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Not eating

Former Member
Former Member
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My Dad has been having chemo and immunotherapy for almost a year now. Side effects haven't been pretty but a noticeable problem we are having, is weight loss. It's reaching dangerous levels. The cancer is incurable but we're at the point where starvation will kill him before the cancer does. He's been given the 300 calorie drinks to try and up his weight. But he's not taking them. He's not even getting 500 calories a day. He's evaporating. He's starting to struggle to take meds now, says he feels like they choke him. We are desperate for advice. But when we get nurses near him he acts completely different. Pretends he's fine. He lives with side effects simple treatments could aid. 

  • Hi Soph1e,

     

    Thank you for reaching out to us and welcome to the online community.  My name is Adrienne and I’m one of the Cancer Information Nurses on the Macmillan Support Line.

    I’m so sorry to hear about the side-effects your dad is having.  It’s such a shame that he won’t tell his nurses how he is feeling. 

    You haven’t mentioned what cancer your dad has but it’s really important that he tell his healthcare team about the swallowing problems he is having when taking his medications.  There could be a simple explanation such as oral thrush or mucositis and there are medications that can help with this.  There are some things your dad could try at home, such as sucking on ice-cubes or eating ice-cream and jelly, but it’s important that his team are aware of what is going on. 

    You mention that your dad has been given the high calorie drinks but isn’t taking them.  I wonder if this is because he doesn’t like the taste.  If so, he could try mixing it with full fat ice-cream to make it more palatable or mixing with porridge (if he has the neutral or vanilla flavour).  He can ask the pharmacy for different flavours and types (juice or milkshakes) if he is struggling with the ones he has now.  It might be helpful to look at different recipe ideas, using supplement drinks to boost his calorie intake and help him gain some weight.  There are also some great ideas on how to boost calories by fortifying your dad’s diet here.

    We also have The Building-Up Diet booklet which offers suggestions on how to get more energy and protein into dad’s diet as well as giving ideas for meals and snacks.  There is also a helpful section on caring for someone with eating problems or weight loss on page 39.

    The main thing to know is that it’s important that his healthcare team know what’s going on. 

    I really do hope this was helpful Sop1e. 

     

    Take care and best wishes,

     

    Adrienne (Cancer Information Nurse Specialist)

    You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email.

    Our ref: AM/PN

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