advise on still eating with no appetite on Chemo !!

Hi Liz,

Sorry to hear that you are struggling with nausea.  I am now on Day 9 after my second EC, and on this cycle I have felt more nauseous too, although I have not have any constipation.   The thing that helped me most when I felt nauseous was to eat something small every two hours (as was advised by my chemo nurse) - e.g. a small portion of cheese plus a couple of crackers, a bowl of muesli, a couple of cocktail sausages, a rice pudding bowl, some fruit in jelly, some breadsticks and hummus etc.  I have all these things in the fridge and can just get them out in a second when I fancy something to eat.  Eating something small regularly seems to line my stomach and keep away the queasy feeling, and also seems to make me more able to eat a proper cooked meal too (which I am doing in the evening, when I seem to be most hungry).  I try to make sure that I eat a good breakfast (bran flakes plus chopped dried apricots and dried prunes) to keep things moving.  I am also eating lots of soft/juicy fruits, which are refreshing (pears, plums, clementines in particular) and seem to be easily digested, and am drinking a lot of diluted fruit juices (fresh juice plus sparkling water).

I know that we are all different and so what has worked for me might not be the same for you, but I really hope that you find a solution to the chemo-related eating challenges we are all facing - it’s certainly not easy!  

Blackcat xx

Hi Liz  /  

Chemo can upset the rythym of your digestive system - slowing it down causes constipation and if it speeds up it causes diarrhoea. As the time it spends in the intestines relates to how much water that it contains is absorbed back into your body. Keep your fluid intake up, you should  be on at the very least 2 litres a day.

There are plenty of over the counter remedies for both and you may need both as one can quickly change to the other.

Food taste opens up a whole new can of worms. Most find things taste metallic nearly all have taste issues of some kind - Some go the spicy / herby route to get the extra flavour they crave, for others they find the blander porridge, rice and pasta route more palatable. Either way works; it is down to trial and error as to what you find suits you better. A couple of pieces of tinned pineapple from the fridge or a couple of Ginger Nut biscuits prior to eating can wake up your taste buds so you could give that a try.

Lack of appetite can be helped by putting smaller portions on the plate so it doesn't look overwhelming or eating little and often. J went right off tea and drank coffee during chemo along with plenty of those fruit flavoured fizzy waters you can get on a supermarket multibuy. Strangely post chemo she cannot stand coffee now and has reverted back to tea - This chemo malarky certainly takes some getting your head around.

Do also post this question into the September Chemo Chat discussion, you are bound to get further replies as to what may help.

Hope you find this useful, take care, G n' J

Thanks lots Blackcat, I'm trying some of those, the little and often, glad you had advise you could pass on we seemed rushed at Chemo as they were so short staffed, not even talked through medication to take home let alone advice so thanks. Will try fruit juice, I have some peaches but hadn't though of hummus. I have porridge but will add fruit, I do like prunes but not had them for ages :-)

Will add  a few of your suggestions to the shopping list, I do try to eat a meal in the evening with husbie, but then need a sleep !! xx

Thanks again...

thanks, I'm new on here so will pop over to Sept Chemo chat !

It does seem like a fine balance between eating/drinking and keeping "the system" working, I'm trying to keep the fluids up, but with not feeling hungry or thirsty it means clock watching and remembering what I've had, feeling so sleepy isn't helping but you have some grand words of wisdom, thanks..pineapple in the fridge sounds refreshing and such a nice idea, I don't like spicy so am on the bland but homemade where possible to get flavour but savory rather than shouty !!

Many thanks