Support or Side Effects > When to Call Your Doctor or 911

Last update: 07/29/2010

TOPICS
Potential Emergency | When to Call Your Doctor

Ask your doctor for guidance on what constitutes a medical emergency, 
when you should call, and the actions you should take!

Keep your doctor's  phone number handy.

Also see Symptoms Checklist - A PDF guide

When to call your doctor or nurse - general guidelines 

Potential Indications of an Emergency (CALL 911)

	Difficulty breathing , or you suspect an acute allergic reaction
	Chest pain, pressure, tightening
	New onset of severe pain
	Visual changes: blurred vision, loss of vision, partial loss of vision
	Numbness and tingling in arms and legs that won’t go away
	Inability to swallow
	Sudden onset of confusion, disorientation, memory loss
	High fever (101 or higher) – particularly if you are immune suppressed

Reasons to Contact Your Doctor - general guidelines

When there is doubt about the significance of a new symptom or side effect, 
let your doctor or nurse decide. 

Call if you experience:

	Change in ability to walk
	Difficulty or burning when urinating
	Excessive bleeding or unusual bruising
	Fevers or chills (if temperature is over 100.5° F)
	Inability to swallow
	Mouth sores
	Nausea or vomiting and/or diarrhea for more than 24 hours
	New onset of pain that is not relieved by current medications
	Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea for more than 2 days
	Neuropathy (numbness) or ringing in the ear   NOTE: The half life of Vincristine (how long it stays active in the body) and perhaps other chemo drugs can vary significantly from patient to patient.  Therefore your doctor will need honest feedback from you about symptoms in order to adjust the dosing if necessary.
	Persistent or severe headache
	When there is a significant change in bowel movements.