sick feeling 3 week after radical cystectomy

My husband has had a radical cystectomy 3 week ago.Heishome and i am trying my best to get him to eat but he says he doesn't wont anything know the doctor says he is anemic and they have put him on iron tablets.Does anyone on here ever had the same symptoms..

Sylvia

  • Hello Sylvia and thanks for your further post

    it’s very difficult to say how long nausea will last in an individual person as people vary so much in this.

    You mention your husband is taking iron medication for his anaemia. Sometimes iron medication can cause constipation which can contribute to feeling sick.

    I think it's a good idea to let you husband’s hospital team know about his nausea. If he has a specialist nurse involved in his care then it would be a good idea to discuss this further with them. If you have any difficulty contacting them your husband’s GP should be able to help.

    There are a number of different anti sickness medications to try, and these are available as tablets, oral liquid, suppositories, and injections. Sometimes it’s trial and error to get the right combination that will work. We do have some tips on our website about managing nausea which you might find helpful here.

    We also have some tips on eating when you feel sick at this link. 

    Hopefully your husband’s hospital team can advise you further and I hope the nausea settles down soon. Give us a ring if you would like to talk anything over.  The number to call is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open from 9am till 5pm Monday to Friday.

    Kind regards,

    Celene

  • I phoned the doctor and he has given my usband build up drinks thats all. They dont seem to work and he still keeps leaving his meals. What next

    From Sylvia

  • I would speak to the Doctor or even a different one and tell him things have not improved and you would like him to be checked out because he's just not right ,he probably needs to be seen so I would make sure they listen .

  • Hello Sylvia,

    I am sorry to hear about your husband's situation, it can be a worry when you see someone is not well. 

    Is your husband constipated I ask this because if he is that can make you feel sick. If he is constipated then do ask the local pharmacist or GP to recommend or prescribe treatment to help him open his bowels.

    The build up drinks won't necessarily help with nausea and are really given to replace any meal he has not been able to have. Try to get your husband to eat small amount of food often and perhaps give him a couple of these drinks a day.  Follow the advice and links Celene has given you above too. Is your husband able to move around and perhaps get some fresh air too, as this will help. 

    If doing all of this doesn't improve his situation then do get back in touch with the GP to ask about anti-sickness medication. 

    I hope this has helped.

    Take care,

    Caroline

  • It is 7 week now since my husbands radical cystectomy and i have found out it is the iron tablets that are making him feel sick and unable to eat. So i am going to phone the doctors on Monday and ask if he can have an iron injection instead of the tablets and see if this will help. Thank you for your reply i will let you know how he goes on. 

    Regards from Sylvia 

  • Ronnie has to see his doctor next Tues to talk about the sickness when he eats. I am going to ask if he can have iron injections instead of the tablets. At 1am this morning he started shaking  and said he was cold so i phoned 111 and a doctor came out to see him and he said he has a urine infection. So he gave him antibiotics for a wek. He frightened the life out of me i have never seen Ronnie like that before.

    From Sylvia Ronnies wife

  • So sorry to hear this I hope the anti-biotics help Ronnie he must be worn out with all of this going on ,well you both must be because it affects you both ,hopefully when he sees the Doctor on Tuesday they can give him something to stop the sickness its the most awful thing feeling sick all the time bless him ,thinking of you Jenny x

  • I will let you know how he goes on at the doctors.

    Sylvia

  • Thanks Sylvia that would be great .

  • My husband takes drinks for constipation so that it not the problem. He has got an appointment with  his doctor on Tuesday 17/1 about the sickness and to see if he can get iron injections instead of the tablets. He was ok before he started taking the iron tablets. He was given them when he came out of hospital after having a radical cystectomy 8 week ago. He has a blood test every 2 weeks to see if the iron count has gone up Now he has a urine infection which i had to get the doctor  on 111 at 3am to come out to see him as he was shaking uncontrollably . He also has thrush in his mouth. So more tablets to take which wont help. It has taken me nearly 3 week to get a doctors appointment for him.The surgeon who operated on him has never seen him since the op and canceled a phone call  for the 6/1 and give him the 24/1. I can not understand why he would not want to see an 82 year old man that he has operated on at a cost of £15,000 that took 8 hours to compleat. They just send the person home and let the 75 year old wife to pick up the peaces. The after care has been terrible. Looking at him and having to cope with the day bag and the night bag at his age seems to me he is giving up.

    Regards Sylvia Crawley