cant eat..losing weight

elena1
elena1 Member Posts: 41
edited June 2014 in Managing Side Effects of Breast Cancer and Its Treatment
cant eat..losing weight
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  • elena1
    elena1 Member Posts: 41
    edited October 2010

    I am at my wits end. I have dry mouth so bad that I cant even swollow food. I have NO taste and everything I try to eat turns to paste and coats my mouth.. I have tried all kinds of foods. We cant even go out to eat..I dont know what to order and then no matter what I get, I throw it away.Its vwery depressing because I smell food and want it but 1 bite and im done. I can force down a scrambled egg or ice cream..thats it. Im on Taxotere which has made me so sick, I have every side effect it brings. I ve only had one dose and I dont know if I can do it again. Ived already had 4 rounds of AC and my taste has been off since then but now its really bad. Has anyone else had such a severe reaction??? Elena

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  • Twinmom77
    Twinmom77 Member Posts: 303
    edited October 2010

    That sounds really frustrating to say the least!  Definitely talk to your onc, maybe he/she can reduce the dosage of the next Taxotere.  I didn't care for the mouthwashes they prescribed, but I brushed with baking soda only and swished with salt water a lot and didn't get any major mouth issues.  I've heard aloe vera juice is good for dry mouth and sores.

    Have you tried smoothies?  You can make them yourself a couple times a day and add protein powder or peanut butter and that way you're getting the protein you really need right now.  Grab some powdered greens/veggies at a health food store and that, along with the frozen fruit, will get you the vitamins and nutrients.  You can google and come up with a ton of recipes and there's lots of substitutions if you can't have dairy/whey/soy, etc.  Hopefully, these will go down easier.  I'm so sorry you're having this trouble!

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  • ElaineM
    ElaineM Member Posts: 81
    edited October 2010

    You would be surprised what you can put in a blender !!  I recently prepared food for a friend who had her jaw wired shut after an accident. We ended up with all kinds of creative and different mixes. Some of them are :

    You can get frozen fruit or use fresh fruit in season cut small. Throw that in with some yoghurt, water and protein powder.  Honey, agave or maple syrup is optional.  Delicious !! You can even combine 2-3 fruits in one smoothie.

    Get frozen vegetables. Cook them for a minute or two in a small amount of water. Throw them in the blender with the water you cooked them in and your favorite seasonsing. You have instant cream style soup !!  You can add milk if you wish, but it is not neccessary. Eat with plain crackers.

    Get instant rice. Cook it according to the directions. Throw that in the blender with some cooked frozen veggies, your favorite seasons and a little water.

    Put some low fat milk in the blender with a little peanut butter and water. Nice !! 

    Hard boil some eggs. You can have them around as a snack when you want or throw one of two in the blender with milk or yoghurt, water and whatever else you normally eat with eggs.

    You can even put cooked pasta in the blender with veggies and a little soft cheese and cooked veggies.

    We had to use alot of water for my friend, but you probably only need a little water in your blended drinks, because you are not eating out of feeding tube like she was.

    By the way, yoghurt is excellent for the digestive track during chemo since chemo wipes away some of the good bacteria in the intestine. Yoghurt is soft, easy to eat and digest. It has all the healthy stuff other dairy has plus the healthy good bacteria we need. Plain or vanilla yoghurt is delicious with a little honey, agave or maple syrup. Have some yoghurt in your refrigerator for a quic snack. Even a few spoonfuls will help.

    Cut up veggies in a covered container in the refrigerator make a quick instant snack. So does a baggie with a  few nuts, seeds, pieces of dried fruit and cereal like cherrios.

    These are just some of the things you can do.

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  • gfbaker
    gfbaker Member Posts: 173
    edited October 2010

    Smoothies are a great idea. I went to a naturopath during chemo to help me deal with side effects, and he gave me a recipe for one with protein powder, rice milk, berries, and other good supplements to help fix the gi tract. It was pretty good and easy to get down even when I didn't feel like eating. A couple a day might cover you for the all important protein while you are in chemo. I am so sorry you are having a hard time eating.

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  • elena1
    elena1 Member Posts: 41
    edited October 2010

    Thank you ladies for the smoothie ideas..Im gonna try that. I dont know why I didnt think of that. The cold feels good in my mouth too..The Dr. is really no help with this...Thanks again. I caNT WAIT TO TRY SOME..Elena

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  • KittyDog
    KittyDog Member Posts: 1,079
    edited October 2010

    I had a hard time eating too. Lost 38 pounds during chemo.  I found I could tolerate soup and egg salad the best.  Don't laugh soup was a can of broth mixed with a can of cream of chicken soup.   In the beginning I added rice or some noddles. Towards the end I couldn't stand anything any it.  Drank lots of gatorade and flat sprite.  lol  I was to weak to open them so hubby always opened them before leaving for work. 

    Hang in there.  I only made it though 3 of my four taxols.

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  • elena1
    elena1 Member Posts: 41
    edited October 2010

    Thank you...Ill try anything..I may not MAKE IT THROUGHT MY Taxotere either..

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  • Raj20
    Raj20 Member Posts: 1,112
    edited October 2010

    Dear elena1! I also had the same  problem while I was  in Chemo. What I did to overcome the problems you know - instead of  solid I tried lots of fresh fruit juices, fresh vegetable juices with  hony. You can try once if you sound ok with my suggestion.  You can also try soy protein sack. You also may try Oat porridge.  No worry and just try to forget about the side effects. If your problem tangle with your mind you will become week. Just kick out of your mind -  and see the result.

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  • Raj20
    Raj20 Member Posts: 1,112
    edited October 2010

    Dear elena1! I also had the same  problem while I was  in Chemo. What I did to overcome the problems you know - instead of  solid I tried lots of fresh fruit juices, fresh vegetable juices with  hony. You can try once if you sound ok with my suggestion.  You can also try soy protein sack. You also may try Oat porridge.  No worry and just try to forget about the side effects. If your problem tangle with your mind you will become week. Just kick out of your mind -  and see the result.

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  • Lowrider54
    Lowrider54 Member Posts: 2,721
    edited October 2010

    For the dry mouth, I started using Biotene toothpaste and mouth rinse.  It helps to keep the saliva moving and I found it helps at night a lot so that I don't wake up with stuck together and cracked lips.  I am not doing chemo at the moment but the treatment I am on gives me terrible dry mouth making eating an adventure - I must have liquid with almost every mouthful - well, every bite as I can't do 'mouthfuls' anymore.

    Good luck to you and I hope you make it through and you can kick the crap to the curb!

    Hugs...LowRider

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  • carolsue63
    carolsue63 Member Posts: 126
    edited October 2010

    Hi Elena. I had three favorites that helped me through that side effect -- cup-a-soup, jello with fruit, and rice pudding. 

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  • soulswithin
    soulswithin Member Posts: 154
    edited August 2013

    I think our stomach is highly acidic after chemo and you really need to get high alkaline foods in you to help counter the acid including high alkaline water found in health food stores. Google it, and make a list that is helpful for you and try higher calorie foods, like avacado, moist foods with oils help dryness. I've had dry mouth for 5 years and have had to drink a sip of water with every bite I chew. It helps.

    I hear ya on no tastes, everything is so bland every bite is one big disappointment. I go with my cravings llike some spicey foods like pumpkin pie [high alkaline] Baked sweet potatoes, asperagus, chicken and gravy, anything that will go down. Sea Salt also, I sprinkle it on everything because it is alkaline and at leasts gives me some taste! Good luck to you!

    One thing I have noticed is the eating disorders that result in the chemo, is that thin people get thinner and struggle, and heavy people eat more, struggling with weight gain. I figure one can dump it later, the important thing is nutrition now. Typical of personality, thiness and heaviness do have their issues though, and you have to work on that part too. You can swallow if you eat moist foods with water. They may not taste great but I look at it this way, the more food you eat, the faster you dump the chemo out of your system. Not eating is the worst thing you can do.

    Try a drop of mineral oil in mouth rinses to lessen the dryness also. Every little bit does help!!!

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