Chemotherapy overdose

[jaunuary]

Is it possible to die of an overdose of Chemotherapy? My Mom died after 2 full days of Chemo. She was unconscious and shaking horribly. Not once did the doctor say it was the Chemo. He just said her kidneys failed.

[dave]

Without chemotherapy she would have died anyway, eventually. Sure it is a poison but it is also a miracle. It kills and it saves lives. It kills the cells in the body both good and bad. So if you are fighting cancer then it is a good weapon to have, without chemotherapy many people would be dead from cancer today.

I am not sure she died from an "overdose" of the drugs. It used to be that way, mistakes made but now here in the US there are some safeguards against somebody getting the wrong dosage.

Before one gets chemotherapy they will have a blood draw, and a report will be given to the oncologist. Before you see the oncologist the nurse will take her weight and blood pressure. Then you will be asked as a patient how you are feeling and asked about your concerns regarding your treatment.

Then the oncologist will come in and examine you. They will ask you about how things are going for you and answer any questions you may have about your cancer. After they do that they look at your blood counts.

If anything is wrong like too low of white cells they will not give you the chemotherapy that day.

Once you are given the ok for the treatment then you go to the chemotherapy ward. The doctor has determined the mix of chemotherapy drugs you would be getting that day.

Then you would get your premeds and the actual chemotherapy drugs. Two nurses would double check your date of birth, and your full name. They will compare this with the prescription the oncologist ordered for you that day and you will be given the drug if everything matched up.

So, I believe the kidneys failure is the cause of death, not an overdose of the chemotherapy drugs. It could be that a regular dosage of the drug was too much for her weak system and was partly responsible for her death, but I do not believe it was because of an overdose of chemotherapy.

[lksproodle51]

Yes it is very possible and does happen. Each person is different and how their body reacts to drugs. The body is deluged with poisons(chemo) and sometimes it is so harsh on a weekend body it shuts down major organs.So sorry for your loss.

[inverse_mushroom_cloud]

It sounds more like an infection. Chemo as you probably know can severely compromise the immune system. Shaking is often a sign of a high fever, which usually accompanies an infection in the blood (sepsis).

I think it's very unlikely that an overdose was made with chemo. They use extroadinary caution when handling, prescribing, and administering it. At my hospital, 2 pharmacists prepare the chemo infusion bags. When it is received in the infusion center, 2 nurses check the amount to make sure it is correct. I have seen them check each other. It is reassuring.

I suppose some institutions might not be as careful ... you don't say where you are, or what type of facility.

[Panda]

It is possible. There is no cure for cancer, so when a patient agrees to take chemotherapy it should be with the knowledge and understanding that this is a last resort. There is no guarantee with chemotherapy or any other cancer treatments.

I'm sorry about your Mother. In general doctors are very aware of the health of a patient and whether they can tolerate chemotherapy or treatment. It is a balancing act sometimes between giving treatment that might kill the patient or taking a chance that the treatment may save the life of the patient. As I said . . there is no guarantee. Doctors generally take every known precaution before administering chemo..

It is very easy for people not familiar with cancer treatments to 'blame doctors' or 'blame chemo' for deaths .. however, the only reason your mother was being treated in the first place was because she had cancer . . so it is the cancer you should focus on and not those people who were trying to save her life.