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Permalink Reply by Laura on May 15, 2008 at 11:15am

ok, here's my experience....

1. ambien and lunesta did not work for me, especially if the cause of my inability to sleep was chemo induced hot flashes. so far ativan has worked for me (smaller doses if just a sleep issue, 1 mg during chemo - also helps with nausea)

2. no experience with c-diff myself, but yogurt does contain active cultures that help to restore the balance of bacteria in the GI tract. I remember telling lots of patients to do this over the years. if you like the taste of yogurt, it certainly couldn't hurt, as well as being an extra source of dairy/protein.

3. i've been eating calorie dense protein items when i can tolerate it while on chemo (eggs, for example). and red meat and spinach to help keep up my iron levels and RBCs. water makes me nauseated for a few days after chemo, but i drink it by the water bottle full in between chemo sessions.

i would also make myself yogurt smoothies using fresh fruit.

I think that's it.

btw, cute kids in your picture.

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Permalink Reply by aggiekutie on June 3, 2008 at 10:49pm

Here's my story...

1. Lunesta actually made me stay awake. I now take 40mg of Ambien to get to sleep (the normal dose is 5mg). Some non-medicinal tricks... take a HOT shower, drink camomele tea, and if you're not tired/sleepy, get up! Laying in bed for two hours will only make you mad, not tired.

2. Yogurt is good for a c-diff, but vitamins are better. Yogurt is a live culture and is not good for chemo patients. I was told to stay away from dairy products. They have vitamins for everything now days, a good multi-vitamin would do a lot better.

3. Protein is the best thing for your body during chemo. Red meat is a no-no. reTuna and Peanut Butter are two staples in my diet. Green veggies are good as long as they are cooked. Raw food and chemo don't mix, it's too risky with all of the homones and bacteria. Water is good, but be careful you don't drown yourself. You actually retain water on chemo and too much isn't good.

God Luck & Try not to go CRAZY!

God Bless & Gig 'Em!
Jessica

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Permalink Reply by Sonya on June 4, 2008 at 10:46am

I can only chime in on the sleep aid. Ambien wasn't a good drug for me. I had crazy ass dreams and would wake up periodically. My doctor then switched me to another drug that worked better, unfortunately I have no idea what the name was. I also would have green tea and bought a sleep CD which I felt helped.

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Permalink Reply by Burnadette on June 4, 2008 at 12:56pm

Hi Melissa-
I am new to this site, as I have not been diagnosed for very long. I am also an RN, so I feel like I can contribute with some answers to your questions.
First of all, everyone is different with the way drugs affect them. I am married to an insomniac though. He has tried Ambien and was left with the "hangover" effect to shrug the next day. He currently does real well without unwanted effects on Lunesta.
While yogurt drinks may be of value to keep the body free from yeast type infections, I am not making a connection of why they would be of value with C-Diff because it is bacterial and usually requires a few rounds of antibiotics and repeat stool cultures to verify that it is gone. Can be a chronic problem if not dealt with properly, and especially serious for the immonusupressed. I don't see where your Doc is coming from on this and I would personally get another opinion (can never hurt).
Last, I believe a good balance is important. However, when you consider that many drugs are metabolized in the kidneys and the byproducts of tumor breakdown have to exit the body somewhere, I would be willing to bet it is an important thing to keep the kidneys flushed with water.
Best of luck to you and hope you will let me know how things go for you.

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Permalink Reply by chemo_squirrel on June 4, 2008 at 2:09pm

My scientist friend told me that a multi-vitamin would do me wonders,,, Ambien and lunesta did nothing to touch my sleeping problems,, mostly because they were problems created by dex. But I was given Restoril aka Temazapan (my spelling is horrible) that stuff worked great for me with no side-effects, I haven't had any c-diff prolems and I would have to say that fresh fruits and veggies are an absolute!!!!!!!!!!!!

jordan

good luck

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Permalink Reply by Sonya on June 4, 2008 at 3:07pm

Yes it's Temazepam!!!! That was the sleep aid I used and liked.

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Permalink Reply by Leslie on June 4, 2008 at 5:51pm

Ambien works for me, combined with neurontin for nerve pain, which also makes em sleep better at the same time as helping the pain. I don't buy the yogurt for C-diff and I personally don't see that a vitamin would help C-diff either. If you keep getting C-diff, ask for a referral to an infectious diseases specialist, they can work on your antibiotic combos. I have been told not to eat too much protein, since my kidneys are stressed, and too much protein will make that worse. I am very immuno-suppressed, but told that fresh produce is ok if it cleaned thoroughly.

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