I have recently been diagnosed with stage 4 stomach cancer. Following an MDT meeting I am awaiting chemotherapy. In the meantime I have great problems eating and drinking. I suffer extreme nausea at the very thought of food. I sm regularly retching and vomiting bile. Anyone got any thoughts on nutrition, I have been given varieties of different protein drinks but even these are hard to get down..
How far away is your chemotherapy start? Someone here had a stent inserted to help with the nutrition, may be worth asking about? It’s not good to become weak before the chemo even started.
I have been treated for stomach cancer for nearly a year including full stomach removal and have recently completed my last chemo cycle. I had bad bile reflux which meant it was difficult to eat and drink. My consultant would not give medication to help this as he said he wanted the bile to continue to work and help the body absorb nutrients. However it became so bad I started to lose more weight and felt sick much of the time. It also stopped me taking my overnight nutritional feed via a feeding tube.
My oncologist thought my chemo might have to stop as my body was becoming weak. She therefore 'overuled' my consultant and prescribed a bile binder called Colestyramine. It is not good to take but within a week my nausea stopped and the bile reflux was not as bad. A month later I still have minor bile problems but it is so much improved. I can now eat well and I am back on my nutritional feed ( called Nutricia Nutrison, prescribed by my dietician).
A couple of suggestions for you to consider and discuss with your team.
Thanks for your reply. I have had a pyloric stent fitted today and see the specialist oncology nurse next week to assess my condition for chemo. I am really aware that I need to boost my food intake but finding it hard to do so. Thanks again
Hi sorry to hear of your diagnosis… seeing your last post I do hope the stent will help… hope all goes well for you with the oncologist nurse next week… take any questions with you as you can feel a bit bombarded with information and you walk away realising you hadn’t asked certain things… I was diagnosed with stage 4 signet ring in November 2021 and had 4 rounds of FLOT before and after a total gastrectomy… I can’t answer your question about about nutrition as I had no problems until chemo started…
