Yoghurt

Hi Beelzebub71,

Thank you for getting in touch with us. I hope you are finding the online community a helpful and supportive environment. My name is Lynsay, and I am one of the information nurses with Macmillan Cancer Support.

This isn’t a silly question at all, so I am glad you have asked this. Unfortunately,  there is no hard and fast rule around this. Following completing chemotherapy, the idea would be to wait until your immune system had recovered sufficiently before eating food you were advised to avoid during treatment.

As you know chemotherapy impacts the immune system making you more vulnerable to potential infections. During chemotherapy, the neutrophils are particularly affected with a significant drop in neutrophils occurring typically 7 – 10 days after having chemotherapy treatment (depending on the treatment regimen). Thereafter the neutrophils start to recover in number. Neutrophils essentially form a first line of defence against infection.

How long it may take for your immune system to recover can depend on the type and duration of chemotherapy you have received. In general terms initial recovery of the immune system happens a few weeks following treatment, while full recovery of your immune system may take months. This is why we would encourage you to discuss this with your breast care nurse so they can give you more personalised guidance based on your specific treatment and recovery.

They may advise it is fine to have live yoghurt 2-3 weeks after your last treatment or they may recommend you wait a bit longer.  Sorry I’m not able to give you a more definitive answer, but I do hope you really enjoy it when you are able to have it again.

I hope this is helpful and please don’t hesitate to get back in touch with us if there is anything at all we can help with.

All the best,

Lynsay,

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. 

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