By Vaishnavi Shukla

Nadir period. Sounds scary, but it is not. It is just a phase that passes, if handled well. 

Nadir period is the period of time during cancer treatment when the blood count (especially WBCs) is lowest. It occurs 7-12 days after a chemotherapy session and lasts for 5-7 days. Pretty tough period, isn’t it? Since the immune system of the body is at its lowest at this time, there are plenty of chances to fall ill. The most common infections that can occur are cough and cold. 

The nadir period may or may not occur in all cancer patients. It might not even occur after each chemotherapy session. Since it lasts for a couple of days, care needs to be taken to avoid any complications. The next chemotherapy session may get postponed if the nadir period is prolonged. This only prolongs the treatment. 

Watch out for:

• Fever
• Chills
• Cough
• Pain
• Swelling
• Breathing difficulty
• Burning sensation
• Sores on body

Remember that it is not the cancer diagnosis that is causing this nadir period, but the treatment you are taking. Now, how you cope up during this period is important. Nutrition plays a very important role in building up the immune system. But the type of cancer you have can affect your nutritional status.

Simply put, the nadir period needs to be handled very carefully. Avoid its onset in the first place, and if it occurs, don’t let it last for long.