Weight Loss/Appetite & Fever
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Hi Sandy,
Sorry to hear what your mum is going through right now. I would definitely get her seen by her doctor or onc as soon as possible to deal with the vomitting as there are many things that can be done for that. My dad had issues with that as well and tried many meds with varying degrees of success.
As to the nutrition, again there are many shakes, drinks and powders that can help here and here is a link that will be of interest to you –
Hoping that you can get your mum seen asap by her doctor and get some help for her here.
Hugs,
Gavin
Sandy-
My husband runs a temp quite a bit with his Gem/Ox especially in the evenings usually right around 99.7 and a little lower, nothing over a hundred. He has had issues with blood infections but always they spike higher. I keep after him about his hydration making sure that he drinks plenty of fluids….water, juice, Gatorade (he does one a day since his sodium is always low) and any thing else I can get in him.
As for appetite, making sure every calorie counts. We did a protein shake that was frozen fruit, couple of scoops of ice cream, yogurt, protein powder and enough milk to make it a shake. He would have one of those a night. My son was healing from surgery and we even made jello from Ensure Clear or a protein drink called IsoSource that I found at Rite-Aid. I substituted the protein drink for the cold water. He really liked that.
Also you may talk to MD about something to stimulate the appetite. There are a couple of anti-depressants that can do that….one I see a lot of is called Remeron (mirtazapine) and it’s given at night to help with sleep some and then it stimulates the appetite. There is also Megace which is an appetite stimulant that is designed for cancer patients. I have seen it work pretty good for some pt. Of course with meds there are always possible side effects so talk to the doctor and see if something might work.Good Luck!
KrisV
Carl…Orgain can be purchased on Amazon and at Whole Foods; the later my family refers to as “whole paycheck.” Personally I believe that most of the other, commerical products contain ingredients one could do without.
Hugs,
MarionSorry to hear about your mom’s condition.
With respect to appetite, even if she does not want to eat a lot, she needs to get protein and “good” calories, We have found a drink named Orgain. It has more value, including protein, with less sugar than most other drinks like Boost and Ensure. We can get it at a local Wegman’s store but it can also be ordered online.
Good luck,
CarlHi,
Side effects of everolimus : (from http://www.clinicalpharmacology-ip.com )
fever (15-31% depends on cancer type to be treated).
fatigue(15-45% depends on cancer type)
anorexia
weight loss(9-28% depends on cancer type)
asthenia – abnormal weakness or lack of energy(13-33% depends on cancer type)Therefore ,most likely , your mom’s problems are related to the side effects of the drug.
God bless .
Sandy,
I’m sorry your mom is having a tough battle. I hope you speak to her physician about your concerns.
I remember I ran a low grad temp quite often while on chemo. I was fine during the day, but it increased in the evening, so perhaps that is it.
And I drank Ensure to get calories and nutrients, plus lots and lots of water. Many foods taste different now, mostly worse. I cannot ever look at chicken noodle soup the same! lolI am sorry to hear of the latest developments. There is something called “tumor” fever which may or may not be related to your Mom’s raise in temperature. Also, is your Mom taking in plenty of fluids? Considering that your Mom is consuming a minimum of calories, her weight loss may be related to just that. The vomiting is of concern also. I believe that your Mom should be seen by her physician. A blood test and possible scan might shed some light on the situation. Please keep us posted, dear Sandi.
Hugs,
MarionHi all, a few quick questions…requesting feedback if possible. My mom continues to fight hard and battle but I feel she is losing steam. Collectively we are all continuing to seek options and do our best to keep her upbeat and enjoying each day. Two things…
She seems to routinely get a very low-grade fever in the evenings 99-100. Is anyone else having these same symptom? Any thoughts on why? We aren’t overly concerned because it does not spike and it isn’t present through the night, mornings or mid-day for that matter. We she has had serious infections – it has been a totally different story – high spike, feeling crummy, etc.
Our other question/concern is her appetite and her extreme weight loss. Since her diagnosis – she was gone from an extremely fit, strong 120lbs to a feeble, fragile, weak 90lbs (on a good day). She is eating but her appetite is weak, she sometimes vomits (not sure if that is due to pain meds or residual chemo in body or what?) and food just generally does not sound good. Her taste for everything has really drastically changed. She has a pretty good protein shake that she tries to do 1-2x a day but she is barely maintaining at 90lbs.
Suggestions? What is contributing to her constant weight loss?
Thanks so much in advance for all of your feedback. I am so grateful for this community and the support we provide each other.
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