Whelehans Health News

Get the flu vaccine...not the flu (plus the Covid Booster)   Eamonn Brady is a pharmacist and the owner of Whelehans Pharmacies, Pearse St and Clonmore, Mullingar. If you have any health questions e-mail them to info@whelehans.ie   Influenza (flu) is a highly infectious acute respiratory illness caused by the influenza virus. It can affect people of any age. You can get the flu vaccination your GP surgery or local pharmacy. The flu vaccine is free if over 65, children under 18, people with long-term illness, pregnant women, and health care workers. You can get your flu vaccine at Whelehans...

Chemotherapy Part 5 Side effects of anti-sickness drugs used in chemotherapy   Most chemotherapy patients who use anti-sickness drugs encounter no side effects from the anti-sicknesss, but on rare occasions side effects can occur.   Fatigue Many anti-sicknesss can cause fatigue or drowsiness, which might make the patient feel tired or sluggish. Examples of anti-sickness drugs that can cuase fatigue include ondansetron, promethazine, metoclopramide and prochlorperazine.   Headaches Some individuals may experience headaches as a side effect of anti-sickness medications. Examples of anti-sickness drugs that can cuase headaches include metoclopramide, ondansetron, prochlorperazine, promethazine and domperidone   Constipation or diarrhoea Anti-sicknesss can...

Chemotherapy Part 4   Medication prescribed to counteract nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy    5-HT3 receptor antagonists The first group of anti-emetic drugs used to counteract CINV are 5-HT3 receptor antagonists. These drugs work by blocking serotonin, a neurotransmitter in the gut that can cause nausea and vomiting. The most used 5-HT3 receptor antagonists in Ireland are ondansetron, granisetron, and palonosetron. Ondansetron is available as tablets, oral solution, and injection, while granisetron and palonosetron are available as tablets and injection. Palonosetron is the most recently developed drug in this group, and it has a longer half-life compared to the other...

Chemotherapy Part 3   How does nausea and vomiting compare between chemotherapy and radiation? Chemotherapy is associated with more nausea and vomiting than radiation therapy. This is because chemotherapy drugs target rapidly dividing cells in the body, including those in the digestive system, which can lead to gastrointestinal side effects. Radiation therapy, on the other hand, primarily targets the cancer cells within a specific area of the body. Radiation is less likely to cause severe nausea and vomiting as compared to chemotherapy. However, if radiation treatment is focused on the gastrointestinal region, it may lead to symptoms such as nausea,...

Chemotherapy Part 2 The most common types of chemotherapy used in Ireland   Alkylating agents These drugs work by interfering with the DNA inside cancer cells, preventing them from dividing and multiplying. Examples of alkylating agents include cyclophosphamide, cisplatin, and carboplatin. These drugs are commonly used to treat breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and different types of leukaemia and lymphoma.   Antimetabolites Antimetabolites work by blocking the production of DNA, preventing cancer cells from dividing, and growing. Examples of this type of chemotherapy include methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil, and capecitabine. These drugs are commonly used to treat breast, colorectal, and lung cancer, as...