Mom has fever and chills after chemo

This is my moms second round of chemo. She has pancreatic cancer w/mets to the liver. She has not had a full body scan, so we don't know if the cancer is anywhere else. Anyway, chemo day for her is Friday....last Friday she had an awful night dealing with fever 100.5 and severe abdominal and back pain. Today, she had another round of Gemzar....about 4 hours afterwards..she has high temp. (101.3)  and chills!! Is this a normal response to chemotherapy?? What exactly is happening if anyone knows?? The medical staff draws labs prior to infusing her chemo..and they said everything was fine...and hooked her up...and away she went. 

Any tips would be helpful...thanks.

melanie

Hi.  I don't think I will be of much help as my Dad had the fever and chills you are describing when he had Gemzar in 2005 but I can't for the life of me remember what we did for it, if anything.  I still wanted to reply though so that you know that it is normal.  Dad's symptoms were like really bad flu aches and pains and chills.  I am pretty sure that paracetemol made a difference - worth a try a it can't hurt.  Otherwise mention it to the Oncologist to see if anything else is advised.  Good luck to you both.  Treatment is tough on everyone - and by the way Dad is still with us and doing OK.

That's wonderful news to hear that your dad is still with us!! The doc. did say the fever/chills were specific to Gemzar...if she takes Tylenol then she feels much better. 

Tell me about your dads dx....what stage was he diagnosed? Mets to the liver? Whipple procedure? What part of the pancreas...? Sorry...just get curious....

Melanie 

i learn so much from this message board! my husband had the fever and chills with gemzar. the body aches were terrible, but a heating blanket (more like a lap pad that i bought at walmart) helped alot as well as darvocet which is a mild pain pill with some tylenol in it too. he is taking radiation right now with 1/2 strength chemo and it is easier to tolerate, although it does seem to sap his strength somewhat. when this round is through, he will go back to another round of the chemo and then be done if everything is clear. cancer can either break you or make you stronger. we hope you and your mom become stronger and closer than ever before. jimandkathy

Hi Melanie

Dad was diagnosed in March 2005 and had a distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy as his tumour was in the body and tail, not the head of the pancreas.  It is big surgery but not as hard as the whipple.  His tumour was 3.5cm and he had narrow margins with no lymph node involvement.  He then went on a course of Gemzar followed by 5Fu and radiation and then another course of Gemzar.  He had 18 months free and clear and then return in his liver where he had to tumours just treated with an experimental procedure called Sir-spheres.  One tumour has gone and the other is smaller but still there.  We are optomistic but realistic. 

Liza

 

I just found you on Google, and I'm pretty grateful.  I had fever and nightmares during the night, and woke up with the shakes and chills.  My fever is under 95F.  It scared me, but since I just finished treatment 6 with Gemzar (2nd round) I'm about to take some tylenol instead of waking up the oncologist.  :)   Thanks all... Andy (AKA andbill)