreted. Alcoholic drinks are prohibited during chemotherapy.

Decreased appetite

During chemotherapy sessions, patients may lose 1–2 kg of weight. But with proper nutrition, they are restored during the break between courses of treatment. Appetite usually disappears on the day of the procedure; this is observed for several days. In such cases, eat as much as possible between courses, when you feel better.

If your appetite is very poor, eat the most high-calorie foods between meals: nuts, honey, eggs, whipped cream, chocolate, sweet creams, ice cream. Keep a snack on hand and eat it in small portions.

Food should stimulate appetite. Pay great attention to spices, sauces, and various seasonings. Low-fat meat and fish broths are desirable. Spices and aromatic plants - parsley, dill, cinnamon, cumin, juniper berries, cloves, coriander, lemon and orange zest, capers, mint, nutmeg - help increase appetite, secrete gastric juice and ensure good digestion. If there are no diseases of the oral cavity and gastrointestinal tract, pepper, mustard, wine or apple cider vinegar are allowed, as well as a decoction of chaga, tinctures of wormwood herbs, trefoil leaves, centaury, and oregano. If the liver functions normally and the attending physician does not prohibit it, then during the period between chemotherapy courses you can drink dry wine, Cahors, and beer before meals. Finally, pickled, sour and salty vegetables help improve appetite. They can be eaten if there are no contraindications, as well as sour juices - lemon, cranberry, currant.

Nausea and vomiting

Treatment with many anticancer drugs is often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

There are many antiemetic drugs available to prevent vomiting. In addition to numerous medications, nausea can be reduced if:

1. sleep with the window open, and take walks in the fresh air in the morning.

2. Before breakfast, suck on a piece of ice, a slice of frozen lemon, sour plum, cherry plum or several cranberries and lingonberries.

3. Eat dry foods on an empty stomach: crackers, crackers, toast, chips, cookies, etc.

4. Eat small meals throughout the day so that your stomach does not feel full.

5. Avoid foods that have a specific taste, and do not eat foods with a strong smell.

6. Do not consume fried, especially fatty foods, dairy sauces, and whole milk. These foods can be reintroduced into your diet once the nausea subsides.

7. Don't eat too sweet foods.

8. Do not eat excessively salty, spicy and hot foods.

9. Eat chilled food: meat, cottage cheese, fruit. Nausea can be reduced by acidic foods - lemons, cranberries, pickles, pickles and tomatoes, as well as popsicles.

10. Avoid drinking liquids during meals to prevent your stomach from filling with liquid. Drink more between meals. Take liquid at least one hour before meals. Drink cold, unsweetened drinks.

11. Eat food slowly so that a large amount of food does not enter the stomach at the same time; Chew food thoroughly.

12. Avoid eating immediately before drug administration.

Stomatitis

An unpleasant consequence of the use of some anticancer drugs is damage to the oral mucosa - stomatitis. Inflammation can lead to painful sores and infections, which require hard work to heal.

You can reduce the possibility of stomatitis by rinsing your mouth with dental elixirs (Pepsodent, Elkadent), and lubricating your lips with greasy lipstick (men can use colorless hygienic lipstick). For caries, if possible, have your teeth treated before starting chemotherapy. The risk of stomatitis is reduced if you cool the oral mucosa with pieces of ice.

Also try to avoid mouth irritation from alcohol, spicy foods, hot and sour foods, dry and salty foods, and highly acidic vegetables and fruits. We are talking about tomatoes, grapefruits, lemons, sour varieties of apples, plums.

Rinse your mouth with a soda solution (1/2 teaspoon of soda per 1 glass of water), saline solution (1 teaspoon of salt per 1 liter of water), as well as infusions of chamomile, sage, oak bark, and St. John's wort.

For stomatitis, ready-made infant formulas are recommended: meat, vegetable and fruit (non-acidic: bananas, apricots, peaches, only ripe fruits), cereals for children (for example, “Baby Dad”). In addition, cottage cheese, yoghurts, non-acidic jellies, soft, mild cheeses, and whipped cream will help in the treatment of stomatitis.

Instead of these delicacies, you can boil, heat and chop meat, vegetables, potatoes and mix them. Beat with a mixer, adding mild broth. Try dipping dry, crunchy foods into coffee, tea, or milk.

It is better to include foods and drinks at room temperature in your diet: oatmeal, milk soup, soft-boiled eggs, mashed potatoes, cream soup, curd pudding (can be mashed with milk or cream), egg and milk cream and other non-irritating foods. Citrus or sour fruits may increase irritation.

Food should be soft. Prepare stewed, boiled, mashed dishes - steamed meat, salads with cranked meat and poultry, casseroles, soufflés, puddings, soups and broths with a minimum amount of salt and no pepper. Cream and milk ice cream without nuts and other solid additives and chocolate have excellent nutritional and taste qualities and are highly recommended for stomatitis.

If dryness or discomfort appears in the mouth or throat, when chewing and swallowing food is difficult, try drinking more fluid - up to 2 liters per day. Watermelon and melon should appear regularly on your table. Keep ice cubes or sugar-free hard candies in your mouth for a short time.

Loose stool

Damage to the cells of the gastrointestinal tract leads to frequent and loose stools - diarrhea (diarrhea).

You can stop diarrhea only by restoring the water-mineral, vitamin and protein balance. To do this, it is important that the food is as gentle as possible on the intestinal mucosa. Eat easily digestible foods, boiled in water or steamed, and pureed.

At the first stage of treatment, the intestines need rest. Exclude from the diet fatty meats and fish, smoked meats, marinades, canned food, hot spices and vegetables that irritate the intestinal tract - radishes, onions, radishes, garlic. Legumes, sorrel, spinach, sour varieties of berries and fruits, strong broths, fried and stewed foods, fresh whole milk, as well as soft bread, confectionery, pancakes, and pies are not recommended.

It is recommended to include in your diet rice soup, rice porridge with water, mashed rice, bananas, mashed apples, mashed potatoes with water, boiled pureed pumpkin - all dishes with a soft consistency, warm or at room temperature. Small portions are better absorbed. As diarrhea subsides, you can add pureed meat, finely chopped vegetables, beef meatballs and lean fish to soups. It is recommended to steam vegetables and meat: meatloaf stuffed with rice or egg, boiled meat pudding, steamed cutlets, meatballs, meat or fish balls, steamed omelet, rice and oatmeal porridge with diluted milk, pureed homemade cottage cheese. It is not harmful to eat soft-boiled eggs 2-3 times a week. Juices, jelly and mousses made from blueberries, bird cherry, chokeberry and black currant are useful. Bananas have a strengthening effect.

Drink more fluids. Drinking should be warm or at room temperature; hot or cold liquids only worsen diarrhea. You can drink mineral water: Borjomi, Narzan, Smirnovskaya, Slavyanskaya without gas. Decoctions of dried pear, rose hips, pomegranate bark, St. John's wort, burnet roots, and green apple peels are useful. If there is a large loss of fluid, you can prepare the following drink: add to 1 liter of boiled mineral water
1/2–1 tsp. spoon of salt, 1 teaspoon. spoon of soda, 4 tsp. spoons of sugar.

Constipation

They occur quite rarely after taking chemotherapy drugs. But if constipation occurs, in the morning on an empty stomach, drink 1 glass of cold water, plum, peach or apricot juice or hot lemon drink, eat grated carrots, raw apple or curdled milk, 5-7 pieces of prunes, washed and poured boiling water in the evening. It is beneficial to eat raw vegetables and fruits. For example, apples with lemon, beet puree. Prunes and figs soaked in water, boiled beets, and dried fruit puree have a positive effect. Prepare food uncut, boil in water or steam, bake in steam. Among the first courses, soups, borscht and cabbage soup in vegetable broth are very useful. To make stool easier, use wheat and rye bran.

Exclude smoked meats, pickles, marinades, cocoa, chocolate from your diet; Fried foods and sausages are limited. Eat less bread and baked goods made from premium wheat flour (especially fresh, soft ones), pasta, and semolina dishes.

Spicy dishes, strong tea, cocoa, decoctions and jelly from pears, quinces, onions, garlic, radishes are contraindicated. Bread made from wholemeal flour, containing bran (“Barvikhinsky”, “Doctorsky”) or whole crushed grain (“Zdorovye” bread), facilitates bowel movements. Fresh kefir and yogurt help normalize stool.

Diet for liver dysfunction

Eliminate fried, spicy and salty foods from your diet. Avoid fatty meats and fish, marinades, sausages, ham, mushrooms and foods rich in cholesterol (brains, egg yolks, fish and mushroom soups, broths). During an exacerbation period, turnips, radishes, rhubarb, onions, beans, and peas are not recommended.

You can eat vegetarian soups, borscht, cabbage soup made from fresh cabbage, and milk soups. For second courses, steamed meat and fish cutlets, boiled lean meats (beef, chicken, turkey, tongue), and lean boiled fish (cod, pike perch, carp, navaga, pike) are recommended. The menu includes boiled vegetables (carrots, beets, cauliflower, pumpkin, zucchini), ripe fruits, berries, soaked dried apricots, prunes, baked apples, fruit and berry juices, rose hip decoction, wheat bran. Milk porridges are recommended: oatmeal, rice, semolina with raisins or honey. Dairy and fermented milk products are especially useful: yogurt, kefir, fermented baked milk, yoghurts, low-fat cottage cheese.

Diet for dysfunction of the urinary system

Severely limit the amount of salt. Dairy dishes are recommended, including cheeses and curd spreads, vegetable, eggplant and squash caviar, cooked without hot spices, ghee and vegetable butter, as well as pasta. First courses include borscht, beetroot soup, vegetable, fruit and cereal soups without hot spices and a little salt. It is recommended to consume meat of various varieties in limited quantities. Raw vegetables are especially useful - carrots, white cabbage, fresh cucumbers, fresh green peas, parsley, rosehip decoction.

In severe cases, a potato-egg diet without meat or fish is recommended. When your condition improves, include meat and fish in the menu, which you boil during cooking, and then bake and fry without salt. Avoid eating regular baked bread (i.e., with salt), meat, fish and mushroom broths, as well as sausages, sausages, pickles and marinades, mushrooms, horseradish, mustard, and chocolate.

For cystitis caused by chemotherapy drugs, you need to drink plenty of fluids. Herbal decoctions are useful - kidney tea, bearberry, corn silk.

Milk, tea with milk, alkaline mineral waters, warm non-acidic compote are recommended. Watermelons and melons are especially useful. Avoid alcoholic drinks, spicy foods, sauces, seasonings, smoked foods, and canned food. It is better to forget about salt, at least in the acute stage of the disease.

Chemotherapy and sex

Patients are usually embarrassed to discuss this topic, and doctors, due to lack of time, do not consider it necessary to touch upon it, considering it to be of secondary importance.

Women often pay attention to changes in the menstrual cycle. For some, menstruation becomes irregular; for others, it stops completely during chemotherapy. Many patients complain of hot flashes, insomnia and other symptoms of menopause. Hormonal changes caused by chemotherapy lead to vaginal itching, burning, or dryness. Your oncologist or gynecologist should recommend a cream or ointment that relieves these symptoms. With prolonged use of some anticancer drugs, temporary or permanent infertility may occur, depending on age.

Pregnancy during treatment is extremely undesirable and is strictly not recommended. If a tumor is discovered when a woman was already pregnant, the issue of termination of pregnancy, surgery or chemotherapy is decided by a council of doctors.

Hair loss

Hair loss is the most common side effect of chemotherapy, but not all cancer drugs cause it. Usually, the oncologist warns the patient in advance about such a complication when prescribing treatment. Hair becomes thin and falls out intensively (this usually happens after the second course of treatment). Many people complain that their hair became “sensitive” before falling out.

Depending on the nature of the chemotherapy, hair loss begins one to three weeks after the start of treatment. Hair fades and begins to fall out, the skin on the head and throughout the body becomes dry and flaky, sometimes redness and itching appear, and dandruff intensifies.

Hair loss occurs throughout the body, including the head, face, arms, legs, armpits and groin areas. This happens because the anticancer drug kills not only tumor cells, but also damages healthy tissue, including hair follicles, inhibiting hair growth and nutrition. Radiation treatment also destroys hair follicles, but, unlike chemotherapy, hair loss occurs only in those areas through which the radiation beam passes. The intensity of irradiation affects both the degree of hair loss and the speed of its recovery.

Hair loss varies from person to person. This may begin a few weeks after starting treatment, but is more common after the second or subsequent cycles of chemotherapy. Often hair falls out in clumps. And for some, especially women, there may be certain areas of the body where hair is preserved.

Unfortunately, there are no medications yet that could prevent hair loss during the treatment of tumors, and no external cosmetics - shampoos, creams or hair growth stimulants - slow down this process. Moreover, one must be very careful when using them.

Even before starting treatment, you need to prepare yourself mentally for the upcoming trials. Be sure to ask your doctor if the chemotherapy you are prescribed will cause hair loss. Find out when to expect massive hair loss, how much hair you'll lose, and when your hair will start growing back.

Talk to an experienced hairdresser about the best way to hide hair loss.

If you have long hair, cut your hair short before treatment to make the process less painful.

How to help your hair

Use mild shampoos and soft hair brushes. Comb your hair carefully without pressing your hair. Avoid round brushes that damage your hair, scented cosmetics and soaps. Wash your hair with warm, but not hot water.

When drying your hair with a hairdryer, use as low an air temperature as possible. Do not over-dry your hair, do not use dye, curlers, heat perm or straighten your hair.

During hair loss, protect your scalp from cold and direct sunlight using sunscreen, hats or headscarves.

Try not to use cosmetics. They are designed for healthy skin, and during treatment they can act in the most unexpected way. Talk to your doctor or nurse about what cosmetics you can use during chemotherapy.

You can expect new hair growth to begin 4 to 6 weeks after chemotherapy ends. But it will take several more months, sometimes up to a year, until they recover completely. At first, the hair is thin and brittle. Sometimes they change their normal color or become gray. However, over time, both the color and texture of the hair are restored.

To help your hair, you need to try to stimulate its growth, but not damage the reviving hair follicles:

* wash your hair twice a week with a mild moisturizing shampoo;

*massage your scalp to improve blood circulation;

* avoid exposing the scalp to excess heat, such as electric drying or thermal curling;

* carefully use different hair styling products - curlers, hairpins, use only light, gentle gels and sprays that avoid hair sticking;

* exclude hair coloring products, do not try to curl it.

Losing hair on your head and throughout your body is, of course, very difficult. You may become depressed or feel overly irritable because of this, and such a reaction, unfortunately, will be completely justified. However, another thing is also true: hair loss is a temporary phenomenon, the hair will grow back, and let the disease never return to your home.

Behavior during chemotherapy

* Physical activity and gymnastic exercises during chemotherapy and in the period between courses of treatment are acceptable and even desirable.

They improve emotional mood, reduce nausea and constipation, and increase muscle strength and volume. But choose the “right” exercises. For example, those undergoing radiation therapy should not go to the pool, as the chlorine will irritate the skin. For patients with very severe fatigue, it is useful to perform a 10-minute warm-up daily until vitality is restored.

* Strong alcoholic drinks are excluded during chemotherapy, as is tobacco.

* In sunny weather, you cannot be on the banks of a river or sea. It is not recommended to stay under an awning, as the sun's rays, reflected from the waves, can reach you. We recommend wearing long sleeves and wide-brimmed hats. When working in garden plots and vegetable gardens, your clothing should protect from sunlight.

* The benefit of contrast showers for patients receiving chemotherapy has not been established. Hot water is not recommended. Physiotherapeutic and thermal procedures are prohibited: Charcot shower, diathermy, UHF therapy, ultraviolet and infrared radiation, mud therapy, ozokerite and paraffin therapy, as well as massage. Mustard plasters and cans only as a last resort.

* For colds, which often occur during chemotherapy, consume honey - up to 60 g per day - and raspberry jam. It is allowed to use antipyretics, various herbal decoctions, and, if necessary, sulfonamide drugs and antibiotics.

K. A. Shilov, oncologist

An even more important point is the stress experienced by a woman who has experienced a cerebrovascular accident and its consequences in the form of possible difficulty in movement, speech, and poor health. It happens that critical days after a stroke are delayed for a long time because of this. But with the restoration of body functions, everything will more or less return to normal.

Diet and periods

Strict criteria for attractiveness with demands for an ideally thin figure force millions of girls to literally starve themselves. Having achieved the desired parameters, they discover the unpleasant consequence of a sudden change in diet, which is that menstruation has stopped. A strict diet can cause severe hormonal imbalances. The body simply stops producing FSH, the egg does not mature, and the endomeria is not renewed.

Therefore, women who have become extremely thin are forced to worry about how to regain their periods after losing weight. Of course, it is necessary to establish a balanced diet with the required amount of fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and proteins. But this is not enough to restore hormonal levels and normal functioning of the ovaries. We need precise selection and administration of medications containing the substances the body lacks.

With the approval of a doctor, you can additionally use treatment with decoctions:

• Wormwood;
• Parsley;
• Chamomiles;
• Melissa;
• Oregano.

And don’t try such experiments on yourself anymore.

Menstruation and surgery: yes or no?

Women who have undergone any operation know that one of the surgeon’s questions will be to find out the start date of the menstrual period. Even if we are talking about plastic surgery, removal of adenoids or correction of myopia, experts are confident that everything should be done 3-4 days before or after menstruation. This is due to the fact that during menstruation, blood clotting decreases. This makes surgery during your period potentially more dangerous. The risk of bleeding increases during and after the intervention. The general condition of a woman these days is also important: bad mood, apathy, irritability. All this also does not contribute to rapid rehabilitation after surgery.

Naturally, in emergency cases, the surgeon will save the patient, despite the presence of menstruation.

Sometimes a woman needs to have surgery on certain days not for medical reasons, but for personal reasons. And for other reasons, it may be important for her that menstruation ends by the required date. Then the question arises: how to make your critical days pass faster?

Doctors do not welcome such experiments on themselves, calling for allowing the body to function at its usual rhythm. But if circumstances require shortening menstruation, you can use the following means:

• Decoctions of nettle, shepherd's purse, burnet. 50 ml of the product 3 times a day promotes blood clotting;
• . We are talking about stretching exercises and yoga, but the loads should be adequate, and not until you drop. In the latter case, they will cause increased bleeding and pain;
• Vitamins C and E. They strengthen the walls of capillaries and increase blood flow to the small pelvis. Menstruation becomes heavier, but passes faster;
• A diet with minimal meat and plenty of lemons;
• We take hormonal birth control pills. Menstruation with them becomes more scanty and shorter.

Any questions related to changes in menstruation after treatment procedures should be discussed with a gynecologist and other specialists. It is necessary to visit a female doctor regularly even if you are in full health. But in this case, it is necessary to find out the reasons for the violations, so as not to miss the disease, and for your own peace of mind.

It is a fairly common method of treating cancer. Recovery after chemotherapy is a mandatory procedure, since it greatly inhibits the functioning of the body as a whole, as a result of which the patient may feel unwell.

Chemical treatment improves the patient’s condition, but at the same time the body is depleted and the immune system is weakened. Chemotherapy entails many consequences for the body, so after the procedure it is necessary to undergo a course of recuperation under the supervision of a doctor or at home.

How to recover after chemotherapy at home?

Cancer cells killed during chemotherapy are not able to be eliminated from the body on their own, but form dead tissue. Dead tissue cells enter the blood and other structures of the body, which leads to a deterioration in the patient’s health.

After undergoing chemotherapy, people usually experience nausea, vomiting and dizziness, an increase in body temperature and decreased performance. The patient may also notice that his voice has disappeared, his eyes are watery, his hair is falling out and his nails are weakening.

Leading clinics in Israel

How long does chemotherapy last and how many courses can a person endure?

On average, the duration of a chemotherapy course is 3 months. The number of courses is determined by the doctor depending on the patient’s condition and the stage of cancer. In some cases, treatment should be interrupted, as the patient may feel unwell or even fall into a coma.

Medicines after chemotherapy

To restore and maintain the body after chemotherapy, cancer patients are prescribed a number of specific medications, depending on the consequences of the procedure.

After the procedure, the body is poisoned by toxins, resulting in nausea and vomiting.

Drugs such as:

• Cerucal;
• Dexamethasone;
• Metoclopramide;
• Gastrosil.

The liver also suffers from therapy. To restore liver cells, drugs are prescribed - hepatoprotectors:

• Essentiale;
• Karsil;
• Gepabene.

Another unpleasant consequence of chemo is stomatitis. Inflammation affects the oral mucosa and tongue. To eliminate them, it is recommended to rinse your mouth with medicinal solutions. These include:

• Chlorhexidine;
• Hexoral;
• Corsodil.

For more advanced forms, Metrogyl Denta ointment is prescribed.

Blood should also be restored. It may develop after treatment. Medicines such as:

• Granocyte;
• Leucostim;
• Neupogen;
• Leukogen.

If problems arise with the gastrointestinal tract or diarrhea, the drugs Smecta, Loperamide, Octreotide are prescribed.

A common side effect after chemotherapy is anemia, which occurs due to decreased red blood cell production during the procedure. The cause of anemia can be myelosuppression - the red bone marrow stops producing the required number of red blood cells. To eliminate it, hemostimulating therapy is necessary.

To increase the level of red blood cells, medications are prescribed such as:

• Erythrostim;
• Epoetin;
• Recormon.

Video on the topic

Nutrition after chemotherapy

Proper nutrition will also help remove chemicals from the body of a sick person. The diet should include foods containing all the necessary vitamins and minerals that help improve immunity. Food should include the required amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

To quickly return to your previous form, you must follow the following rules:

• Eat in small portions;
• Track the calorie content of the foods you eat;
• Consume more fruits and vegetables;
• Walk more in the fresh air to increase your appetite;
• Avoid sweets if possible;
• You should not overeat or starve.

Often the first thing that happens to a person after a chemo session is diarrhea. Toxins cause disruption of the gastrointestinal tract. Steamed foods and avoidance of raw vegetables and fruits will help alleviate symptoms and bring the intestines back to normal functioning.

Porridge and pureed soups are great help.

The following products improve the functioning of the body and restore strength:

• Fruits and vegetables;
• Lean meat, steamed cutlets;
• Lean fish;
• Dairy products;
• Flour products, with the exception of various cakes;
• Omelette;
• Natural butter.

Consumption of legumes, nuts, rich in protein, vitamins and iron helps improve the well-being of a cancer patient.

Drinking water also helps the body recover. Water helps remove toxins faster. It is recommended to drink 1.5 - 2 liters of water per day, or replace it with weak tea or compote.

You should avoid soda, alcoholic drinks and coffee.

Boosting immunity

To restore all functions of the body, it is necessary to increase immunity. Rehabilitation therapy should include therapeutic exercises and a physiotherapy session, and, if possible, a trip to a rehabilitation center, sanatorium or resort.

These measures help the patient recover faster, eliminate poor health, weakness, and give the body the opportunity to work as before.

What medications should I take to strengthen my immune system? Antioxidant drugs and vitamin complexes help improve immunity. The drug Immunal also has a good effect on boosting immunity.

Chemicals are removed from the body when the patient engages in physical therapy. It is necessary to exercise regularly. Therapeutic gymnastics relieves swelling and pain in cancer patients and promotes relief.

Before you start playing sports, you need to consult with your doctor, since after chemotherapy, tachycardia may occur - an increase in heart rate, which depresses the activity of the cardiovascular system even without physical activity.

Vitamins after chemotherapy

After undergoing chemotherapy, the body needs vitamins that increase strength. With the intake of vitamins, the body recovers faster and normalizes its previous activities.

Taking vitamin B9, folic acid, and carotene promotes the rapid restoration of mucous membranes. They also help eliminate thrombocytopenia. For this, vitamin complexes such as Neurobex and Calcium Folinate are usually prescribed.

If thrombocytopenia occurs, it is necessary to urgently take measures to eliminate it, as it can lead to a stroke.

Dietary supplements such as Coopers, Antiox, Nutrimax, etc. can also help the body recover.

Don't waste your time searching for inaccurate cancer treatment prices

*Only upon receipt of information about the patient’s disease, a representative of the clinic will be able to calculate the exact price for treatment.

Traditional medicine for restoring the body after chemotherapy

Maintenance therapy does not exclude treatment with folk remedies at home. Folk remedies such as collecting St. John's wort and yarrow herbs help cleanse the intestines of toxins. The infusion is made as follows: you need to mix the herbs in equal proportions, pour a tablespoon of the mixture with a glass of boiling water and drink twice a day.

Cleansing the body of chemicals is also carried out by collecting the herbs of nettle, wheatgrass, mint, St. John's wort, meadow clover and oregano. All herbs are mixed in equal proportions, then a spoonful of the mixture is poured with a glass of boiling water. The infusion is taken three times a day, half an hour before meals, 2 tablespoons.

Flax seeds remove dead cancer cells and the products of their activity from the body. Flaxseed is rich in fatty acids, thiamine and many elements. It is necessary to pour boiling water over 60 g of seeds and leave overnight. The finished infusion is diluted with another glass of boiling water and taken 1 liter per day. Course duration is 14 days.

Kidney recovery after chemotherapy

After a course of chemotherapy, the kidneys especially need treatment. Chemotherapy has a detrimental effect on their work; hormone production stops. This cannot be done without drug treatment.

Cleansing therapy is carried out with drugs such as:

• Canephron – relieves inflammation and spasms. Take 1 tablet twice a day;
• Nephrin is a syrup that restores kidney function. Take a teaspoon once a day;
• Nephrofit is a drug based on plant components. Has a diuretic effect. Used to treat inflammation of the urinary tract;
• Trinephron - treats cystitis, urolithiasis and normalizes kidney function. Take 1 capsule twice a day.

Before using medications, you should consult your doctor, as each patient may have a certain reaction to the drug or its components.

Restoring and protecting the liver after chemotherapy

After chemotherapy sessions, the liver and spleen suffer, as they are a kind of filters for the body that remove toxins. Liver cleansing is often carried out using oat decoction, which promotes the regeneration of liver cells in a short time.

You can cook oats by boiling them in milk. To do this, pour a tablespoon of seeds into a glass of milk and cook for 25 minutes. Then the broth is infused for about a quarter of an hour.

Treatment of the stomach after chemotherapy

Gastrointestinal dysfunction is a fairly common side effect of chemotherapy. Diarrhea or constipation appears - what to do in this situation? You can protect the stomach from these unpleasant consequences both with the help of medications and with the help of traditional medicine.

The most commonly used medications are probiotics:

• Linex is a probiotic, restores microflora and eliminates diarrhea. Used three times a day, 2 tablets;
• Actovegin - strengthens the blood vessels of the stomach and leads it to normal functioning. Use 1 tablet three times a day;
• Omeprazole - improves the functioning of the stomach, is also used for peptic ulcers. The drug is taken 2 tablets per day;
• Bifidumbacterin is a probiotic produced in powder form. It is better to consult your doctor about the dosage.

Traditional medicine to relieve constipation and diarrhea uses the following recipes:

• A decoction of hogweed, fennel, anise and hay against constipation;
• A decoction of clove root, bergenia and marsh cinquefoil for diarrhea.

Pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas, is also possible after chemotherapy. You should consult a specialist about its treatment. Activated carbon will also help remove toxins from the gastrointestinal tract and improve the functioning of the intestinal microflora. You should consult with your doctor about which drug to use to treat the effects of chemotherapy, as allergies to the drugs may occur.

Strengthening veins after chemotherapy

After chemotherapy, phlebitis often occurs - inflammation of the walls of blood vessels. It occurs when doctors accidentally burn a vein with a chemical solution during a procedure. Chemotherapy makes veins less visible, resulting in problems when taking tests. It is also difficult to place a drip with saline solution, which is used to flush the body of chemicals. Bruises appear at the injection site, they itch and cause discomfort.

To eliminate this problem, make alcohol compresses and apply cabbage and plantain leaves at the location of the vessels. In some cases, it is possible to use ointments in the absence of allergies.

Daily routine after chemotherapy

A healthy lifestyle, sports, and proper nutrition will help you recover from chemotherapy.

The following rules should be followed:

• Eat 5 times a day every 3-4 hours. This will soon improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
• Maintain a sleep schedule and rest. If you experience insomnia, you should consult your doctor;
• Exercise if you have a healthy heart and blood pressure, and depending on your overall health;
• It is recommended to go for a walk before meals and before bed.

If possible, you can go to a sanatorium to restore your body’s strength.

How to lose excess weight after therapy?

It is necessary to reconsider your diet and enrich it with vegetables and fruits. Daily walks in the fresh air won't hurt. Excess weight will go away immediately after the body regains its strength.

If you gain excess weight after chemotherapy, you should never go on a diet.

Is it possible to die after chemotherapy? How long do they live after the procedures?

Chemotherapy makes life much easier for cancer patients. It is worth starting to treat cancer with chemotherapy as early as possible, since at the terminal stage chemotherapy can only prolong the patient’s life. If cancer is not detected in a timely manner using chemotherapy, the patient can live an average of 5 years.

The use of radiation therapy as an addition to a course of chemotherapy is considered a frequent occurrence. Irradiation makes it possible to combat the growth of cancer even faster and return the patient to his former life. You should consult your doctor about combining two methods of therapy.

While a patient is undergoing chemotherapy treatment for oncology, he needs the help and support of his family. Nursing care may be required.

From all of the above, we can conclude that although chemotherapy treatment is effective and the patient feels relief after it, health should still be restored after it. Rehabilitation can take place both in a clinic and at home. Relatives should support the patient during recovery, since the psychological attitude plays an important role in the treatment of the disease.

Cancer and its threat undoubtedly bring about numerous changes in a woman's life. One of the changes that a woman may undergo is the development of menopause symptoms.

Exactly how chemotherapy causes menopausal symptoms has not been studied, but it is clear that such treatment may periodically or permanently affect the menstrual cycle, causing early menopause.

Chemotherapy leads to premature menopause in 30% of women who have undergone this treatment, and especially often in those whose age exceeds forty years. The symptoms of natural and premature menopause are no different, but they can occur in a more acute form if menopause comes prematurely. This happens because, in a natural process, the body adapts to upcoming changes over several years, and early menopause causes a sudden and severe hormonal disruption.

The content of the article:

Effect of chemotherapy on the ovaries

The onset of early menopause largely depends on the age of the patient

Women are born with a limited number of eggs in their ovaries. As the body ages, the supply of eggs decreases. Some types of chemotherapy can damage or destroy eggs, reducing these supplies even further. The effect of chemotherapy on female reproductive function depends on age, dosage, and use of other medications.

The incidence of early menopause after chemotherapy is difficult to determine because there are many possible influencing factors. The speed at which menopause occurs depends on the woman’s age and the type of chemotherapy. Depending on the type of chemotherapy, age and number of eggs, the rate of early menopause can range from 0 to 100%. In the case of young girls, this figure can range from 21 to 71%, in the case of older girls - from 49 to 100%.

There are many chemotherapy drugs that can affect a woman's reproductive function. A group of drugs called alkylating agents are most likely to interfere with egg production.

Cyclophosphamide is one of the most common drugs for the treatment of breast cancer, which is an alkylating agent. Taxol, also used for breast cancer, has a similar effect on ovarian function.

The risk of menopause increases with age, most likely because older women have fewer eggs than younger women. For example, chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and 5-fluorouracil (these three drugs most commonly used to treat breast cancer) typically results in loss of ovarian function in 33% of women under 30 years of age, and in 50% of women between 30 and 35 years of age. years, in 70% of women aged 35 to 40 years and in 95% of women 40 years and older. Chemotherapy in combination with radiotherapy is also associated with an increased risk of menopause.

The effect of chemotherapy on the onset of menopause

After chemotherapy, menopause usually does not occur immediately

During chemotherapy, a woman may have irregular menstrual cycles or amenorrhea (absence of menstrual cycles). Some medications used during chemotherapy can also cause damage to the ovaries and lead to menopausal symptoms.

Menopause can occur immediately or after a certain period of time, be temporary or permanent when it is triggered by chemotherapy.

There is no way to accurately determine when or how chemotherapy or other cancer treatments will affect menstrual cycles. However, we can confidently say that the likelihood of early menopause depends on a number of factors, which include:

• woman's age;

• quality of ovarian function before treatment;

• the type and dose of chemotherapy that was given;

• the dose of radiation that was received, as well as the area of ​​the body that was irradiated.

Menopause rarely occurs immediately after chemotherapy. When chemotherapy treatment begins, a woman may notice some symptoms of menopause, but these symptoms usually occur several months after treatment begins. It `s naturally.

Menopause symptoms may continue for several years after treatment is completed.

Menstruation after chemotherapy

Every woman's menstrual cycles are different. Some women may experience less frequent periods than they had before chemotherapy. Sometimes there may be no periods, and sometimes the number of days between them may increase. Other women may experience increased periods. There are also those who do not observe any changes in duration, but their bleeding intensity is not the same as before chemotherapy (the number of days or the volume of blood may increase or decrease). A mixed pattern of changes is also common: Women may experience shorter cycles with heavier and heavier periods, or shorter cycles with light periods and little blood.

Remember! Even though menstrual cycles tend to be irregular during the time leading up to menopause, it is important to be aware of bleeding that is not normal for you. It is important to call your healthcare provider if you experience heavy bleeding accompanied by weakness or dizziness.

Menstrual cycles return after chemotherapy

Many women maintain or regain ovarian function and menstrual cycles resume after chemotherapy treatment is completed.

Recovery depends on:

• woman's age before treatment;

• the type of drugs she used during treatment.

Latest Research

Giving the ovaries a rest when a young woman with breast cancer undergoes chemotherapy may help prevent early menopause and preserve fertility. According to a 2011 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, stopping the ovaries using the hormone triptorelin during chemotherapy may prevent early menopause.

Triptorelin is given to protect the ovaries by temporarily stopping their function, although it is not yet fully understood why this happens. The study authors found that 63% of women who use triptorelin during chemotherapy continue to menstruate, compared with only 50% of women who use chemotherapy alone.

Researchers suggest this may help women with breast cancer avoid early menopause. About 6% of women with breast cancer are diagnosed before they turn forty.

After a course of chemotherapy, patients experience a sharp decrease in all indicators of the body’s functioning. First of all, this concerns the state of the hematopoietic system and the blood itself. Sharp changes occur in the blood formula and its composition, which are expressed in a drop in the level of its structural elements. As a result, the immunity of patients is greatly reduced, which results in patients being susceptible to any infectious diseases.

All internal organs and systems experience the effects of toxic damage from chemotherapy drugs, which contain poisons that kill rapidly growing cells. This type of cells are malignant, as well as cells of the bone marrow, hair follicles, and mucous membranes of various organs. They suffer above all others, which is expressed in changes in the well-being of patients, exacerbation of various diseases and the appearance of new symptoms, as well as changes in the appearance of the patient. The heart and lungs, liver and kidneys, gastrointestinal tract and genitourinary system, skin, and so on are also affected.

Patients after chemotherapy experience the appearance of allergic reactions, skin rashes and itching, hair loss and baldness.

The peripheral and central nervous systems also suffer, which is reflected in the appearance of polyneuropathy.

At the same time, the appearance of general weakness and increased fatigue, and depressive states is noted.

Immunity after chemotherapy

The state of a person’s immunity is influenced by many factors, including the composition of the blood and the number of different types of leukocytes in it, including T-lymphocytes. After chemotherapy, the patient’s immunity sharply decreases, which is caused by a drop in the level of leukocytes, which are responsible for the body’s immune response against various infections and pathological agents of internal and external origin.

Therefore, after a course of chemotherapy, patients are treated with antibiotics so as not to become victims of infectious diseases. This measure, of course, does not contribute to improving the general condition of the patient, which is already reduced by the use of chemotherapy.

The following measures can help improve immunity after treatment:

1. Taking antioxidants - vitamins that stimulate the immune system. These include vitamins C, E, B6, beta-carotene and bioflaphonids.
2. It is necessary to eat a lot of fresh vegetables, fruits, herbs and berries that contain antioxidants - currants, strawberries, bell peppers, lemons and other citrus fruits, raspberries, apples, cabbage, broccoli, brown rice, sprouted wheat, parsley, spinach, celery and so on. There are antioxidants in grains and legumes, in unrefined vegetable oils, especially olive.
3. It is necessary to include in preparations rich in selenium, as well as products that contain this microelement. This element helps increase the number of lymphocytes, and also improves the production of interferon and stimulates immune cells to produce more antibodies. Selenium is rich in garlic, seafood, brown bread, offal - duck, turkey, chicken, cow and pork liver; beef, pork and veal kidneys. Selenium is found in brown rice and corn, wheat and wheat bran, sea salt, wholemeal flour, mushrooms and onions.
4. Small but regular physical activity helps improve immunity. These include morning exercises, walks in the fresh air, cycling, swimming in the pool.
5. Chamomile tea is a simple remedy to boost your immunity. A tablespoon of dried chamomile flowers is brewed with a glass of boiling water, cooled and filtered. The minimum amount of chamomile infusion is two to three tablespoons three times a day before meals.
6. Echinacea tincture or Immunal is an excellent remedy for strengthening the immune system. The alcohol infusion should be drunk with a small amount of liquid. The initial dose is forty drops, and then the tincture is used in the amount of twenty drops every hour or two. The next day you can take forty drops of tincture three times a day. The longest course of treatment is eight weeks.

Liver after chemotherapy

The liver is one of the important human organs, and it performs many different functions. It is known that liver cells are most susceptible to the negative consequences of the administration of chemotherapy drugs of all other organs. This occurs due to the fact that the liver takes an active part in metabolic processes, as well as excretion from the body along with bile and neutralization of various harmful and toxic substances. We can say that from the very beginning of chemotherapy, the liver is a conductor of the drug, and after treatment it begins to function in the mode of protecting the body from the toxic effects of drug components.

Many chemotherapy regimens have a strong toxic effect on the liver. Some patients experience drug effects of eighty percent liver damage.

The liver after chemotherapy can have several degrees of damage; there are four main degrees - mild, moderate, high and severe. The degree of damage to a given organ is expressed in the level of changes in biochemical indicators of its functioning.

When the liver is damaged, there is a disruption of metabolic processes in the cells of the organ, toxic changes in cell structures, disruption of the blood supply to liver cells and exacerbation of pre-existing liver diseases. In this case, the immune abilities of this organ are impaired. It is also possible for carcinogenesis to occur – the appearance of tumor processes in the liver.

After chemotherapy, it is mandatory to undergo a biochemical blood test, the transcript of which shows how damaged the liver is. This takes into account the level of bilirubin and enzymes in the blood. In patients who did not abuse alcohol, did not have hepatitis, and did not work in hazardous chemical plants, blood counts may be normal. Sometimes, in patients, biochemical analysis data can deteriorate three to five times relative to normal.

Patients can be reassured by the fact that the liver is an organ that regenerates quickly and successfully. If, at the same time, you use the appropriate diet and drug therapy, this process can be significantly accelerated and facilitated.

Hepatitis after chemotherapy

Hepatitis is a group of inflammatory liver diseases that are predominantly viral (infectious) in nature. Hepatitis can also be caused by toxic substances that are found in excess in cytostatics.

Hepatitis after chemotherapy occurs due to damage to liver cells. Moreover, the more affected this organ is, the greater the likelihood of hepatitis. Infections penetrate into a weakened liver, which lead to the development of inflammatory processes.

The possibility of hepatitis is also associated with a low level of immunity after chemotherapy, which causes poor resistance of the body to diseases of an infectious nature.

Symptoms of hepatitis are:

1. The appearance of fatigue and headache.
2. The occurrence of loss of appetite.
3. The appearance of nausea and vomiting.
4. The occurrence of elevated body temperature, up to 38.8 degrees.
5. Appearance of a yellow skin tone.
6. Changing the color of the whites of the eyes from white to yellow.
7. The appearance of brown urine.
8. Changes in the color of stool - they become colorless.
9. The appearance of sensations in the right hypochondrium in the form of pain and tightness.

In some cases, hepatitis may occur and continue without symptoms.

Hair after chemotherapy

Hair falls out after chemotherapy, and some patients become completely bald. Chemotherapy drugs damage the follicles from which hair grows. Therefore, hair loss can be observed throughout the body. This process begins two to three weeks after chemotherapy and is called alopecia.

If the course of oncological processes in the body has slowed down, there is an increase in the patient’s immunity and an improvement in his general condition and well-being. Good hair growth trends appear. After some time, the follicles become viable and hair begins to grow. Moreover, this time they become thicker and healthier.

However, not all chemotherapy drugs cause hair loss. Some anti-cancer drugs only partially remove hair from the patient. There are drugs that have a targeted effect only on malignant cells, and allow you to keep the patient’s hair intact. At the same time, the hair becomes only thin and weakened.

After completing the course, experts advise using the following recommendations:

1. Use the drug "Sidil". But you should not purchase the drug yourself, as it has a number of side effects. It is best to consult your doctor about the use of this medication.
2. Do a daily head massage using burdock oil. Oil is applied to the scalp, a massage is done, then a cellophane cap is put on the head, and a towel is wrapped on top. After an hour, the oil is washed off with a mild shampoo. Burdock oil can be replaced with hair growth products containing vitamins and ceramides.

Stomach after chemotherapy

Chemotherapy drugs damage the stomach lining, causing patients to experience a number of unpleasant symptoms. Nausea and vomiting, heartburn and acute burning pain in the upper abdomen, flatulence and belching, weakness and dizziness appear. These symptoms are signs of gastritis, that is, an inflammatory or degenerative change in the gastric mucosa. In this case, there may be a deterioration in the tolerance of certain foods, as well as a lack of appetite and weight loss.

To restore proper functioning of the stomach, you must follow the diet recommended by experts and take prescribed medications.

Veins after chemotherapy

After chemotherapy, the patient’s veins experience the consequences of exposure to toxic drugs. Early (immediate) complications include the appearance of phlebitis and phlebosclerosis of the veins.

Phlebitis is an inflammatory process of the walls of the veins, and phlebosclerosis is a degenerative change in the walls of the veins, in which the walls of the vessels thicken.

Such manifestations of changes in veins are observed in the patient’s elbow and shoulder after repeated administrations of chemotherapy drugs - cytostatics and / or antitumor antibiotics.

To avoid such manifestations, it is recommended to inject the above drugs into a vein at a slow pace, and also finish the infusion of the drug by inserting a full syringe of a five percent glucose solution through a needle left in the vessel.

In some patients, chemotherapy drugs have the following side effect on the veins - inflammatory processes begin in them, which lead to the formation of blood clots and the appearance of thrombophlebitis. Such changes primarily affect patients whose circulatory system is prone to the formation of blood clots.

Lymph nodes after chemotherapy

After chemotherapy, some patients may have inflamed and enlarged lymph nodes. This occurs due to the increased sensitivity of the follicles of the lymph nodes to the toxic effects of cytostatics.

This happens for a number of reasons:

1. Due to damage to lymph node cells.
2. Due to a decrease in the number of blood elements (leukocytes and lymphocytes), which are responsible for the body’s immune response.
3. Due to the body's reaction to infection entering the body.

Kidneys after chemotherapy

During chemotherapy, kidney damage occurs, which is called nephrotoxicity. This consequence of treatment is manifested in necrosis of renal tissue cells, which is the result of accumulation of the drug in the tubules of the parenchyma. First of all, damage to the tubular epithelium is observed, but then intoxication processes can penetrate deeper into the glomerular tissue.

A similar complication after chemotherapy has another name: tubulointerstitial nephritis. At the same time, this disease can develop in an acute form, but then, after long-term treatment, enter the chronic stage.

Kidney damage, as well as renal failure, affects the occurrence of long-term anemia, which appears (or intensifies) due to impaired production of renal erythropoietin.

After chemotherapy, varying degrees of renal failure are observed, which can be determined after laboratory tests of blood and urine. The degree of this dysfunction is influenced by the level of creatine or residual nitrogen in the blood, as well as the amount of protein and red blood cells in the urine.

Feeling after chemotherapy

After chemotherapy, patients experience a sharp deterioration in their health. Severe weakness, increased fatigue and tiredness appear. The patient's psycho-emotional state changes for the worse, and depression may occur.

Patients complain of constant nausea and vomiting, heaviness in the stomach and a burning sensation in the epigastric region. Some patients experience swelling in their hands, face and legs. Some patients feel severe heaviness and dull pain in the right side in the area where the liver is located. Pain may also occur throughout the abdomen, as well as in the joints and bones.

There is numbness in the arms and legs, as well as a lack of coordination when moving, and changes in tendon reflexes.

After chemotherapy, bleeding of the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose and stomach increases sharply. Patients experience manifestations of stomatitis, which are expressed in severe dryness and soreness of the oral cavity.

Consequences after chemotherapy

After completing a course of chemotherapy, patients begin to experience various consequences of the treatment. Patients experience deterioration in health, general weakness, lethargy and increased fatigue. Loss of appetite and changes in the taste of foods and dishes appear, diarrhea or constipation occurs, severe anemia is detected, and patients begin to experience nausea and even vomiting. The patient may experience oral mucositis (pain in the mouth and throat) and stomatitis, as well as various types of bleeding.

The patient's appearance also undergoes changes. Hair usually falls out after chemotherapy. The appearance and structure of the skin changes - it becomes dry and painful, and the nails become very brittle. Severe swelling appears, especially in the extremities - arms and legs.

The patient’s mental and emotional processes also suffer: memory and concentration deteriorate, periods of clouding of consciousness are observed, difficulties with the thinking process appear, the patient’s general emotional state is destabilized, and depressive states are observed.

The peripheral nervous system is also heavily affected by the drugs. Feelings of numbness, tingling, burning or weakness are observed in various parts of the body. First of all, such transformations concern the patient’s arms and legs. When walking, pain may occur in the legs and entire body. Possible loss of balance and falls, dizziness, convulsions and muscle twitching, difficulty holding objects in your hands or lifting them. The muscles constantly feel tired or sore. There is a decrease in hearing acuity.

The chemotherapy undergone affects the decrease in sexual desire, as well as the deterioration of the patient’s reproductive functions. There is difficulty urinating, pain or burning, as well as changes in the color, smell and composition of urine.

Complications after chemotherapy

Complications after chemotherapy are associated with general intoxication of the body through the use of drugs. Complications of a local and general nature are distinguished, as well as early (immediate) and late (long-term) consequences of chemotherapy.

Examination after chemotherapy

Examination after chemotherapy is done for two purposes:

1. Determine the success of the treatment.
2. Determine the degree of damage to the patient’s body due to the toxic effects of drugs and prescribe appropriate symptomatic treatment.

The examination procedure includes laboratory testing of blood tests: general, biochemical and leukocyte formula. It is also necessary to take a urine test to determine protein levels.

Additional examination after chemotherapy may include ultrasound and x-rays.

Tests after chemotherapy

During chemotherapy, patients undergo tests at least twice a week. This concerns, first of all, blood analysis and research. This measure is due to the need to monitor the patient’s condition during chemotherapy. If the test results are satisfactory, the course of treatment can be continued, and if the test results are poor, the dosage of the drugs can be reduced or the treatment stopped altogether.

After chemotherapy, patients also undergo tests that are aimed at monitoring the patient’s condition after chemotherapy. First of all, a general blood test, a biochemical blood test and a leukocyte formula are performed. This group of tests allows you to record the level of damage to the body after chemotherapy, namely vital organs and systems, and take appropriate measures to normalize the patient’s condition.

A common feature after chemotherapy is a change in all blood parameters. The level of leukocytes, red blood cells and platelets decreases. ALT and AST levels increase, as do the amounts of bilirubin, urea and creatine. The level of total protein in the blood decreases, the amount of cholesterol, triglycerides, amylase, lipase and GGT changes.

Such changes in blood composition show damage to all organs and systems of varying severity after a course of chemotherapy.

What to do after chemotherapy?

Many patients who have undergone treatment with cytostatics begin to wonder: “What to do with your health after chemotherapy?”

First of all, it is necessary to determine what symptoms bother the patient after completion of chemotherapy. It is necessary to tell about them to specialists who monitor the patient’s condition after chemotherapy. The attending physician, having become familiar with certain symptoms, can refer the patient to a more specialized specialist for consultation and prescription of appropriate treatment.

More specialized specialists may prescribe certain medications as symptomatic treatment, as well as vitamin-mineral complexes and immune-supporting therapy.

Along with alleviating the patient’s condition with the help of medications, it is necessary to set the goal of restoring the functions of damaged organs and systems. First of all, this concerns the function of hematopoiesis, the immune system, the functioning of the digestive system of the stomach, intestines, liver, and kidney function. It is very important to restore the microflora in the intestines, thereby stopping the course of dysbiosis. In this case, it is necessary to pay attention to eliminating the symptoms of general intoxication of the body, as well as weakness, depression, pain, swelling and loss of appetite.

Rehabilitation therapy methods include:

• Switch to proper nutrition, which includes the whole range of foods that are healthy for the body.
• Doing as much physical activity as possible - walking in the fresh air, morning exercises.
• Using massages, physiotherapy, etc. to improve health.
• Using traditional medicine and herbal medicine to restore the body.
• The use of psychotherapy methods to improve the psycho-emotional state of the patient.

Treatment after chemotherapy

Treatment after chemotherapy is based on the appearance of the most worrying symptoms in patients. It is possible to choose a method of therapy, as well as appropriate drug treatment, only after the results of laboratory blood tests and, if necessary, other tests.

Means that improve the patient’s condition after a course of chemotherapy include:

1. Changing the patient’s diet and following a certain diet.
2. Being in a state of rest, the opportunity to restore strength.
3. Walks in the fresh air, feasible physical activity, for example, therapeutic exercises.
4. Receiving positive emotions and positive impressions from others, working with a psychologist.
5. Certain physiotherapeutic procedures.
6. Drug treatment of side effects.
7. Use of traditional medicine.
8. Spa treatment.

Pregnancy after chemotherapy

Pregnancy after chemotherapy is considered controversial. If chemotherapy is accompanied by drug protection of the ovaries, this increases a woman’s chances of becoming a mother in the future. But many patients remain infertile, even despite intensive treatment for this problem. This happens because after each course of chemotherapy, the chances of pregnancy decrease several times.

The toxic effect of the drugs affects the ovaries and inhibits their functioning. This effect is felt more clearly the closer the area of ​​chemotherapy is to the ovaries.

During chemotherapy, two methods of surgical protection of the ovaries can be used:

1. Displacement of the ovaries from the area of ​​action of the drugs.
2. During general chemotherapy, the ovaries can be removed from the body and preserved until the woman is healthy. After which the ovaries return to their original place.

Experts recommend starting pregnancy planning no less than a year after the end of chemotherapy. This is caused by the need to restore a woman’s body after intoxication and remove toxic substances. Otherwise, if the timing of conception is not observed, irreversible changes in the fetus may occur during the prenatal period and the birth of a child with abnormalities in health and development may occur.

Sex after chemotherapy

Sex after chemotherapy is quite difficult. This is caused, first of all, by the deterioration of the general health and well-being of patients. Hormonal changes lead to a decrease in the strength of sexual desire, and in many cases, its temporary absence.

Women may experience changes in the vaginal microflora, which is reflected in the appearance of thrush, which is accompanied by unpleasant symptoms. In this case, sexual intercourse will cause discomfort and pain, which negatively affects the desire to have sex.

As a result of chemotherapy, men experience difficulties in developing and maintaining an erection, and also experience anorgasmia - the absence of orgasms.

Despite the fact that many women do not have periods after chemotherapy, it is necessary to follow the rules of contraception when having sex. Because there is always a risk of getting pregnant, and this would be undesirable immediately after finishing chemotherapy.

In men, toxic products of chemotherapy drugs penetrate into sperm and can affect the conception and birth of a child with developmental anomalies that will have birth defects.

Periods after chemotherapy

The toxic effect of chemotherapy drugs inhibits the activity of the ovaries. This manifests itself in disruption of the menstrual cycle and its instability. Some patients may experience a complete cessation of menstruation. This leads to temporary infertility in women.

In order to restore reproductive functions after chemotherapy, the patient must undergo appropriate hormonal treatment so that menstruation appears again. In some cases, the body never restores its reproductive functions, which means early entry into menopause (menopause) and the complete absence of menstruation forever.

Life expectancy after chemotherapy

It is impossible to accurately predict how long a patient will live after undergoing chemotherapy. These assumptions depend on many factors, including:

• Stage of the oncological process.

At the first and second stages of the disease, complete recovery of the body after chemotherapy and the absence of relapses of the disease are possible. At the same time, patients can lead a full life twenty or thirty years after the end of treatment.

The third and fourth stages of cancer do not give a rosy prognosis: patients after chemotherapy in this case can live from one to five years.

• The degree of damage to the body after chemotherapy.

The consequences after undergoing treatment are of unequal severity for all patients. There are complications from zero to fifth degree of toxic damage to the patient’s body.

With mild to moderate effects, patients can recover sufficiently to continue living a full life for a long time. At the same time, of course, it is necessary to radically change your lifestyle, making it healthy from physical and psychological aspects.

Severe degrees of damage to the body can cause serious consequences for the patient’s health. In this case, death can occur a short time after chemotherapy, as well as within one year after treatment.

• Changing the patient's lifestyle.

Those patients who really intend to live long begin to take care of their health. They change their diet towards wholesome and healthy food, change their place of residence to more environmentally friendly areas, begin to engage in physical activity, and resort to methods of strengthening the immune system and hardening. Bad habits - alcohol, smoking and others are also ostracized. Those who want to lead a full-fledged lifestyle can resort to changing their professional activity and place of work if this greatly affects the patient’s quality of life. All of the above measures can lead not only to an increase in life expectancy after chemotherapy to ten - twenty - thirty years, but also to complete relief from signs of the disease.

• The patient’s psychological attitude toward recovery is very important. It has been noticed that those patients who are truly committed to living a full life after undergoing chemotherapy live a long time without experiencing relapses of the disease. The psychological attitude towards recovery is very important for the patient’s life expectancy. After all, it is not in vain that many diseases, including cancer, are believed to be of a psychosomatic nature.
• A huge role is played by changes in the psychological situation in the patient’s place of residence and work. It is known that negative emotions are one of the main causes of somatic diseases, including cancer. Immune and recovery processes in the body are directly related to the patient’s mental state. Therefore, being in an atmosphere of positive emotions, support, participation and attention is one of the factors in increasing the duration after chemotherapy. It is important to change the atmosphere in the patient’s home and work in such a way that it has a positive effect on his condition.

It is also of great importance to receive pleasure from life and bright, pleasant impressions. Therefore, you need to think about activities and hobbies for the patient that would give patients pleasure and fill their lives with meaning.

Disability after chemotherapy

Disability after chemotherapy is issued if an uncertain prognosis for the patient’s condition is established. In this case, the high risk of relapse, for example, the possibility of metastases, is of great importance.

If, after surgical treatment, further radiation treatment and chemotherapy are not prescribed, this means that the patient’s prognosis for recovery is high. In this case, there are no complications that lead to persistent disturbances in the functioning of the body and limit the patient’s life. In this case, disability is not registered due to lack of grounds.

If a patient needs to undergo severe treatment over a long period, he may be assigned group II disability for a period of one year. Chemotherapy can be of varying severity; this affects the disability group, which may be third.

It should be noted that disability is not assigned immediately after surgery, but after three to four months from the initial moment of treatment and longer. This applies to working patients, pensioners, and non-working patients. Registration of disability cannot be longer than four months after chemotherapy treatment of the disease.

In this case, the patient undergoes a medical commission, which issues an opinion on the obvious unfavorable clinical and labor prognosis for the patient. This does not depend on the duration of the patient’s temporary disability, but must be done no later than four months from its onset. Only citizens who have permanent disabilities and disabilities in need of social protection are sent to undergo the commission.

], , ,