Managing Chemotherapy Side Effects
- Ovarian cancer often responds quite well to chemo, but the treatment does cause significant side effects
- Side effects vary from person to person, but the most common side effects associated with chemotherapy for ovarian cancer include fatigue, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, increased bleeding or bruising, anemia, and hair loss
- There are helpful ways to manage all of these side effects, and it can help to remember that most of them will subside when the treatment ends
Side effects from chemo can often be handled better these days, but it’s still extremely challenging for women to go through this stuff.
Many ovarian cancers respond quite well to a specific combination of chemo drugs called carboplatin and Taxol.
But while carboplatin and Taxol (or similar variations) can be powerful treatment options, the chemo drugs are not without their unpleasant side effects. During the course of chemo, it’s not uncommon to experience fatigue, anemia, nausea, increased risk of infection, more frequent bruising or bleeding, neuropathy, and hair loss.
The best way to manage these side effects is to prepare for them. Jessica Perreau, a nurse practitioner at Texas Oncology in San Antonio, offers some examples of helpful ways to manage chemo side effects:
- For nausea, doctors will usually prescribe effective medications, including Zofran to help (ginger tea can soothe the stomach too, Perreau says)
- For fatigue, Perreau recommends that women do not overexert themselves during treatment, and to be sure to get a good 8 hours of sleep. Light exercise can also help with fatigue
- For constipation, there are quite a few helpful medications available, including stimulant laxatives and stool softeners. Drinking a lot of water is also important for constipation
And then there’s the chemotherapy side effect that everyone asks about: hair loss.
“With the chemotherapies for ovarian cancer, there is a very high probability of hair loss occurring,” says Perreau. “You usually see it in most patients.”
So, yes, hair loss can be expected with carboplatin and Taxol. But just like with the other side effects, there are methods available to help.
“We recommend keeping your hair short, and then possibly shaving your head when you see it starting to fall can reduce the symptoms of scalp tenderness, which some patients feel,” says Perreau, adding that using a hat, scarf, or wig during treatment can also help. Scalp-cooling devices meant to slow or prevent hair loss can occasionally help, too, though not all of the time. Of course, it’s really important to remember that hair loss is only temporary, and that your hair will grow back after the treatment ends.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
Managing Chemotherapy Side Effects
- Ovarian cancer often responds quite well to chemo, but the treatment does cause significant side effects
- Side effects vary from person to person, but the most common side effects associated with chemotherapy for ovarian cancer include fatigue, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, increased bleeding or bruising, anemia, and hair loss
- There are helpful ways to manage all of these side effects, and it can help to remember that most of them will subside when the treatment ends
Side effects from chemo can often be handled better these days, but it’s still extremely challenging for women to go through this stuff.
Many ovarian cancers respond quite well to a specific combination of chemo drugs called carboplatin and Taxol.
Read More But while carboplatin and Taxol (or similar variations) can be powerful treatment options, the chemo drugs are not without their unpleasant side effects. During the course of chemo, it’s not uncommon to experience fatigue, anemia, nausea, increased risk of infection, more frequent bruising or bleeding, neuropathy, and hair loss.
The best way to manage these side effects is to prepare for them. Jessica Perreau, a nurse practitioner at Texas Oncology in San Antonio, offers some examples of helpful ways to manage chemo side effects:
- For nausea, doctors will usually prescribe effective medications, including Zofran to help (ginger tea can soothe the stomach too, Perreau says)
- For fatigue, Perreau recommends that women do not overexert themselves during treatment, and to be sure to get a good 8 hours of sleep. Light exercise can also help with fatigue
- For constipation, there are quite a few helpful medications available, including stimulant laxatives and stool softeners. Drinking a lot of water is also important for constipation
And then there’s the chemotherapy side effect that everyone asks about: hair loss.
“With the chemotherapies for ovarian cancer, there is a very high probability of hair loss occurring,” says Perreau. “You usually see it in most patients.”
So, yes, hair loss can be expected with carboplatin and Taxol. But just like with the other side effects, there are methods available to help.
“We recommend keeping your hair short, and then possibly shaving your head when you see it starting to fall can reduce the symptoms of scalp tenderness, which some patients feel,” says Perreau, adding that using a hat, scarf, or wig during treatment can also help. Scalp-cooling devices meant to slow or prevent hair loss can occasionally help, too, though not all of the time. Of course, it’s really important to remember that hair loss is only temporary, and that your hair will grow back after the treatment ends.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
