Please help! Appetite just doesn't want to return!!

mom2greatkids

Hi Ladies,

I completed 3 radiation treatments (targeted) to the brain about 3 weeks ago. Even prior to my seizure and all that mess, I was struggling with my appetite. Now it's really bad. I have had to eliminate dairy as it was causing nausea and vomiting. Spicy foods are out and tomato based foods seem to bother me.

I've eaten applesauce until I'm almost tired of it. I'm doing okay with soft scrambled eggs. I am eating some peanut butter crackers. I am also struggling with drinking enough fluids.

Also, I want to sleep a lot. I have been on continuous chemo for over 3 1/2 yrs. I am to begin a new one this Wednesday. (Can't remember the name of it). 

I'm just so tired and frustrated!! Any suggestions? 

Thanks,

Carla

Reply

 

kikz

So sorry

for all you're going through, Carla.  It's difficult to eat when nothing appeals to you.  I usually would wrack my brain until I thought of something i could eat.  I found I was often able to eat potato, cut into small chunks, nuked with a little butter on top.  I actually ate that a lot.  This last time I couldn't.  Go figure.  I also drank Ensure (chocolate only) when I couldn't eat.  I hope you can get past this and feel better soon.

Wishing you the best.

Karen 

scatsm

Keep up the hope!

It must be so hard to keep pushing through, but I hope you will be able to do so. When I couldn't eat at all, I had a chocolate ensure in the morning...that was it until after surgery and chemo. Since then, even with a recurrence and chemo, I havent lost my appetite at all, in fact i keep gaining weight, sigh...hang in there and here's to hoping for better days ahead!

xoxo Susan

lovesanimals

scatsm said:

Keep up the hope!

It must be so hard to keep pushing through, but I hope you will be able to do so. When I couldn't eat at all, I had a chocolate ensure in the morning...that was it until after surgery and chemo. Since then, even with a recurrence and chemo, I havent lost my appetite at all, in fact i keep gaining weight, sigh...hang in there and here's to hoping for better days ahead!

xoxo Susan

Hi Carla

Check with your doctor to see if there is any medication you can take to help stimulate your appetite.  There may be something out there that will help "kick start" your hunger.  I remember the lack of appetite and fatigue being the worst side effects to front-line chemo.  I was lucky though because these symptoms were very bad only for the first four or five days after a chemo session; after that I was able to eat sufficiently and be ready for the next session three weeks later.  If you're up to it and it's safe for you, try some gentle "exercising" (which could be a stroll around the yard) to get the blood flowing and maybe help with the appetite too.

Sending lots of positive thoughts and prayers your way!

Kelly

 

vanessamood

appetite

  i found that a combination of Carnation Instant Breakfast , a banana or any other fruit , some ice . Put into a blender was always easy for me to  drink.

Mwee

Ugh, so sorry

loss of appetite is so frustrating for it leaves you exhausted, which in turn makes it harder to concentrate on trying to on an esting schedule. My Onc nurses suggest pudding cups, yogurt, take out soups from places like Panera etc. I've tried things like grapes, protein bars. Best of luck with this!    (((( hugs))))) Maria

flex

loss of appetite response

Hello, Ms Carla.  Hoping this post finds you feeling well on this day. My experience and opinion about loss of appetite was acquired from my wife's battle with ovarian cancer. Loss of appetite and lack of eating challenges energy levels and oftentimes leads to being tired and frustrated. Occasional or chronic nausea accompanied by vomiting quickly identifies foods that must be avoided. As was stated, dairy products, spicy foods, and tomato based foods possess high levels of acidity or sourness and must be avoided. Seek out foods that have don't have such an adverse effect on your stomach. Also, try eating small portions throughout the course of the day. "Eat to defeat; choose wisely" was my wife's manta. In other words, she avoided processed foods or quick fix foods. It won't be easy to find "true-blue foods" but avoiding these types of foods is a good start. In her case, she discovered foods that she typically did not previously eat. For example, old fashion oatmeal, squash, avocado, wild or brown rice, eggplant, okra, blueberries, raspberries, etc.  Not eating regularly leads to bouts of tiredness, sleepy, and frustration. Something that worked for her was keeping a journal of her eating schedule. Nothing too elaborate, just a small notebook that tracked her eating habits.     

Most important, however, is to keep your body hydrated.  Drink plenty of water; all day, all night. Pay attention to the source of water. Where does it come from and what is in it. Although most would agree that all drinking water is drinkable, not all water is equal (do your homework).  So, try to have good quality water within arm's reach. It is a good idea to cleanse your body of chemo treatments and medications. Diligently sip on water throughout the day. Digestive and filtering organs will appreciate medications removed out of your body. Sipping on water throughout the course of a day, is one way that it can take place.

I pray that on this day, you will find comfort in those things that challenge you.

God bless.

flex 

chacalon19

my mom is facing cancer as

my mom is facing cancer as well stage 4 the lost pf appetite is common i face that first hand. my mom is doing chemo last week was her third time ( she still have her hair). I didnt know anything about cancer until it happened with my mom. i stay with my mom all week i dont leave her alone ( me and my sister manage to stay with her at all times) . we all know chemotherapy make weak and you cannot longer support yourselve. she lost her appetite but somehow i manage to talk to her and make her eat. i seen well it works for me . sometime when my mom dont want to eat i wont force her but ill take my tablet put on her favorite show watch with her and talk to her about good memories and then she would eat, of course it will take me 45m until i convience her to do so, but is well worth it. we give her a based diet. Dairy is not on her diet, that actually is bad for cancer patients. we give her vegetables soup. we firststeamed all the vegetables and than i blend all the vegetables until its liquid and add (QUINOA). PLEASE MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS ORGANIC DONT BUY REGULAR FOOD BUY NON-GMO. Its much better to eat all blend it in liquid than eat it steamed vegetables. for breakfast i will get her some whole wheat bread and avocados. and will give her soy milk or almond milk and will combine it with this great stuff that seems to help her a lot called ( 7 semillas andina). 7 semillas is a powder that has 7 seeds blended together from peru. it helps her inmune system. and the afternoon willl make her some food organic rice and fish. and before going to sleep a fruit juice or vegetable juice. and on the juice we add 7 semillas and also some thing called (maca) all of those things are organic. last thing i bough was soursop tea bags . and starting to give her that too, and also i just bought apricot seeds.

you cant really go wrong with natural stuff, i mean everyone has different opinions but all i can say is all natural and organic personally does not have side effects like chemo does. we are doing everything we can to fight for our love ones. i bought my soursop tea bags, and apricot seeds and maca off from ebay. but 7 semillas you cannot find it in here but in my native country from peru. since my brother is there i was able to order 35 bags which it cost me like 150 dollars with shipment and everything. this is my email chacalon19_@hotmail.com send me email if you find something that works for you i would love to know . wish you the of luck on your fight with this disease. sometime is better to call by other names than cancer. remenber when you hear that worod make an impact . in our house we avoid to mention that word. bye thanks  

anicca

No Appetite

If you are lucky enough to live in a state that has legalized medical marijuana, get a scrip.  If not, find a friend with young adult kids who can get you some pt.  My daughters and their friends helped me, even providing a vaporizer, which makes the smoke cool.  It helped me tremendously, and it doesn't take a lot to get a good result.

Defying Disaster

anicca said:

No Appetite

If you are lucky enough to live in a state that has legalized medical marijuana, get a scrip.  If not, find a friend with young adult kids who can get you some pt.  My daughters and their friends helped me, even providing a vaporizer, which makes the smoke cool.  It helped me tremendously, and it doesn't take a lot to get a good result.

Anicca - great idea

Marijuana does stimulate appetite. Excellent idea. It can be taken as an oil. It is not necessary to smoke it.

Radiation tends to wipe out appetite. It will return in time but meanwhile, nutrition is essential. Performing some enjoyable activity may help stimulate appetite.

 

Defying Disaster

anicca said:

No Appetite

If you are lucky enough to live in a state that has legalized medical marijuana, get a scrip.  If not, find a friend with young adult kids who can get you some pt.  My daughters and their friends helped me, even providing a vaporizer, which makes the smoke cool.  It helped me tremendously, and it doesn't take a lot to get a good result.

Anicca - great idea

Marijuana does stimulate appetite. Excellent idea. It can be taken as an oil. It is not necessary to smoke it.

Radiation tends to wipe out appetite. It will return in time but meanwhile, nutrition is essential. Performing some enjoyable activity may also help stimulate appetite. Washing her hair, watching a favorite movie, talking with loved ones.

Hope you let us know how things go.

Best to you.