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Head Lice – Help!!!

Every parent’s heart sinks when they receive the dreaded note from school warning about head lice. Don’t worry – Jane Brennan from Brennan’s Life Pharmacy in Donabate is here to to give us advice and tips. The first thing to do is to check the child’s head. You will need some tea tree conditioner, a... Read more >

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Are You SunSmart?

We ask Jane Brennan from Brennan’s Life Pharmacy Donabate how to make the most of great sunny summer days whilst protecting our skin from harmful rays. Jane says “The Irish Cancer Society SunSmart program has great guidelines to keep us safe. See below for some useful tips and advice” Ways to protect your skin: Shade... Read more >

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Pollen Highs & Watery Eyes

Pollen Highs & Watery Eyes… Talk to Jane Brennan, your Hay Fever Expert in Donabate Are your eyes itchy, red or watery? Is your throat scratchy? Are you sneezing? Do you have itchy ears, nose or mouth? Do you have a blocked or runny nose? Do you wake up feeling exhausted? Hay fever can cause... Read more >

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Life Pharmacy Ireland – Live Better

Bringing you the best health advice for your family

NHS Choices - Who can use chemotherapy

(10/03/2015)

As chemotherapy is a potentially life-saving treatment, it's usually recommended for most people with cancer, even if they're in poor health and it's likely the treatment will make them feel worse.

Delaying treatment, or in some cases not having chemotherapy, may be recommended if you:

  • are in the first three months of pregnancy  using chemotherapy during this time has a very high risk of causing birth defects
  • have low levels of blood cells  chemotherapy can lower your blood cell count further, so it could make you feel very ill and vulnerable to infection (medication and sometimes a blood transfusion may be needed to raise your blood cell count)
  • have severe kidney or liver disease  most chemotherapy medications are processed by your liver and kidneys, so this could have a very harmful effect if your liver and kidneys are already damaged
  • have had recent surgery or a wound  chemotherapy can disrupt the body’s ability to heal wounds, so it's usually recommended that the wound heals before treatment begins
  • have an ongoing infection  chemotherapy can make you more vulnerable to the effects of infection, increasing your risk of developing serious complications


Back to Chemotherapy