Fasting and icing during chemo

[Brysonal]

This is from ‘ The Times’ in the UK and probably behind a paywall but Each month I see PCa patients in the UK getting chemo and no sign of the ice slippers/ gloves that I had in Finland and I know for certain no one gets fasting advice here. Then I read about burning feet and loss of sensation and don’t understand why no ice is used!

Article:

Relief for cancer patients is being frozen out

thetimes.co.uk/article/5970...

[Benkaymel]

Thanks for this, it is behind a pay wall, but they give a month free. Not a surprising article, sadly.

[Ramp7]

I think anyone that has been dancing with this partner will attest, Doctors are no different than anybody else. Don't be afraid to consult with another. This is not an excuse but my regular MO has 2300 patients. I would get 20 minutes every three months. That's SOC.

[Seasid]

I also don't understand.

I believe that all this (icing, fasting) is not needed.

Is there any clinical trial which would prove that all that is really needed?

They even splashed though my veins the residual Docytaxel chemotherapy (7ml) with high speed at the end of my chemotherapy infusions and I was fine.

I believe that the underpaid and overworked NHS chemotherapy nurses would go really crazy if they would need to jump over all that ice etc.

This is only my 2c.

[Brysonal]

it’s not happening either private or NHS in the UK. It’s a false economy if it works and the reason the NHS are not doing it is due to lack of resources. Clearly having to treat side effects and the impact on the economy of unnecessary disabling impact on patients will completely outweigh the costs involved in prevention.

If we haven’t had trials they need to be top priority. No private funding for this one as no drug income stream from it but I am going to meet with this journalist and launch a campaign for prostate cancer uk a charity to research how many are impacted and to fund trials if needed or to explain why not.

[NickJoy in reply to Brysonal]

Not happening in Portugal either and the NHS here is not as pushed as UK but still stretched....we did the fasting but a UK nurse friend who visited during that time was very against it.

[Seasid in reply to NickJoy]

I didn't stop eating during my early Docetaxel chemotherapy and I was fine. Fasting is a stress to the body. I believe that that is the last thing what we need during chemotherapy.

[NickJoy in reply to Seasid]

I am absolutely sure my husband would agree with you - he hated fasting- that said, he got through chemo no problems other than fatigue but we have no way of knowing if the fasting made a difference or not.

[Seasid in reply to NickJoy]

Fasting is not a good idea.

[Seasid in reply to NickJoy]

I just don't understand (i am not a doctor) why would you stop your GI to work if you are full of Docetaxel and your goal is to get rid of the chemo agent as fast as possible?

So the chemo agent would linger in your bowl longer? My understanding is that when you stop eating your bowl motion also stops? Is it a good thing?

How can you get rid of all that toxic chemotherapy agents from your body if you simply stop your bodily functions?

Maybe there is a way around but I just simply would not stop eating without knowing a clear benefits.

Only my 2c.

Why wouldn't we just ask our chemotherapy treatment team for advice instead of discussing this on this forum between us.

Nobody pointed us to any references which would prove that fasting during chemotherapy is beneficial?

[Brysonal in reply to Seasid]

I see the esteemed Tanya Dorff have an alternative view

bmccancer.biomedcentral.com...

[Seasid in reply to Brysonal]

My mother would never support fasting, but she is not a doctor.

I don't like to be hungry and I would never recommend it to my patients.

You don't want to collapse from hunger during chemotherapy and hurt yourself. Sorry

[NPfisherman in reply to Brysonal]

There is some data from trials on fasting and FMD's- Fast Mimicking Diets, but more is needed...

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

Valter Longo is a fan:

valterlongo.com/a-better-qu...

There are people on forums who fast before chemo...I believe dockam is one of them... As long as people feel okay fasting, then why not...??

Fish 🐠

[NPfisherman in reply to Brysonal]

I have suggested this to patients for years. Using the ice cap, ice gloves/mittens and socks. Peripheral neuropathy is painful and can cause injuries. People are at higher risk for falls due to poor sensation and inability to determine position from numbness. This is another reason why chemo for low volume disease should NOT be recommended, beyond the fact that there is no benefit-- STAMPEDE. Good that you posted this info for any new forum members.

Fish

[Papillon2 in reply to NPfisherman]

👍

[Seasid]

I am also curious. I also believed like you that the resources are lacking to do all the icing etc.

Do you know why they are doing that icing in Finland? They must have a good reason. I would like to know.

Hopefully not just to keep employed all that medical workers?

I didn't consult Dr Google yet.