Best Diet While Undergoing External Beam Radiation

[TylexGP]

A question to all of you that have undergone External Beam Radiation. Was there a particular diet that helped. I have a list of things that I shouldn't eat due to gas production. Honestly there isn't anything I eat that doesn't cause gas but willing to try during treatment. Thank you for any suggestions or experiences. I start my EBRT on 8/23/2021.

[tallguy2]

The only time I had digestive trouble while on EBRT was after a Mexican dinner. Otherwise, I did fine on my normal diet.

[westof]

Hey Tylex, here is a reply I made awhile back regarding my experience with radiation and never altered my diet:

"Hmm... I had HDR Brachy 4/19, followed by 25 days of IMRT 7/19 at MSK. I was born with an anal fissure and had periodic episodes of bright red rectal bleeding all of my adult life and it was never a concern.

Prior to IMRT my RO suggested that I take Metamucil to help with potential episodes of diarrhea and I did.

Bottom line: No diarrhea and ever since, no rectal bleeding!!

Every morning I still take 5 capsules and the next day, I can time an effortless BM within half an hour after awakening. Fully evacuated, shower and I'm set for the day!!😃"

Hope this helps.

Best

[TylexGP in reply to westof]

Sounds we are on a similar track. I had HDR Brachy three weeks ago and start my IMRT on Monday 8/23. I had been taking Citrucel in preparation for the HDR and now just continuing it until I complete the IMRT. Thank you for sharing your experience.

[Hidden]

i didn't have any trouble eating anything, drinking beer, or anything. Not one single thing. But, your mileage may vary

[Tall_Allen]

I find simethicone may break up intestinal gas bubbles while they are smaller. Do probiotics make you less gassy?

[JD-guy]

I ate my regular diet while I did the beam radiation. I only had 10 sessions.

[Cooolone]

Yes, watching those gassy foods is a must! Supplement or OTC to help of it can't be avoided. If on the water protocol, that's harder too, watch eating foods that may absorb water because it's going to be hard to figure out then how much is needed to inflate the bladder. Like no PIZZA an hour before radiation, lol, ask me how I know 🙄

But for the IMRT 40 sessions I had, the first week was hardest finding a rythim... Then you get into a cruise control mode. The last week is torture because by then you can't wait for it to be over. The two episodes I had where I had to come off the table were in the beginning and end! Go figure! But once I got it down, it was the same thing, the same time, every day prior to RT, after didn't matter as much. But reset each morning! I don't remember my exactly diet, so sorry I cannot help with specifics.

Best Regards

[Billybob2]

I did low carbs, less than 50 grams, no sugar. Also took black seed oil supplements teice a day. Helped heal rectal cell issues. Had 26 sessions. Dr surprised i had no real rectal issues. Did have troule peeing once, had to b cathed. After that no issuescto date

[SUPERHEAT12]

I went to a mainly vegetarian diet...some fish and poultry and had no problem with diarrhea but I did have what the doc called "sluffing" of the lining of my intestines for many years after 43 sessions of IMRT radiation.

[Hidden]

Too long ago to remember.... What did your RO say?

GD

[Burk]

My RO said, "No raw veggies and no raw fruit". I got the "no raw veggies" but forgot the "no raw fruit". Big digestion issues! No diarrhea, just gurgles, gas and poor digestion. I cut the raw fruit and it cleared up.

[Teufelshunde]

I was on a plant based high fiber diet, at about 50-60 gm of fiber a day before radiation. After about one week, had issues. Most people only have 10-20 gm of fiber a day so not good for health in general or avoiding cancer, but lower is good for radiation. My doc put me on what I call the white death diet (most call it the standard american diet). Went about 10 gm of fiber and all was well. Back on my plant based normal diet now thank God. And just make sure you have Imodium AD handy just in case. Especially since I had a one hour commute each way every day for 38 days.

[greatjohn in reply to Teufelshunde]

I was doing high fiber and lots of salads in the beginning. WRONG...stick to Hamburgers, French fries and anything that sounds "not healthy" and you'll do better.

[Hidden in reply to greatjohn]

It funny you replied like you did. I was mocked and ridiculed when I reply once that my RO told me to eat junk food during radiation treatments. I didn't care about the ridicule because I knew the advice was generally accepted.

[Frigataflyer in reply to greatjohn]

My experience too. But I came about it in a different way. Basically during and for three months after my 20 SBRT sessions, I was instructed: No Citrus fruit, No cruciform vegetables, no beans or legumes. Since beans and cruciform veg have been my staple, I have really struggled and now I am beginning to like all those toxic carbs and animal proteins.

[greatjohn in reply to Frigataflyer]

It’s amazing that at different times in our lives different things are good for us. That’s why commenting on someone else’s diet is generally not a good idea unless you know all the background of where they are in life. During radiation I got really addicted to junk food. And I’m almost 8 years into the stage four cancer thing, so for me my diet is working! Are you still at a lot Of fresh vegetables , fiber and beans to Whatever I feel like eating.

[bigiron]

Gas was a problem for me also. Tried several things to no avail then ended up using beano prior to every meal (about 20% effective) and Senokot every evening. Changed my entire diet to low low fiber, no fruit except watermelon, cantalope, and honeydew. Most veggies especially cauliflower and broccoli were omitted. No salads for me. I also changed my eating habits to having my last meal at 3pm to try to ensure a bowel movement prior to treatment. It is necessary to have a full bladder and empty bowel for treatment. No ice cream or dariy products. Getting your body to adjust was the biggest challenge, but I got to eat all the meat I wanted so the barby was in constant use. Good luck to you. The techs brought in a nurse two times when I was on the table to remove gas bubbles. Bubbles happen!

[TylexGP]

Thank you to everyone that replied. I’ll keep you posted. I think I will error on the side of more protein and cut out the raw veggies and fruit and adjust from there.

[Qiviut]

Juggling empty rectum full bladder before EBRT has been stressful for me and I see the anxiety in my fellow patients as we sit and drink water within the magic 30 minutes before treatment while expecting the “pressure” but trying not to urinate prematurely. That “feeling” is also linked to gas. I have tried to limit food intake to a couple of times a day and then also limit the amount of food I eat. I do not eat unnecessary carbohydrates so, I avoid refined flour based foods. I do eat a small portion of protein (meat or veg) and lots of cooked vegetables such as the brassicas. I get vitamins from fruits but restrict these to low fibre. Staying well hydrated is also critical to being able to have a bowel movement. There are pills that prevent, to some extent, the production of gas.

[Mascouche]

Just completed my radiation treatment on July 13. Like others have said, stay away from fiber or you will get diarrhea. The doctor said to avoid antioxidant and I did but with two exceptions. I read that turmeric and melatonin helps radiation target cancer cells so I kept on taking those during my treatment even though I stopped every other antioxidants. Can't say yet if that was the smart thing to do or not. Best of luck to you.

[VCinTx]

I am on a pescatarian diet and I have lost weight while in treatment. I plan to stay on this diet to loose weight and be healthy.

[Ausi]

Take melatonin also, he’s an extract from a study:-

Ionizing radiation is a highly effective way of destroying any cancer cells remaining in the breast after surgery. Radiotherapy can cause a variety of adverse events in normal tissues leading to syndromes such as acute radiation (ARS) and multiorgan dysfunction syndromes (MODS) [60]. Radiation induces cellular damage by a variety of direct and indirect mechanisms ultimately resulting in DNA damage and chromosomal aberrations. The finding of new molecules acting as radioprotectors of normal tissues and organs is of great interest, and melatonin is a good candidate to be a radioprotective agent due to its hydroxyl radical scavenging ability [61]. Importantly, a physiological dose of melatonin (1 nM) decreased the ability of tumor cells to repair radiation-induced alterations of the DNA structure in vitro, mainly double-strand breaks (DSBs) that direct the cancer cells to undergo apoptosis. It is a common fact that cancer cells have abnormal high levels of proteins necessary for repair mechanisms. Thus, when the double-strand repair proteins such as RAD51 were downregulated, cells became more sensitive to radiotherapy [62]. Conversely, high levels of DNA-PKcs, a key player in nonhomologous end joining, accelerated the radiotherapy induced DSB repair mechanism [63].

[binati]

Generally a lower fibre diet helps to reduce gas. However, one can take activated carbon capsules in case gas is a problem. Evacuation can be a problem depending on how much time elapses after the meal and before the radiation session. Suggest evacuate one hour before the session and you should have no problems. No special diet except to avoid foods that cause wind and gas.

[Mischa1111111]

Thanks for posting . This is a concern of mine even though I have the sheet. I start EBRT tomororw and am confused. about the diet and I don't want to screw it up . Like fruit for example . I have been taking anti gas medication as well as a laxative but I seem to be more constipated now . . I really trust the suggestions posted here . Sometimes it takes some searching to find the post I need but it has been usually already answered quite elegantly.