Help… I can’t Swallow My Chemo Pills

With many types of chemotherapy (chemo) drugs available these days, doctors can recommend one form over another based on their patients condition, tolerance and preferences. Chemo taken orally works just as well as other forms of chemotherapy and may be the right choice for patients experiencing adverse side effects to drugs administered via IV.
For those taking chemo orally there are plenty online resources such as the Dana Farber Cancer Institute page that provide tips and guidelines for a safe practice. Few resources however provide practical solutions to some of the challenges that arise from the need to swallow chemo pills.

For you and me the act of swallowing may be a simple one but over the years I have seen a good share of patients struggling, afraid of swallowing their pills. Some can easily swallow food but not pills; others will gag just thinking about how the pills taste or smell or even how it feels in their mouth. For these patients, hypnotherapy may offer the relief they seek, providing a practical and effective solution to overcoming this fear.

Hypnotherapy Help Cancer Patients Swallow Chemo Pills

The clinical term related specifically to the fear of swallowing is Phagophobia. hypnosis for cancer patientsIt relates to swallowing complaints when no apparent physical limitation is observed. A more general term for difficulty with swallowing is Dysphagia which addresses wider range of causes including fear, pain, or some other cognitive, anatomical or physiological problem.

The advantage of hypnosis over other psychological interventions is our ability to engage the fear subconsciously. This allows us to avoid inflating the fear or causing further hardship. The point of hypnosis of course is not to “make” or force anyone to act against their will but to help them resolve and dissolve the very thought process that feed the fear. Addressing the cause will change its effect. If one’s fearful thought process, belief system or perception associated with swallowing has altered from difficult, painful or dangerous to comfortable, beneficial and safe his or her behavior will change accordingly.

If you struggle with swallowing your medication be sure to discuss the option of hypnosis with your medical team. Never alter the course of your treatment without talking to your doctor first. Hypnosis is a safe, effective and noninvasive intervention but it should be integrated into your medical care.

The Power of Imagery

Assuming there is no physiological basis for your difficulties swallowing and that you want to keep improving your skill of swallowing on your own here is a good place to start.

Guided Meditation for FearThe power of the mind to influence the body is quite remarkable because Imagery is the most fundamental language we have. Our mind processes everything we do through images and we can harness this ability to promote desired outcomes such as an easier time swallowing.

Visualize success. In your mind’s eye see yourself calmly and easily swallowing the pill. Break the process into tiny bits of action and see yourself successful at each of them. Take it very slowly, and make sure you feel comfortable at any given moment. If tension arise for any reason go back and start from the beginning. Repeatedly visualizing success can have a very real beneficial impact.

6 Most Compelling Reasons for Integrating Hpnosis into Your Cancer Care

Cancer is more than just a physical event, it affects every aspect of our being. Emotional pain, mental strains and even spiritual challenges are rooted in the very core of illness and increasingly patients are seeking to find non-pharmaceutical solutions to these challenges such as Hypnosis.

If you ever had medical emergency you already know that the onset of a such threat is frightening to say the least. For many people the ground seem to have shifted beneath their feet and in spite of themselves they unwillingly begin to contemplate the unthinkable. Fear gets stronger because we’re not sure what this threat means to our livelihood, what it means to our family and career. We’re not sure that we have the inner strength or the innate resources to cope with all that is about to come.

While fear is a perfectly normal respond to any life threatening event, it can quickly paint our experience with anxious and dark colors. Here is where hypnosis can be of tremendous help to patients, offering relief and remedy not only to our thoughts, beliefs and fears but also to our body.

6 Ways Hypnosis Can Help Cancer Patients

Hypnosis, as an adjunct therapy to conventional medical care can help patients address a wide range of challenges and symptoms. It has shown to help with the following:

1. Lessen anticipatory fear and anxiety.
2. Lessen many adverse treatment side effects.
3. Accelerate rate of recovery from the treatment.
4. Improve patient’s attitude toward treatment.
5. Enhance patient’s outlook for possible recovery.
6. Instill a sense of mastery during and after treatment.

Because patients can feel and experience the results from their hypnosis session right away it is the perfect natural and noninvasive, drug-less and painless therapy. Either working with a hypnotherapist in his or her office or listening to a self-hypnosis recording; patients can play an active role in their healing and participate in their treatment.

More Cancer Treatment Centers Offer Complimentary Cancer Care

altenative cancer therapyNow days many cancer treatment Centers offer patients access to Complementary Alternative services. Services such as massage therapy, acupuncture, Qigong and even music therapy are more common than ever and patients greatly benefit.

Hypnosis also makes its way into mainstream facilities, slowly but surely. The trend is positive and I can attest to this myself having developed a relationship with one of Boston’s most prestigious Cancer institutions. Doctors, even the skeptics or those still holding some misconception about the practice and its clinical value simply cannot ignore the ever growing body of evidence that strongly support it.

For medical professionals and patients alike research is the definitive factor and rightly so. It is likely that with more quality research and greater awareness to the validity and efficacy of Hypnosis for cancer its use will increase. In the meantime, patients will continue to manage their care outside the hospital walls.