Chemo and diet/supplements?

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Trvler
Trvler Member Posts: 3,159
edited March 2015 in Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After

I hope I am not duplicating an existing thread but I thought it might be helpful to have a thread only talking about diet and supplements for chemo people. We could talk about what foods helped us, which ones didn't, which supplements are helping and why.

So far, I have read about B vitamins, glutamine, and I added lysine for mouth sores. Also, my manicurist (whose sister died of BC) said she was drinking some juice that seemed to really help her white count involving beets, carrots and a couple of other things. She is going to get the recipe to me. But I know some of you juice, too. What are you juicing and why?

What did you eat? What helped settle your stomach? How did you manage to get enough fluids besides drinking all of that water? Tips? Suggestions? Small snacks? Anything.

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  • Trvler
    Trvler Member Posts: 3,159
    edited March 2015

    Ok, so my manicurist said this is the recipe:

    carrots (not baby), blueberries, white cabbage, beets. Drink on an empty stomach in the morning and the night before bed.

    I googled white cabbage and found this interesting link:

    http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?pfriendly=1&tname=foodspice&dbid=19

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  • Spookiesmom
    Spookiesmom Member Posts: 9,568
    edited March 2015

    Please check with your MO before taking anything.

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  • Trvler
    Trvler Member Posts: 3,159
    edited March 2015

    That's good advice, Spookies! I love your Maltese? Do you show him/her?

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  • MaryJC
    MaryJC Member Posts: 350
    edited March 2015

    excellent thread! Didn't know was here. I'm on looong line at bank and will catch up and give my 2¢ later this evening!

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  • Kicks
    Kicks Member Posts: 4,131
    edited March 2015

    You Dr or the Chemo Education RN should have talked to about what is appropriate/inappropriate with diet and suppliments during Chemo.

    Check everything with your medical staff - your Dr or the Chemo Education RN at your facility. You should have been give information and a book from the facility at your Chemo Education before first infusion. I was given permission to take my Vit. D and B complex.

    A 'manicurist' does not have the education to tell you what is appropriate for you and your needs. There are many 'things' that are claimed to be the 'best thang ever' (laetril comes to mind) that are bogus. (There are sites on line that claim that coffee enimas will cure all cancer.)




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  • Trvler
    Trvler Member Posts: 3,159
    edited March 2015

    Well, maybe we need to add a disclaimer to the top of the thread. Every tip in here should be checked with your doctor.

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  • MaryJC
    MaryJC Member Posts: 350
    edited March 2015

    I spoke with my MO up front of all that i already did b4 bc, planned to continue to do and even ramp up if anything. She referred me to the oncology nutritionist who told me (other than decreasing my Vit D a little bit) to change NOTHING which includes juicing. At this moment bec of the season/finances not juicing but I'm cleared to resume any time. I also am huge on intermittent fasting, I take ALA, ALC, also probiotics which have been proven clinically to be effective. I also take Papaya Leaf extract for wbc and blood platelet levels. Check out the reviews on Amazon and Sloan Kettering did a clinical study proving it shrinks tumors and improves counts. My tumor did indeed shrink. Not only could I feel it go from chick pea size, the payhology proved it. This I believe was my juicing (at the time) IF (intermittent fasting) and paw paw leaf (papaya leaf extract)

    Next post will share about fasting during infusion cycle and minimizing SEs. Well like I said, here's my 2¢! Hugs to all💞💜


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  • WinningSoFar
    WinningSoFar Member Posts: 951
    edited March 2015

    I think that chemo is the one time to be really careful what one is ingesting. We sure want chemo to be as effective as possible and there are lots of interactions between chemo and drugs/supplements and even foods. Not everyone may agree, but I would not put a single supplement or drug into my mouth without clearing it with my MO (during chemo anyway). Interactions are complicated and not always intuitive. I've read that pharmacists are also good people to consult with for drug/supplement/chemo considerations although I admit I haven't taken advantage of that.

    In the supplement area, I take only vit D3 because my vit level was low. It is rechecked every 3 months to make sure I'm in the right range. That's not to say that other supplements are not indicated, but they aren't indicated for me. I have extensive blood testing done to make sure that I have all the essential vitamins and minerals at the right levels.

    I'm comfortable with this approach for me as it seems moderate and safe.

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  • Italychick
    Italychick Member Posts: 2,343
    edited March 2015

    I also take coq10 for my heart, and NAC for my liver, and minerals (potassium, magnesium, etc.). And D3 and K2. My oncologist just told me to take nothing day before, on, and day after chemo. Other than that, she doesn't care what I take.

    My husband has me taking other things too, but the list above are the things I try not to miss taking. Oh, and b12.

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