General Side Effects - Chemo and Radiation Side Effects - Treatments

Mucositis, and particularly oral mucositis, is a common side effect of chemotherapy. MuGard is a prescription mouthwash that has been shown to help with mucositis prevention when used before chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Learn more about MuGard and how it is used for oral mucositis prevention and treatment.

Chemotherapy can cause hair loss - it's a common side effect of chemo for breast cancer. But not every chemo drug will affect your hair. Here's a list of chemotherapy drugs used for breast cancer, ranked by the risk of hair loss. Learn more about chemotherapy and hair loss here.

Here are 10 ideas for how to pass your time during a chemo infusion. When you're stuck in an infusion chair with an IV line, you can still make good use of your time.

You can use mouth rinses during chemotherapy for breast cancer to alleviate side effects symptoms. Mouth rinses are good for mucositis, mouth sores, dry mouth, and pain in the gums. Mouth rinses are easy to make at home - here are several recipes for mouth rinses.

Chemotherapy causes side effects, some of which affect your oral health. Oral side effects can be serious, but these can be prevented and treated. Learn more about how chemotherapy causes oral side effects and how you can cope.

Breast cancer pain can occur as bone pain, or as location-specific pain at a tumor site. Breast cancer pain can also be diffuse, and hard to describe to your doctor. But this pain can be treated - learn more about treatments for breast cancer pain, both home remedies, professional care, and alternative therapies.

Lidocaine (Xylocaine) gel is a local anesthetic. Researchers have shown that a 4% gel of Lidocaine can ease the pain of a mammogram procedure. It can also lessen the pain of a needle stick, and other pains related to cancer therapies. Read more to learn some uses of Lidocaine.

During chemotherapy for breast cancer, you may see changes in your fingernails, due to the drugs being used. Nails can change color, become fragile, and even come loose. Here are some ways to take care of your toenails, and prevent problems, while taking chemotherapy for breast cancer.

Getting a good night's sleep affects your health - but how can you sleep well while you're in treatment for breast cancer? Melatonin may help you - it is a non-prescription, natural hormone that promotes sleep, and may help suppress estrogen and slow down tumors. Learn more about melatonin.

Many of the treatments for breast can save your life, but will also drop-kick you into menopause - sometimes called chemopause, or medical menopause. After treatment, you may regain your fertility, or you may be in premature menopause. Learn how to plan ahead.

During and after treatment for breast cancer, many things can keep you awake. Hormonal patterns are interrupted, emotions are churning, other side effects intrude, and your sleep may diminish in quality and quantity. Learn some ways to cope with loss of sleep during treatment for breast cancer.

Fatigue is often a problem for people with breast cancer, during and after treatment. If you experience breast cancer treatment fatigue, remember that you're not alone and that it's a legitimate (and legitimately frustrating) aspect of cancer. Although there's no way to measure fatigue, you deserve support as you cope with breast cancer treatment fatigue.

Treatment for breast cancer can wreck your appetite, due to changes in smell, taste, and damage to mucous membranes in your digestive system. Learn more about loss of appetite and how to cope during treatment.

Lymphedema occurs if you have had lymph nodes removed during breast cancer surgery. Your lymphatic fluid may build up in the area where nodes are missing, and cause swelling. Learn more about lymphedema and treatments for it.

Triple Mix is a combination of three liquids that treat and soothe oral and esophageal mucositis, a side effect of chemotherapy for breast cancer. Mucositis can be quite painful, and Triple Mix can cut the pain. Read more about Triple Mix, a prescription solution.

Caphosol is a mouth rinse that is used to prevent and treat oral mucositis. This solution combines a phosphate solution with a calcium solution and purified water to form a fluid that is rich in calcium and phosphate ions. Caphosol is not a pain-killer (analgesic) but may reduce pain by softening and cleansing dry mouth tissues. Read more to...

Chemotherapy-induced mucositis is the inflammation of your mucous membranes, which are tissues that line your digestive system – all the way from your mouth, esophagus, stomach, intestines, rectum to your anus.

Mucositis is the inflammation of your mucous membranes, which are tissues that line your digestive system. It is also called stomatitis.

Do you sometimes have ongoing nausea after a chemotherapy infusion? Here are some tips about ginger that may help you.

If you're about to go for your first round of chemotherapy, you may have lots of questions, and some fears. Here's some tips on what do to, in order to have a good experience, and prevent problems afterward.

If you’ve had chemotherapy and experienced short-term memory loss, have trouble finding the right words, find it hard to concentrate, can't concentrate, and feel mentally foggy, you might have chemobrain. Researchers agree that this isn't "just in your head." Here are some ways to deal with chemobrain, during and after treatment.

Neuropathy during chemotherapy can become very bothersome. Chemo-induced peripheral neuropathy - CIPN - is a treatment side effect caused by certain chemotherapy drugs. See a list of chemo drugs that can cause neuropathy.

Peripheral neuropathy can be caused by chemotherapy for breast cancer. If you think that chemotherapy is causing symptoms of peripheral neuropathy, get help from your doctor. Learn more about chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy here.

Peripheral neuropathy can be caused by certain chemotherapy drugs. Peripheral neuropathy symptoms can be treated.

Treatments for breast cancer lowers your estrogen levels, and that causes hot flashes. It's the sensation of having a personal summer heat wave, and can include flushed face and upper body, sweating, and pounding heartbeat. Hormone therapy can help, but is not recommended for women who are at risk for breast cancer. Here are 10 ways to cope...

Hot flashes and night sweats go with low estrogen levels. Treatments for breast cancer often cause dramatic drops in estrogen, and hot flashes may be severe enough to interfere with your sleep. A Chillow is a small waterbed for your head and shoulders, helping you get to sleep with little or no hot flashes.

Those golden gelcaps of vitamin E can help you moderate your hot flash symptoms and lower your risk of developing breast cancer. During and after treatment for cancer, vitamin E can help build up your good health. Learn how much is safe to use, and when to stop using vitamin E.

During summer, family and friends may want to visit the beach, float in the river, or swim in the pool. If you're having chemotherapy for breast cancer, you don't have to be left out of these fun times--but because you may be at higher risk for sunburn, please take good care of your skin. Here are some summer skin care tips.

Your fingernails reveal a lot about your health. During chemotherapy for breast cancer, you may experience problems with the nails on your fingers and toes. Understanding the causes and symptoms of nail disorders can help you care for them.

Complementary Therapies are natural ways to deal with the side effects of breast cancer treatment. Learn new ways to feel better and improve life during and after treatment.

A plain white powder from your local health food store can help reduce and prevent chemo-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). It's called Glutamine or L-Glutamine and it is easy to use. This tasteless powder can be dissolved in a drink of water or juice and taken before, during and after chemotherapy treatments. No prescription is...

Stress comes with a breast cancer diagnosis, but you can develop skills for stress coping. Learn some common things that cause breast cancer stress, and stress coping strategies. Having stress coping skills helps prepare you to be a breast cancer survivor.

Chemotherapy and estrogen suppressors can dramatically lower your estrogen levels, and that causes hot flashes. You may have other symptoms during a hot flash - night sweats, red face, pounding heart, dizziness. How do you cope with hot flashes?

Only you know exactly how you feel during treatment for breast cancer. The treatments affect all of you - body, mind, soul, and spirit. Taking care of all aspects of yourself, or asking for help, is important while you're fighting this disease. Here are some ways to take care of yourself.