Ask the expert

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chemo

Question

i have just had my third cycle of chemo and have been given medication for indigestion. It is very uncomfortable why do i get this.?

Answer

Indigestion is a fairly common symptom in patients on chemotherapy for a few reasons. Often patients are given steroid tablets as part of the anti-sickness medication with their chemotherapy drugs, and steroids are well-known to cause indigestion and heartburn symptoms in some patients. If you have ever had a stomach ulcer then let your doctor know before taking steroid tablets as they can sometimes lead to another ulcer. Having anti-acid treatment may reduce this risk. Some chemotherapy drugs themselves can cause inflammation in the lining of the oesophagus (food pipe) and this can give rise to heartburn symptoms and again anti-acid medications may reduce this side effect. Patients may also get heartburn if they have been vomiting a lot with their chemotherapy and if this applies to you then do speak to your doctor about improving your anti-sickness medication. The other common cause of indigestion symptoms are certain types of painkillers called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, the commonest drugs in use being aspirin, ibuprofen and diclofenac. If you are on any of these medications it is worth discussing with your doctor if there are any alternatives which could have less side effect.