02/15/2024
Research shows that aromatherapy can be useful for chemotherapy-induced nausea. Depending upon whether you run hot or cold, you might consider differing formulas of essential oils. If you tend to be on the warmer side, consider cooling oils like peppermint, eucalyptus, and lavender. If you tend to be more chilly, look into ginger, bergamot, and cardamom.
I always recommend using a blend of oils so that you don’t form a negative association with any one particular aroma. Many of my patients carry a vial of blends like the ones mentioned above for inhaling as needed.
Sources:
Toniolo, J., Delaide, V., & Beloni, P. (2021). Effectiveness of Inhaled Aromatherapy on Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: A Systematic Review. Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.), 27(12), 1058–1069. https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2021.0067
Reis, D., & Jones, T. (2017). Aromatherapy: Using Essential Oils as a Supportive Therapy. Clinical journal of oncology nursing, 21(1), 16–19. https://doi.org/10.1188/17.CJON.16-19
Farahani, M. A., Afsargharehbagh, R., Marandi, F., Moradi, M., Hashemi, S. M., Moghadam, M. P., & Balouchi, A. (2019). Effect of aromatherapy on cancer complications: A systematic review. Complementary therapies in medicine, 47, 102169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2019.08.003 Table 1 in this Systematic Review is very helpful in analyzing outcomes, interventions, and results from current aromatherapy research in oncology clinical settings.
