Nausea is one of the side effects people worry about most before chemotherapy starts. The good news is that anti-sickness medicine has come a long way, and your team will give you something to take alongside your treatment. Most people find their sickness is manageable rather than constant.
Everything below is the practical stuff and the bits nobody tells you on a leaflet. It comes from years of talking to customers who've been through treatment and told us what actually got them through the difficult days.
Start with your chemo team, always
Your oncology team or chemo nurse is your first call, not Google and not us. We sell hats and scarves, we're not medical people, and we'd never pretend otherwise.
If your anti-sickness tablets aren't working, ring them. Don't wait until your next appointment and don't soldier on. There are several different types, and if the first one doesn't suit you, they can usually swap it for something else. People often feel they're making a fuss. You're not. This is exactly what the helpline number is for.
Check with your team before you add anything new, even things that sound harmless like ginger capsules, peppermint oil or herbal teas. Some of them interact with treatment.
Eat little, eat often
An empty stomach can make sickness worse, which feels deeply unfair when eating is the last thing you fancy. Small amounts every couple of hours tend to sit better than three proper meals.
Things people tell us worked for them:
- Dry crackers, plain toast or a few breadsticks first thing, before you even get out of bed
- Plain carbs like rice, pasta, potatoes and porridge
- Something salty, as crisps come up again and again in conversation
- Ice lollies and jelly, which count as fluid too
If you can only face one thing for a fortnight, eat that one thing. Nobody is marking you on variety.
Cold food is often kinder than hot
Hot food gives off far more aroma, and smell is a huge trigger. A cold sandwich, a yoghurt or a bowl of cereal can be much easier to face than a cooked dinner.
If you live with someone who can cook for you, ask them to do it with the kitchen door shut and a window open. Better still, ask them to plate yours up and let it cool. Lots of people find they can't be in the house while food is cooking but can eat it happily half an hour later.
Sip slowly and keep sipping
Drinking a lot in one go can bring nausea straight back. Small sips throughout the day work better. Keep a bottle or a glass within reach so you're not making a decision every time, you just drink because it's there.
Cold drinks, fizzy water, weak squash and ice cubes all suit some people. Others go off water completely and find they need flavour. Both are normal.
Smells will catch you out
This is the one that surprises people. Perfume, washing powder, coffee, someone's aftershave on the bus. Any of it can turn your stomach over in seconds.
A few things that help:
- Switch to a fragrance-free washing powder while you're in treatment
- Keep a window cracked open, or sit somewhere with moving air
- Ask family and friends to go easy on scent when they visit
- Carry something you find neutral or pleasant to sniff, like a clean cotton hankie
Fresh air and gentle movement
You don't need to be marching round a park. Sitting by an open window or in the garden for ten minutes shifts things for a lot of people. A slow walk to the end of the road and back can settle a queasy stomach better than lying still.
Lying flat straight after eating tends to make sickness worse. Prop yourself up on pillows instead and give it half an hour.
Give your brain somewhere else to be
Nausea gets louder when you've got nothing else to think about. It's why 3pm on a quiet Tuesday can feel so much worse than a busy morning.
Audiobooks and podcasts suit people who feel too rough to look at a screen. Puzzles, a familiar comfort programme you've seen a hundred times, or a phone call with someone who'll do most of the talking all help. Nothing demanding, this isn't the fortnight for a complicated box set!
Stay comfortable from the neck up
Feeling hot and clammy makes nausea considerably worse, and a lot of people find their head runs warm during treatment. A breathable chemo hat in bamboo or cotton jersey stays cool against the scalp and is easy to pull off in a hurry if you get a hot flush.
If you're being sick, a pre-tied headscarf that pulls straight on beats anything you have to tie. You want something you can put on with one hand and no mirror.
Learn the shape of your cycle
By your second or third round, you'll start to notice a pattern. Most people find days two to four are the hardest, then things lift.
Once you know your pattern, plan around it. Batch cook or stock the freezer before treatment day. Book visitors for your good days. Move the appointments and the shopping to the end of the cycle. Knowing when you'll feel rough takes some of the fear out of it.
When to ring the helpline
Call your chemo helpline or your team, day or night, if:
- You can't keep fluids down for more than a few hours
- You've been sick repeatedly and can't stop
- You feel dizzy, confused or unusually weak
- You have a temperature alongside the sickness
- Something feels wrong, even if it's not on any list
You'll have been given a 24-hour number when you started treatment. Stick it on the fridge. It's there so you use it.
A last thought
Nausea passes. It won't feel like it on day three, but it does. Almost everyone who comes back to us months later says the sick days blurred into one and the good days came back faster than they expected.
Be kind to yourself, eat the crisps, and ring the helpline when you need to.
Frequently asked questions
How long does nausea last after chemotherapy? It varies with the drugs you're on and how you respond. Many people find the worst is over within a few days of each session, then they pick up before the next round. Your chemo nurse can tell you what's typical for your particular treatment.
Does everyone feel sick during chemo? No. Some people sail through with very little sickness, especially with modern anti-sickness medicine. Others struggle more. There's no way to predict which you'll be until you start.
What foods are easiest during chemo nausea? Plain, cold and simple. Crackers, toast, rice, potatoes, yoghurt, ice lollies and salty snacks are the ones people mention most. Strong smells and rich food are usually harder.
Can I take ginger for chemo sickness? Ask your oncology team first. Ginger helps some people, but it can interact with certain treatments, so it needs checking rather than assuming.
Written for chemotherapyheadwear.com. Not medical advice. Always speak to your oncology team about side effects and medication.
