Foods etc., to include during chemo?

[savingdaddy]

To all the warriors here who’ve gone through chemo, what’s your advice on foods or anything else you’d like to include that my dad should include in his diet that will help ward off side effects, etc. He begins treatment 1 tomorrow. Thank you and God bless! Kimberly

[Hidden]

I just finished number 10 infusion over the last 8 months and I have done nothing special with diet other than eat normal healthy. Do drink lots of water!

[savingdaddy in reply to Hidden]

Can you tell me what your experience was with chemo? This is my dad’s first. Thanks Kimberly

[Hidden in reply to savingdaddy]

First 6 were docetaxel. Went fine until #4 and then it kicked my fanny with huge fatigue, really sore/weak legs, blood in my sinuses. I looked bad.....skin tone was really washed out. Also, my psa started going back up after #4. Doubling every few weeks.

Now I am on Lupron, Xtandi and a reduced dose of cabazitaxel. It is going much better this time. Most likely due to the reduced dosage per the clinical trial I am on. PSA has dropped from 10.87 to 1.57 after 4 session but I am also on full dose Xtandi per the trial.

[tom67inMA]

Anything he can eat! I developed a particular fondness for ice cream when my mouth and throat were sore. It's a time for foods that are tasty and easily digested.

To really keep the side effects in check, exercise as much as possible. Moving the body helps spread the drug around to all the nooks and crannies in the body and helps keep fatigue at bay.

[Hidden]

He should eat whatever sounds good to him. I did not like the taste of water so I found that flavored drinks like Gatorade worked better for me. Smoothies or shakes are good too.

[Schwah]

I did chemo and fared pretty well. A few tips:

1. Ice fingers on and off during infusion

2. Suck and chew on ice chips during infusion

3. Execricse even when you don’t feel like it. Bad days are 3 and 4 for me. Like the flu but manageable.

4. Have some great laxatives available. The worst for me was the constipation

5. They will give you meds for nausea. Only use if it’s bad as I learned later they add to the constipation.

6. Drink lots of water before , after and during. Helps flush out the toxins.

Not horrible. Fresh air, water and exercise.

Good luck to your dad

Schwah

[larry_dammit]

Sorry to hear about the monster, my dietician told me when starting chemo to eat anything that tasted good just keep my weight up. Lots of potatoes and gravy,pink lemonade and pie with ice cream. Just don’t let him get into a funk Lots of naps and love time. 🙏🙏🙏🙏

[MGuzzi]

Agree with everyone else - whatever tastes good. Years ago when my father was on chemo he relied on milkshakes. Now that I'm up at bat I've been making morning smoothies - 1 banana, cup of frozen berries cup of milk, 1/4 cup of orange juice run through the blender. I'm drinking it now as I type. Gets me launched in the morning. (+coffee).

[MarkBC]

I didn't find chemo to be as bad as I imagined it would be although it still is no picnic. I didn't drink much water before the treatment because I hated dragging the equipment with me to go to the washroom. I drank a lot after the infusion was done.

I ate my normal diet until rounds 5 and 6. That's when the chemo started to affect my tastebuds and many foods became unappealing. At that point you just need to experiment with what tastes good and eat that. I found apples were very good and I ate a lot of those. Milk tasted better than water. I avoided anything spicy. Taste returned to normal shortly after chemo ended. Best of luck.

[monte1111]

Any thing that keeps weight up. I used pickle spears and saltine crackers plus extra sharp cheese in the middle of night for sore throat. Note some say dairy is not good for prostate cancer. Keep something by the bed side.

[j-o-h-n]

I haven't had chemo (yet), thank goodness.... but my staple is Chocolate chip ice cream (two scoops)...

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Thursday 06/20/2019 5:54 PM DST

[vandy69]

I have had 12 infusions with Docetaxel/Carboplatin combo. My advice is:

1. Took Dexamethasone day before, day of, and day after chemo to moderate immediate side effects.

2. Began each infusion with small infusion of Aloxi to stop nausea.

3. MO suggested daily 100mg. Vitamin B6 to moderate neuropathy.

4. Used Biotene products for mouth care.

5. Ended each session with On Body Injector of Neulasta to boost white blood cells.

6. Took Claritin day before chemo and for next 6 days to stop bone pain from Neulasta.

7. Used Wisconsin American ginseng for fatigue. Google Mayo Clinic for their trial.

Best wishes. Never Give In.

Mark, Atlanta

[pakb]

I searched and poured over this site for info before my husband's 1st chemo. He was 49 when he was diagnosed august 2017 (gl 9 PSA >677, metastatic) and during chemo- so age can have an effect on response from what I read. He was strong and at a great weight before and during. He fasted the day before each chemo (research on this), had 2-3 protein shakes a day, had gone vegan the month before at diagnosis (I think he felt he wanted to control something), drank LOTS of water and a healthy electrolyte drink, used a lot of lotion and lip conditioner (still got very dry- skin, eyes, lips). He worked out out at least 3x a week during chemo. Usually 4. Some cardio but mostly weights. We asked his doctor about all supplements, nutrition, etc. He said nothing would hurt and so my husband did have a phyotonutrient powder and herbal antioxidant powder in his protein shake 2x a day. Def ask your oncologist though. He didn't lose any weight. He did get fatigued his last two chemos treatments.

Again- I'd research here, ask your oncologist (I took info to my husband's oncologist), and you def don't want him miserable so consider that as well!. My husband doesn't mind being vegan and he has felt good for the last two years. PSA not below 1 yet- but I'll take steady as long as scans show mets shrinking and he feels good.

[savingdaddy in reply to pakb]

Thank you! This is very helpful❤️ Kimberly

[pakb in reply to savingdaddy]

This site has been a huge help to me. I'm happy to give back. Keep us posted!💙

[savingdaddy in reply to pakb]

Will do!

[tallguy2]

I found those fizzy flavored 0-calories waters to be very helpful. I stayed hydrated much more than I would have drinking two water. Other than that I didn’t change a thing diet-wise during chemo or radiation. Others here will have other opinions. There is no right answer for everyone.

Best wishes!

[savingdaddy in reply to tallguy2]

Thanks!