Early side effects after transplant

A type of medication called ‘anti-emetic drugs’ can help stop nausea. You might take them as tablets, through your central line, or as a sticky plaster on your skin that contains the medication.

It’s important to replace lost fluids and stay hydrated. You can drink isotonic drinks or use rehydration salt sachets to replace the lost salts and sugars your cells need to stay healthy. You might hear these sugars called ‘electrolytes’.

You might take anti-diarrhoeal medication to help with the symptoms. But your medical team will also want to identify the reason why you’re having diarrhoea. They might take samples to test for infection, or might suggest changes to your diet, eating habits or medications.

You might get tablets to help treat and prevent further diarrhoea. If you’re still in hospital while experiencing diarrhoea, doctors might need to give you medicine through your central line to make sure your body absorbs it.

It might help to eat plain foods that are easier to digest. You’ll also need to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids.

For more information about treating diarrhoea, visit the Cancer Research UK website.

You can use sprays or gels that keep your mouth moist, as well as taking painkillers. If you find regular painkillers aren’t working well enough, your doctor might recommend a continuous infusion of a strong painkiller, like morphine.

Doctors will give you stronger painkillers through a small pump into the tissue just under the skin, which you might hear called a ‘subcutaneous’ pump. With a small needle, this is usually placed into the skin on your abdomen, back of your upper arm or upper leg.

It’s also important to practise good oral hygiene and use mouthwash. A toothbrush with softer bristles might feel better if you have sore gums.

You’ll probably find it easier to eat softer foods like mashed potato and soups. Ice lollies can help to numb any gum pain, plus they’re a good way of getting extra fluid.

Your medical team will regularly monitor your weight. You may also see a dietician who can advise on how to increase your nutrients and might give you supplement drinks or soups.

However, if the problems don’t go away, doctors might need to make sure you get the right nutrients by using a feeding tube. There are two different types of feeding tube:

1. Enteral nutrition - Nutrition comes through a small tube directly into your stomach. This is usually a ‘nasogastric’ tube, which means inserted through your nose and down your throat. You’ll probably have this for a few weeks or until your condition improves. These tubes also help if you have a sore mouth or find it difficult to swallow.  
2. Parenteral nutrition – Nutrition is delivered directly into your bloodstream through your central line. Your nurse will do this procedure and then clean your line to reduce the risk of infection. People often get parenteral nutrition in cases of severe GvHD in the digestive tract, or if it’s very difficult to keep any food or drink down.

For more information on feeding tubes, visit the Cancer Research UK website.

You might find it helps to:

• change your eating habits
• change the types of food you eat
• eat smaller amounts of plain foods more often
• drink flavoured water.

For more information and advice on eating well after your transplant, see our page about diet.

While there are no specific medications to treat fatigue, there are some ways to manage it. For example, your physiotherapist in hospital might set up a programme of gentle exercises and stretches for you to do daily.

As your energy levels are likely to go up and down:

• On what feels like a good day, try not to overdo things by exercising too much.
• On what feels like a bad day, it’s important to still try to do something small to get you moving.

For more information and advice, including tips on balancing your energy levels and being active, see our page on managing fatigue.

Depending on the type and cause of your infection, doctors might give you:

• antibiotics
• anti-fungal medications
• anti-viral medications.

You might take medication in different ways depending on the type of infection. Doctors might give you medicine through your central line or as oral antibiotics, which are usually in tablet or capsule form.

In your protective isolation ward, there should be measures in place to reduce the risk of infection. These might include:

• air filters
• alcohol gel hand washes
• daily bedding changes
• thorough and regular cleaning.

Depending on how you’re feeling, you might take medication to help with a developing mental health problem like depression or anxiety.

Another option is talking to a counsellor or doing another type of talking therapy. Your transplant team will be able to refer you if this is something you’d like to try.

For tips and advice on looking after your mental health and wellbeing, visit our other pages on:

• Your mental health after a stem cell transplant
• Finding support for your mental health

We have more suggestions for how to cope in our booklet Your Mental Health and Stem Cell Transplant.

If you want to speak to someone more directly, you can apply for the Telephone Emotional Support Service – a service for stem cell transplant patients and family members.