Pancreatic Cancer And Vomiting

My husband was dx'd in July 2007 and had the whipple in August 2007.  The tumor was in the ampullary duct but the dx is pancreatic cancer.  It metacisized to the lymph nodes 2 out of 6.  He under went 5 weeks of radiation and chemo at the same time.  Gemzar and tarceva.  He became very ill at the end with a lot of distention in his stomach and a lot of consistent pain across the top of the stomach and down the front.  In January he had a pet scan and it showed no cancer.  His CA-19 count last time was 39.  Things are suppose to be looking good BUT!  He has been vomiting since February almost daily and a few times a day.  We can not find any consistency in the reasons why he would be vomiting.  He has been on the same pain medication since July and we have even tried changing that and it made no difference.  He was suppose to start a new regiment of chemo in February of gemzar and xelodel but when they tried just the gemzar in February for 2 weeks he became progressively worse.  They stopped the gemzar after the first round and just a week ago they tried starting the xeledol.  When he took the xeledol the normal vomiting turned into projectile vomiting w/o warning.  He stopped the xeledol and we are waiting to see the oncologist on Wednesday.  

I'm really at a lost because if he has no cancer, is this from the whipple?  Has anyone experienced sever vomiting?  We have seen GI specialists, pulmonary specialists and the oncologist.  No one knows why and we don't know what to do.  My husband tells me he's going to die soon.  He's not giving up but he is soooo weak and can't get past this.  Any help would be deeply appreciated.  My husband just turned 48.  Too young!

Thanks, Michele 

Michele,  

I'm sorry for your husbands trouble.  I don't have information to share about this particular problem but I know there are many people on the Johns Hopkins discussion board that can help.  I suggest you post your message there also.  Link follows.  Hope your husband gets better soon.

http://pathology.jhu.edu/n.web?EP=N&FL=PANCREAS_CHAT

Did they give you anything for the excessive bile to help stop the vomiting?  They say that the excessive bile that my husband produces is what is causing him to vomit.  They have given him something to coat the stomach and then another that was suppose to bind up the bile in his stomach.  Neither has had any success.  Diet doesn't seem to matter because just water itself can be a trigger in a day.  

Thanks for your response.  I pray you are doing well now.

Michele 

When I had excess bile, one they can stick a tube back down the nose, give you an IV and nothing to eat or drink.  When I came home from the hospital, I kept getting sick about 2x a day.  Finially, I had to go to hospital for a bag of IV fluids for dehydration.  I wish they would have kept me and gave me more.  I think at that time I was severly dehydrated.  Hope all works out.  Dawnella