Stomach upset with cancer medicine (1661)

ALERT: Call 9-1-1 if your child collapsed, is not breathing, or has a seizure.  

What should I know about throwing up a dose of cancer medicine? 

For some cancer treatments, patients may feel sick. They may feel like they are going to throw up or are sick to their stomach. This is called nausea.  There are medicines that may help keep your child from throwing up. 
 
There may be a common event that causes nausea and throwing up.  Some things may be:

• a car ride.
• a certain day of the patient’s chemotherapy cycle.
• a certain time of day.  

If you can figure when they have nausea and throwing up happens, you can give your child a medicine to prevent it. 

What should I do if my child throws up after taking their cancer medicine?

• Most oral medicines are absorbed from the stomach into the blood by about 30 minutes after taking it.  
  – If your child throws up the medicine within 30 minutes or less give the dose of the medicine again. 
  – If your child throws up more than 30 minutes after their dose, do not give another dose.
• If your child rarely throws up and begins throwing up, call your oncology provider immediately.  Tell them that this is different for your child.  
• Call your oncology provider if you have questions about your child throwing up a medicine.