The side effects of stem cell transplantation are mostly caused due to the use of chemotherapy in high-doses. It can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, skin rash, mouth sores and hair loss. Individuals undergoing chemotherapy are also susceptible to bleeding, anaemia and infection as blood-producing cells are destroyed in the process.
If the transplant was performed using your own stem cells (autologous transplant), you can expect to stay in the hospital for about two weeks or less. Usually, it takes two to three months to recover physically following such a procedure, and it may take a year to get back on your normal routine. However, if you have a desk job, you can resume working within one to two months provided that your blood counts have stabilised within that time.
If you had an allogeneic stem cell transplant that uses the donor’s cells, four to six weeks is the minimum that you need to stay in the hospital. The stay may be longer if you develop GvHD, a condition in which the donor’s immune system turns against the patient’s cells.