A chemotherapy infusion can last anywhere from a few hours to most of the day, so what you pack matters more than you might expect. The basics fall into a few categories: comfort items, food and drink, entertainment, skin and mouth care, and paperwork. Here’s what to bring and why each item earns a spot in your bag.
Paperwork and Medical Documents
Your first session requires a photo ID, your insurance card, and a written list of every medication you currently take, including over-the-counter drugs and supplements. Write down the dose and how often you take each one. Include any known allergies. Even if you’ve already provided this information over the phone, most centers ask for it again in person. After your first visit the paperwork lightens up, but keep your insurance card and ID with you every time.
Clothing That Keeps You Warm and Accessible
Infusion centers tend to run cool, and you’ll be sitting still for hours, so layers are essential. Bring a blanket or throw you don’t mind washing frequently, warm socks, and a hoodie or zip-up jacket. If you have a port implanted in your chest, a button-down shirt or a top with a wide neckline makes access easier and avoids the awkwardness of pulling a crewneck up around your chin. Several companies now make hoodies and sweatshirts with zippered sleeves and front panels designed specifically for port and IV access. These aren’t necessary, but they’re worth knowing about if standard clothing feels like a hassle.
If you have a PICC line in your arm, a loose-fitting long sleeve you can roll up works fine. Some patients use specialized arm covers with a small mesh window so nurses can see the line without removing the cover entirely.
Patients receiving certain drugs, particularly oxaliplatin, can develop intense cold sensitivity that makes touching anything cold feel painful or tingly. If your regimen includes one of these drugs, bring gloves or oven mitts for reaching into a fridge or freezer, and plan to drink everything at room temperature or warm.
Snacks and Drinks
Eating a light meal before your session helps reduce nausea, and bringing snacks keeps your energy stable during a long infusion. Stick with bland, low-odor foods. You’re in a shared space with other patients who may be sensitive to strong smells, and your own nose may be sharper than usual. Good options include crackers, a toasted bagel with peanut butter, plain yogurt, bananas, applesauce, or chicken rice soup in a thermos.
Hydration matters even more than food. Drinking fluids frequently helps your body flush chemotherapy byproducts and reduces side effects. Water is the best choice. Apple juice, grape juice, broth, ginger tea, mint tea, weak black tea, and sports drinks also work well. Avoid anything acidic like orange juice or lemonade, which can irritate your digestive tract. Sip small amounts every half hour rather than trying to drink a lot at once.
Cold foods and drinks give off less aroma than hot ones, which can help if nausea hits. But if you’re on a regimen that causes cold sensitivity, stick with warm or room-temperature options instead.
Lip and Mouth Care
Dry mouth is one of the most common side effects of chemotherapy, and it can start during the infusion itself. Bring a lip balm to prevent cracking, and consider packing an alcohol-free mouth rinse or a small bottle of homemade rinse (one teaspoon each of salt and baking soda in a quart of water). Alcohol-based mouthwashes will make dryness worse. Hard candies or sugar-free gum can also help stimulate saliva production during your session.
A soft-bristle toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste are worth tossing in your bag if your sessions run long. If toothpaste irritates your mouth, a simple salt water solution (one teaspoon of salt in four cups of water) works as a gentle alternative.
Skin Care Essentials
Chemotherapy dries out your skin, sometimes severely. Bring a fragrance-free moisturizer and apply it as needed during your session. Scented lotions can trigger nausea in you or the patients around you. Hand cream is especially useful since you’ll be washing your hands frequently in clinical settings. If you have a port, ask your care team about adhesive port covers that hold numbing cream in place before your line is accessed. These small disc-shaped devices stick over the port site and keep the numbing agent from sliding around, which makes the needle stick more comfortable.
Entertainment for the Long Sit
Most infusion centers offer free Wi-Fi and some have individual TVs, but don’t count on either working perfectly or being available at your location. Come prepared to entertain yourself. A fully charged phone or tablet covers most bases. Bring a long charging cable (six feet or more) since the nearest outlet may not be right next to your chair. Noise-canceling headphones or earbuds are close to essential. Centers are semi-private, and most ask patients to keep phone conversations brief and quiet, so headphones let you watch shows, listen to podcasts, or make a call without disturbing anyone.
Books, magazines, puzzles, knitting, coloring books, or a journal all work well for patients who get tired of screens. Some people find they can’t concentrate during treatment, so having a mix of passive entertainment (podcasts, music) and active options (reading, crosswords) lets you match your energy level in the moment.
Comfort Items
A pillow or neck pillow makes reclining in an infusion chair much more comfortable, especially for sessions lasting four hours or more. Some patients bring a favorite blanket from home both for warmth and for the psychological comfort of something familiar. Compression socks can help with circulation if you’ll be sitting for a long stretch. Eye masks are useful if you want to nap, since infusion centers stay brightly lit.
Bring a tote bag or small backpack rather than a purse. You want something roomy enough to hold everything without digging, and something you can hang on your IV pole or tuck beside your chair.
If You’re Using Scalp Cooling
Patients using cold cap therapy to reduce hair loss during treatment need to bring additional supplies. You’ll need multiple frozen cooling caps (the exact number depends on the system you’re using), a cooler packed with dry ice to keep them frozen, and a helper. Cold caps need to be swapped out as they warm, and you can’t do that yourself while connected to an IV. This person can be a friend, family member, caregiver, or a trained “capper” you hire. Bring a soft-bristle brush or wide-tooth comb for gently arranging your hair before and after capping.
What Your Support Person Should Bring
Most infusion centers allow at least one companion, though policies on visitors vary by facility. Check with your center in advance. Your support person should bring their own snacks, water, charger, and something to do. They won’t have access to a separate waiting area in most cases and will be sitting beside you for the duration. A book, laptop, or headphones for their own entertainment keeps both of you comfortable without creating pressure to talk the whole time.
A Quick Packing List
- Documents: photo ID, insurance card, medication list with doses
- Clothing: layers, warm socks, blanket, port-accessible top if needed, gloves if cold-sensitive
- Food and drink: bland snacks, water bottle, room-temperature beverages
- Mouth and skin: lip balm, fragrance-free moisturizer, alcohol-free mouth rinse
- Entertainment: phone or tablet, long charging cable, headphones, book or puzzle
- Comfort: pillow or neck pillow, eye mask, tote bag
After your first session, you’ll know what you actually reached for and what stayed in the bag. Adjust from there. Most patients develop a streamlined kit within two or three visits.