• Home
    • About
    • Locations
    • Appointments
    • Fees
    • Contact
  • Our Team
  • New Patients
  • Cancer Information
    • Advice for Carers
    • Alternative Medicine
    • Breast Cancer >
      • Adjuvant chemotherapy
      • After chemotherapy - what now?
      • Alopecia from Hormonal Therapy
      • Bisphosphonates - the bone strengtheners
      • Breast Cancer Myths
      • Causes of breast cancer
      • Chemotherapy for breast cancer
      • Family History
      • Femara, Arimidex and Aromasin: The Aromatase Inhibitors
      • Metastatic Breast Cancer
      • Neoadjuvant chemotherapy
      • Osteoporosis
      • Stage, Grade & Receptors
      • Tamoxifen
      • Targeted Therapies >
        • Anti-HER2 therapies
        • Other targeted therapies
      • Zoladex and stopping the ovaries
    • Clinical Trials
    • Exercise
    • FAQ
    • Herbal Preparations
    • Insomnia
    • Living with Chemotherapy >
      • Anaemia
      • Alopecia
      • Bad Smells
      • Beating Nausea
      • Changes in mental function
      • Depression
      • Diarrhoea
      • Dysgeusia
      • Fatigue
      • Indigestion and Heartburn
      • Low Blood Counts and Infection
      • Menstrual Changes and Infertility
      • Mouth Soreness and Ulceration
      • Nose Bleeds
      • Port-a-caths
    • Managing Menopause
    • Marijuana
    • Nutrition >
      • Eating to be cancer free
      • Losing Weight
      • Diet and chemotherapy
    • Pain
    • Palliative Care
    • Vaccinations
    • What's new
  • COVID-19 information
  • MORE
    • Downloads
    • Useful Resources
    • Patient information booklets
  • Search
Picture

​Indigestion and Heartburn

Indigestion and heart burn are experienced differently by different people. Usually there is discomfort in the upper central abdomen, often associated with a burning sensation behind the breast bone, and sometimes acid reflux into the back of the throat. It is usually worse at night.

It is important that your oncologist knows of any prior history of conditions that may make this problem worse, including hiatus hernia, oesophageal reflux and peptic ulcer disease. You should particularly notify any previous endoscopic examinations of the stomach or any previous treatment for ulcers.

Indigestion is often made worse during chemotherapy. The main culprit is probably the dexamethasone that is used as an anti-nausea drug. It tends to increase acid production from the stomach.

The problem is usually easily overcome by the use of drugs that reduce gastric acid, such as Zantac or Somac. These should only be used on prescription from your GP or oncologist.

BACK
Home
About
Contact
Appointments
Locations
Fees

​Impartial cancer information, with an emphasis on breast cancer.  No sponsors or advertisements.  Updated regularly.  Written by Prof Rick Kefford, Medical Oncologist, and Jenny Gilchrist, Nurse Practitioner.

Copyright © 2020, Professor Richard Kefford AM MB BS PhD FRACP FAHMS.  All rights reserved.

  • Home
    • About
    • Locations
    • Appointments
    • Fees
    • Contact
  • Our Team
  • New Patients
  • Cancer Information
    • Advice for Carers
    • Alternative Medicine
    • Breast Cancer >
      • Adjuvant chemotherapy
      • After chemotherapy - what now?
      • Alopecia from Hormonal Therapy
      • Bisphosphonates - the bone strengtheners
      • Breast Cancer Myths
      • Causes of breast cancer
      • Chemotherapy for breast cancer
      • Family History
      • Femara, Arimidex and Aromasin: The Aromatase Inhibitors
      • Metastatic Breast Cancer
      • Neoadjuvant chemotherapy
      • Osteoporosis
      • Stage, Grade & Receptors
      • Tamoxifen
      • Targeted Therapies >
        • Anti-HER2 therapies
        • Other targeted therapies
      • Zoladex and stopping the ovaries
    • Clinical Trials
    • Exercise
    • FAQ
    • Herbal Preparations
    • Insomnia
    • Living with Chemotherapy >
      • Anaemia
      • Alopecia
      • Bad Smells
      • Beating Nausea
      • Changes in mental function
      • Depression
      • Diarrhoea
      • Dysgeusia
      • Fatigue
      • Indigestion and Heartburn
      • Low Blood Counts and Infection
      • Menstrual Changes and Infertility
      • Mouth Soreness and Ulceration
      • Nose Bleeds
      • Port-a-caths
    • Managing Menopause
    • Marijuana
    • Nutrition >
      • Eating to be cancer free
      • Losing Weight
      • Diet and chemotherapy
    • Pain
    • Palliative Care
    • Vaccinations
    • What's new
  • COVID-19 information
  • MORE
    • Downloads
    • Useful Resources
    • Patient information booklets
  • Search