Fever During Treatment

Did anyone experience really high temperatures during treatment for tonsil cancer? My husband stopped the cetuximab early, they felt it had done it's job. Now it's just the radiation. His baseline is 100.5 early in the evening and early morning, but in the past week or so  he's run well over 101 to 102.  He stayedi n the hospital for 5 days, then they released him with no real solution other than tylenol.  His own radiation oncologist didn't like the idea of tylenol, just said to use icepacks behind the knees and under the arms. I had to call the after hours the other night because it was up ove 103 and I was really scared. THAT MD on call said he could have up to 2 mg of Tylenol - that's a lot.  I'm giving him the 650 mg 8 hour release, so I ended up risking it and giving him a second one.  THis morning he woke up with 105.3. Couldn't stand it so i gave him two of the tylenol, and the ice packs, and two hours later it's down around 100.4.  This scares me more than anything, as I'm getting such conflicting answers from the MD's.  Any suggestions or similar experiences?  Thank you all, as always.  I hope our experience can help someone else along the way as you all have helped us. Gwen

My hubbie did not have this issue; however, I did give him 600 mg of ibprofrin almost daily through his treatment w/ a lot of fluid. His rad oncol suggested this, as it helped to keep inflamation down. This is what I use when I have a fever too. I am not sure why they wouldn't want you to give him tynol?

The best advise I got through the treatments on a consistant basis was from one of the infusion chemo nurses. I called her always, and even after the chemo ended. To this day, I still talk with her as she's become a close friend.

Hi Gwen,

so uncanny that you wrote this post today!  last week my s.o. didnt get his weekly carboplatin because of low white blood count.  yesterday his count was still low but on the rise and his temp was 100...so again no chemo.  by evening his temp was 101.  it has been hovering around 100 all day and is now back to nearly 101.  his dr. today told him it is common and to keep an eye on it.  he told him that they feel that as the tumors die from radiation they release chemicals that can induce a fever.

i was going to post the fever question last night..i hope we dont have to deal with this for the rest of treatment (he is a little more than 1/2 way through)  i agree with you that it is scary...especially when it climbs to over 102.

~meesh

i think that the hesitation with tylenol use is that it is cleared through the liver. i know that my boyfriends oncologist has watched his liver function very closely during chemo. 

Yes, they are concerned about liver function - my husband can't take ibuprophin because he only has one kidney.  Usually since treatment began his temp hovers around 100.6 to 101.3.  Where in the beginning I got inwardly frantic when it first crept up (they said to call if it rose beyond 100.5), I soon found that his baseline temp is over 100 during treatment, so I don't worry at that point anymore. Funny how it is so relative. But on the nights it kept rising, I got really concerned.  In the hospital they had trouble keeping it down w/o tylenol, so now I hold off on the tylenol til it gets close to 102, then he gets two 650mg  8 hour extended release caplets, along with ice packs, and that seems to bring it down. And he has learned to drink lots of water mixed with gatorade.  I'm afraid to go to sleep at night, between the labored breathing due to the mucous and the temp. Now I take a sleeping pill around 11:00, after giving him tylenol, and at least I'm getting some sleep.   As you said, the nurse this morning at radiation said that the high fever is not uncommon, as the body is fighting.  He is also on Bactrim - an antibiotic they started him on in the hospital, and I wonder if his higher temps may not actually be a reaction to the antibiotic.  We have only tomorrow and Friday, and then five days of radiation next week and he will have gotten through treatment. 

So I can tell you that you're 1/2 way there, and like everyone says, your s.o. will make it through, even when you wonder how.   There's lots of support out here on these message boards.  Hang in there - you both are going to get through this.  Thank you for posting. Gwen

 

On 4/2/2008 gulfgirl wrote:

Yes, they are concerned about liver function - my husband can't take ibuprophin because he only has one kidney.  Usually since treatment began his temp hovers around 100.6 to 101.3.  Where in the beginning I got inwardly frantic when it first crept up (they said to call if it rose beyond 100.5), I soon found that his baseline temp is over 100 during treatment, so I don't worry at that point anymore. Funny how it is so relative. But on the nights it kept rising, I got really concerned.  In the hospital they had trouble keeping it down w/o tylenol, so now I hold off on the tylenol til it gets close to 102, then he gets two 650mg  8 hour extended release caplets, along with ice packs, and that seems to bring it down. And he has learned to drink lots of water mixed with gatorade.  I'm afraid to go to sleep at night, between the labored breathing due to the mucous and the temp. Now I take a sleeping pill around 11:00, after giving him tylenol, and at least I'm getting some sleep.   As you said, the nurse this morning at radiation said that the high fever is not uncommon, as the body is fighting.  He is also on Bactrim - an antibiotic they started him on in the hospital, and I wonder if his higher temps may not actually be a reaction to the antibiotic.  We have only tomorrow and Friday, and then five days of radiation next week and he will have gotten through treatment. 

So I can tell you that you're 1/2 way there, and like everyone says, your s.o. will make it through, even when you wonder how.   There's lots of support out here on these message boards.  Hang in there - you both are going to get through this.  Thank you for posting. Gwen

 

this is so intresting...there is a dr in germany that says cancer is a cold ilness and can didappear if the body temp rises. i had a hell of a fever and infection while or during  ( can't remember), but this cancer is gone, i wrote to my dr about this doc in germany....one can only wonder. his name is robert gorter i am about to google him to read some of his stuff. god bless 

i too find it hard to sleep at night when you are worried about fever and keep hearing the coughing and gagging...i noticed i have been sleeping later in the morning because he is quieter at that time or has moved to the sofa for a change in position!

my heart goes out to the caregivers who also have children to take care of...it must be stressful to meet everyones needs... .so on the flip side, it is just the two of us now... it can be lonely cooking and eating alone - and he sleeps soooo much...i really miss his company  :-(

~meesh

I'm with you.  Thank God it is just the two of us. I'm with you, How simply exhausting to care for an entire family and try to keep some normalcy.  I haven't really prepared a meal in weeks, and I'm eating way too much junk food and take out.   The other night I actually broiled a steak, which my husband insisted on trying to eat.  I just keep saying over and over again we'll get through this and be cancer free. God bless. 

one more week of treatment for your hubby!  you must feel like you can see the light at the end of the tunnel. 

i know what you mean about not eating right...why cook for one person?  we live in a small NH town where the only take out is pizza or really bad chinese food.  i haven't stooped to the chinese food yet!  my daughter sent me home with care packages of easily re-heated food...what a role reversal that was  :-)  (and a lifesaver)

thanks for sharing.

all the best to you and your husband