Eating and chemo

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KatDaz
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2018 7:54 pm

Eating and chemo

Postby KatDaz » Tue Jul 31, 2018 7:13 pm

Hello again, I have not posted for several weeks now, I have completed 3 of 8 rounds of chemo (folfox) and the nausea is kicking my butt and so my oncologist tried this last time giving me a dose of anti nausea before disconnect on Wednesday. So that helped until about Saturday and then trying to eat so that I stay regular, I have a colostomy bag, constipation hurts like a you know what and diarrhea is not fun. Sunday I was miserable beyond words!!! I try to eat small meals, bland foods etc to accommodate nausea and now I’m also getting heartburn! I chase nausea with phernergan and heartburn with tums, this is just crazy!

I hope that all makes some sense as there are several factors going on.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what to eat to stay regular but also not have nausea so much and then also the heartburn?

Thanks so much,
Kathie
Via ER had CT scan on 4/4/2018 that showed mass in colon that nearly broke through
Date of diagnosis: 4/5/2018 with surgery performed this day to remove 3.2 cm tumor - stage 2A
Colonoscopy on 6/15/2018 - all clear, he asked how does normal sound!!! :D
Power Port placed on 6/21/2018
Chemo started 6/25/2018 Folfox
Started with Neulasta now given Neupogen

boxhill
Posts: 789
Joined: Fri Apr 06, 2018 11:40 am

Re: Eating and chemo

Postby boxhill » Wed Aug 01, 2018 1:10 pm

I have no advice on what to eat, since that is really individual, but is sounds like you need more and/or better anti-nausea meds.

Are you only getting the one thing during infusion? I haven't even had nausea to speak of, and they give me a steroid and two anti-nausea drugs through the pump before my infusion begins. I also have 3 prescription drugs that I basically don't use: ondansetron, lorazepam, and prochlorperazine. In addition, I've got a senna laxative and ducosate stool softener just in case of constipation. Since lots of people get constipated by the anti-nausea drugs, they say to take one of each on infusion day if it's a problem for you.

It's not a problem for me: I have constant diarrhea, for which I occasionally take immodium.

I find that crackers, such as saltines, settle my stomach, and its a good idea not to get too hungry. I know that I personally don't digest lettuce, which goes straight through me, and don't do too well with blueberries either, both of which emerge in recognizable form within an hour or so of eating. (Sorry, TMI. :) ) I do eat a lot of plain yogurt, just about every morning, sometimes with the aforementioned berries. It's from a local farm and I think the cultures help my gut.
F, 64 at DX CRC Stage IV
3/17/18 blockage, r hemi
11 of 25 LN,5 mesentery nodes
5mm liver met
pT3 pN2b pM1
BRAF wild, KRAS G12D
dMMR, MSI-H
5/18 FOLFOX
7/18 and 11/18 CT NED
12/18 MRI 5mm liver mass, 2 LNs in porta hepatis
12/31/18 Keytruda
6/19 Multiphasic CT LNs normal, Liver stable
6/28/19 Pause Key, predisone for joint pain
7/31/19 Restart Key
9/19 CT stable
Pain: all fails but Celebrex
12/23/19 CT stable
5/20 MRI stable/NED
6/20 Stop Key
All MRIs NED

KatDaz
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2018 7:54 pm

Re: Eating and chemo

Postby KatDaz » Wed Aug 01, 2018 3:05 pm

Thank you for the reply.

I should have given more information, yes, i get a steroid and two anti nausea meds before my infusion on Monday and then before they disconnect me from the pump on Wednesday i get a push of additional anti nausea med - i believe oxi.

I was prescibed zofran first and that just wasnt working so last week i was prescribed the phernergan. I have lorazepam too but that wipes me out and so I haven’t been taking that. I have worked everyday except two half days in addition to my infusion days that i take off, and constipation is a side effect of lorazepam and i already have that. I do take miralax every other day vs every day so i dont get to much diarrhea as it seems to swing hard that way on an every day basis.

I get a neupogen shot on Thursday after disconnect as with neulasta my white cell count was too high and i do take claritin to keep away the bone aches and so far so good on that.

My taste buds are also affecting what i eat which i know is normal but i just cant seem to find something that tastes good either, ughhh. I do eat saltines, i have them at work and by my bed, they actually do not taste good either anymore but i do eat them because they do help to some degree.

Then the heartburn, o my, thats not fun and i chase that with tums.

I feel that im just chasing one thing with another with not much if any relief and then before i know it im in for another treatment.

Im trying not to be a whiner so i hope im not coming across that way here, i thought maybe someone has/had a similar experience and could possibly share what worked. I will try yogurt, im not the biggest fan but i will try it. I truly apreciate your reply and information.

Kathie
Via ER had CT scan on 4/4/2018 that showed mass in colon that nearly broke through
Date of diagnosis: 4/5/2018 with surgery performed this day to remove 3.2 cm tumor - stage 2A
Colonoscopy on 6/15/2018 - all clear, he asked how does normal sound!!! :D
Power Port placed on 6/21/2018
Chemo started 6/25/2018 Folfox
Started with Neulasta now given Neupogen

Caat55
Posts: 694
Joined: Sat Dec 23, 2017 6:01 pm

Re: Eating and chemo

Postby Caat55 » Wed Aug 01, 2018 5:30 pm

I feel your pain. I found oatmeal and whole grain toast helpful. Butter lettuce is digested easily and doesn't come out as partially chewed in bag. The last weeks of chemo I ate pickles, prosciutto, toast. Friends teased me I was eating like a pregnant person. Sounds strange but the strongly favored foods worked for me. Annie's Bunny Mac and Cheese was good to. Prior to chemo, my go to food for all things was chocolate and it tasted awful, actually all sweets taste awful. I made a cake, tasted it and gave it to my chickens, made a second which I served to my friends and they loved it, both tasted the same to me.
I got a nausea med with chemo but ended up starting nausea meds on first day of chemo, also found a CBC tinture 20:1 was a god send. I am about 10 days out from my last treatment and finally feeling normal. Still don't have a sweet tooth.
Do at 55 y.o. Female
Dx 9/26/17 RC Stage 3
Completed 33 rad. tx, xeolda 12/8/17
MRI and PET 1/18 sign. regression
Surgery 1/31/18 Ileostomy, clean margins, no lymph node involved
Port 3/1/2018
Oxaliplatin and Xeloda start 3/22/18
Last Oxaliplatin 7/5/18, 5 rounds
CT NED 9/2018
PET NED 12/18
Clear Colonoscopy 2/19, 5/20

KatDaz
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2018 7:54 pm

Re: Eating and chemo

Postby KatDaz » Wed Aug 01, 2018 7:12 pm

I was eating oatmeal and made it with milk and when i first started chemo i found that milk seemed to make me sick or maybe not im not sure now. I think trying it again cant be any worse than what im already feeling and if so il make it with water :(

Right now i have eggs and whole wheat toast for breakfast and that seems to go well. I was having cottage cheese for lunch and now that tastes like its bad and i know its not. I hate that chemo taste at the end of the week of treatment too.

I think trying some of your suggestions are definitely worth a shot, il update after a lil bit, i have chemo next week monday and im half way through with that treatment :)))

Thanks so much for giving me some suggestions on things to try. Kathie
Via ER had CT scan on 4/4/2018 that showed mass in colon that nearly broke through
Date of diagnosis: 4/5/2018 with surgery performed this day to remove 3.2 cm tumor - stage 2A
Colonoscopy on 6/15/2018 - all clear, he asked how does normal sound!!! :D
Power Port placed on 6/21/2018
Chemo started 6/25/2018 Folfox
Started with Neulasta now given Neupogen

boxhill
Posts: 789
Joined: Fri Apr 06, 2018 11:40 am

Re: Eating and chemo

Postby boxhill » Wed Aug 01, 2018 9:37 pm

You are not a whiner! Trying to attain some kind of a balance when swinging between constipation and diarrhea is bad enough w/o dealing with a colostomy and nausea!!

I should explain that I have T2 diabetes and thus have to restrict carbs, especially since the steroid drives my blood sugar wild. I am pretty much barred from the comforting foods like mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, and so on that many people find most palatable when on chemo. Lots of people swear by mashed or baked potatoes. :) If you normally like sour cream on a baked potato, and want to change it up to something with perhaps more protein, try plain greek yogurt instead. I would also suggest cottage cheese, but I gather than is not tasting good these days. I also recommend pastina with cream or butter and some grated romano. It seems to set well with my innards, although it is a major indulgence for me due to the carbs. :)

Good luck on finding something that works for you.
F, 64 at DX CRC Stage IV
3/17/18 blockage, r hemi
11 of 25 LN,5 mesentery nodes
5mm liver met
pT3 pN2b pM1
BRAF wild, KRAS G12D
dMMR, MSI-H
5/18 FOLFOX
7/18 and 11/18 CT NED
12/18 MRI 5mm liver mass, 2 LNs in porta hepatis
12/31/18 Keytruda
6/19 Multiphasic CT LNs normal, Liver stable
6/28/19 Pause Key, predisone for joint pain
7/31/19 Restart Key
9/19 CT stable
Pain: all fails but Celebrex
12/23/19 CT stable
5/20 MRI stable/NED
6/20 Stop Key
All MRIs NED

KatDaz
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2018 7:54 pm

Re: Eating and chemo

Postby KatDaz » Thu Aug 02, 2018 6:43 am

Thank you for your kind words and yes thats all im trying to do.

I actually hadnt tried mac n cheese but it has now been suggested a couple of times so i will be trying it.

I appreciate all the suggestions.
Kathie
Via ER had CT scan on 4/4/2018 that showed mass in colon that nearly broke through
Date of diagnosis: 4/5/2018 with surgery performed this day to remove 3.2 cm tumor - stage 2A
Colonoscopy on 6/15/2018 - all clear, he asked how does normal sound!!! :D
Power Port placed on 6/21/2018
Chemo started 6/25/2018 Folfox
Started with Neulasta now given Neupogen

Kbelo
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2018 8:19 am

Re: Eating and chemo

Postby Kbelo » Tue Aug 07, 2018 8:31 am

For nausea, have you tried Emend? I had my first round of chemo (FOLFIRINOX) in July 18 and was sick 13 times overnight, which meant a trip back to the chemo unit the next day for IV fluids. I had been given ondansetron and prochlorazine and they did very little. This round (Aug 1st) I was given Emend, which you take the day of, and 2 days following. It worked wonders! I did end up vomiting a day after being unhooked from 5FU, but was able to control it with the first to drugs I mentioned, and CBD oil caplets.

I had both horrible constipation and diarrhea my first round and I have found that one dose of restoralax every morning has meant no constipation this time...but you need to drink a lot of water, which is hard when you have nausea. Senekot also helped with constipation, but it was hard on me and I may not try it again unless desperate...or try 1 pill instead of 3 to start (learning as I go). I hope you find something that works!
Stage 3B CC - diagnosed at 40
Bowel resection May 2018
28 nodes removed 1 with cancer traces
FOLFIRINOX started July 2018 for 6 months, finished Jan 2019.
1/19 - CT Scan shows NED
2/19 - CT Scan shows NED
5/19 - CT Scan shows NED
8/19 - CT scan + MRI show NED
2/20 - CT Scan shows NED
8/20 - CT Scan shows NED

KatDaz
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2018 7:54 pm

Re: Eating and chemo

Postby KatDaz » Tue Aug 07, 2018 10:46 am

First id like to say prayers to you that all goes well on your journey and welcome to the forum.

Thank you for the info - i haven't tried those drugs that you mentioned. I did however, yesterday and today, start taking my anti nausea Phenergan prior to the start of infusion as previously suggested so will see how that helps and then im scheduled for a push of oxi prior to disconnect tomorrow which with my last treatment helped me through Saturday. I think i actually have nausea more under control with these things, i also did ask for zanex in place of zofran and i also took that prior to hookup yesterday, just not today as im working and it did make me fall asleep.

Its what to eat thats my trouble at this point, water tastes nasty even, i tried mac n cheese and that also tasted bad idk how but it did, yuck! I just can’t wait till this is over - this is #4 so im half way through!!!

Constipation has been at bay for a little bit now and so that’s good, not sure what i did to make that happen except taking miralax when it seems like its coming on. I also am eatimg small things throughout the day bs bigger meals and i do think that helps as well.

Thanks so much for all the suggestions, il probably figure out what works best just as im done with treatments lol

Take care.
Kathie
Via ER had CT scan on 4/4/2018 that showed mass in colon that nearly broke through
Date of diagnosis: 4/5/2018 with surgery performed this day to remove 3.2 cm tumor - stage 2A
Colonoscopy on 6/15/2018 - all clear, he asked how does normal sound!!! :D
Power Port placed on 6/21/2018
Chemo started 6/25/2018 Folfox
Started with Neulasta now given Neupogen


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