Not eating

bdee · May 2009

I've taken Oxaliplatin, 5FU, Avastan, and Leucovorin for eight treatments. After the sixth treatment I have not able to eat. I can drink Ensures and broth, but I can't eat anything with any substance. This has gone on for nine weeks.
Has anyone else had this problem after taking this combination. The doctor said it is not chemo related, but I had an upper GI and a swallow test and I passed on both. I think it can only be chemo related. If so, when will it go away.
I tried the miracle fruit three times so far with no help.
I would really really like some feedback. I would love to go out with my family and eat again.

Debbie

jenben59 · May 2009

I get the same way
Oxi changes the taste of the food so much I don't even eat what I love. Sometimes, even bottled water tastes bad. When it gets really bad, I do drink broth, believe it or not black coffee tastes the best for me and dry toast. Between chemo treatments, usually about 2-3 days before the next treatment, the taste does improve some what. I don't eat fast-foods, but of all places KFC chicken does not bother me and tastes normal. (Just the chicken, none of the sides) I wish you the best...to me there is something to say about "fat & happy"!

PhillieG · May 2009

Appetite
Debbie, I've heard there is an herb that causes something refferer to as the "munchies" I believe. It may not be for everyone and it may not help in your case but it will certainly cause you to want to eat (I've heard). Why can't you eat? No desire or can't keep solids down or what?
-phil

bdee · May 2009

jenben59 said:
I get the same way
Oxi changes the taste of the food so much I don't even eat what I love. Sometimes, even bottled water tastes bad. When it gets really bad, I do drink broth, believe it or not black coffee tastes the best for me and dry toast. Between chemo treatments, usually about 2-3 days before the next treatment, the taste does improve some what. I don't eat fast-foods, but of all places KFC chicken does not bother me and tastes normal. (Just the chicken, none of the sides) I wish you the best...to me there is something to say about "fat & happy"!

Not eating
It isn't the taste of food, because I don't taste any. I don't care what I put in my mouth, if it isn't broth, it seems to "grow" in my mouth so that I can't swallow it for fear of gagging. If is a little enough "bite" I can wash it down with water, but it still will make me gag. It has been 9 weeks since I've eaten a solid meal.

bdee · May 2009

PhillieG said:
Appetite
Debbie, I've heard there is an herb that causes something refferer to as the "munchies" I believe. It may not be for everyone and it may not help in your case but it will certainly cause you to want to eat (I've heard). Why can't you eat? No desire or can't keep solids down or what?
-phil

Not eating
Tried it, it didn't help. I take Marinol (the synthetic "weed") every night for three months and I take Magese every morning. Nothing helps. I'm really getting depressed about this because I have a large family and getting together to eat use to be the way we all saw each other. Now, why cook for 12 people when I can't eat any of it, but it smells SO GOOD.

johnnybegood · May 2009

bdee said:
Not eating
It isn't the taste of food, because I don't taste any. I don't care what I put in my mouth, if it isn't broth, it seems to "grow" in my mouth so that I can't swallow it for fear of gagging. If is a little enough "bite" I can wash it down with water, but it still will make me gag. It has been 9 weeks since I've eaten a solid meal.

i know
how you feel.i have finished #5 which kiced my butt i had lost 4 lbs between 4 and 5.my problem is i have very excrutiating pain in my abdomin after i eat therfore i dont want to eat because of the pain.also i have started getting the mouth sores which doesnt help either.i go for #6 next week if i have lost anymore weight my onc needs to do something.i have told her about this twice and she said try taking gas-x did not work then she said try taking an xtra pain pill. i swear i dont know how some of these people become doctors.well good luck to you and just know you are not alone Godbless.....johnnybegood

scouty · May 2009

What is your story
What stage of cancer, surgical history, and how many treatments are you supposed to get. If you are getting chemo to "kill any wayward" cancers cells after successful surgery then I would recommend you skip a treatment of Oxiliplatin and see what happens, throat constriction is one of it's side effects. You could still get the others.

Lisa P.

bdee · May 2009

scouty said:
What is your story
What stage of cancer, surgical history, and how many treatments are you supposed to get. If you are getting chemo to "kill any wayward" cancers cells after successful surgery then I would recommend you skip a treatment of Oxiliplatin and see what happens, throat constriction is one of it's side effects. You could still get the others.

Lisa P.

Not eating
I stopped Oxiliplatin five weeks ago. Well, really my doctor stopped it. I went in to see him on my regular Monday appointment, he took one look at me and said to my husband, "she's too weak to take another treatment, I'll see you again in two weeks." Well, in two weeks the doctor's father died the Sunday before my appointment, so there was another week off. When I went back again, I was ready to quit having chemo all together, but my doctor did not want to stop. He stopped Oxiliplatin all the way, cut in half my 5FU and cut out a third of my Avastin. Now I go every other week on Monday and get 5FU and Avastin. So, after going 5 weeks without Oxiliplatin and nine weeks (will be 10 weeks on Tuesday) without eating my question is still...When will I be able to eat again????

He called this a maintenance dose and doesn't know how long I will be on it. But we are planning a trip to Australia in October and the doctor told me to plan my trip around my chemo appointments.

I have stage IV Colon Cancer, I had surgery to remove a 15 pound tumor on January 23, 2009 and I have no idea when my treatments are going to be over.

fighting for mom · May 2009

bdee said:
Not eating
I stopped Oxiliplatin five weeks ago. Well, really my doctor stopped it. I went in to see him on my regular Monday appointment, he took one look at me and said to my husband, "she's too weak to take another treatment, I'll see you again in two weeks." Well, in two weeks the doctor's father died the Sunday before my appointment, so there was another week off. When I went back again, I was ready to quit having chemo all together, but my doctor did not want to stop. He stopped Oxiliplatin all the way, cut in half my 5FU and cut out a third of my Avastin. Now I go every other week on Monday and get 5FU and Avastin. So, after going 5 weeks without Oxiliplatin and nine weeks (will be 10 weeks on Tuesday) without eating my question is still...When will I be able to eat again????

He called this a maintenance dose and doesn't know how long I will be on it. But we are planning a trip to Australia in October and the doctor told me to plan my trip around my chemo appointments.

I have stage IV Colon Cancer, I had surgery to remove a 15 pound tumor on January 23, 2009 and I have no idea when my treatments are going to be over.

potassium?
My mom's onc got rid of the oxi after the 6th round due to the severe 'reactions' she was having- difficulty walking, talking, eating, the list goes on and on. She will not have any more oxi- only 4 treatments left. She didn't think she would ever get this far. Even thought about stopping chemo- but she is sill going and doing so much better now.

She had so much trouble eating- come to find out her potassium was so low! Each time her potassium would drop- the lowest was 2.2- she would put a small bite in and would start gagging. She ended up going in daily for potassium ivs- but had so much trouble maintaining the numbers. I would say she was even having trouble eating until she was able to maintain over 3.8.

After a bowel obstruction hospitalization and getting rid of the oxi she is finally doing better. She has lost a lot of weight and now worries about gaining some back because food actually tastes good and she can keep it down.

What could it hurt to check your potassium? My mom is a RN - and I work in the medical field as well-- neither of us would have ever thought about the correlation between low potassium and gagging/food issues.

I hope you are able to find answers and are able to enjoy meals soon!

Susan

bdee · May 2009

fighting for mom said:
potassium?
My mom's onc got rid of the oxi after the 6th round due to the severe 'reactions' she was having- difficulty walking, talking, eating, the list goes on and on. She will not have any more oxi- only 4 treatments left. She didn't think she would ever get this far. Even thought about stopping chemo- but she is sill going and doing so much better now.

She had so much trouble eating- come to find out her potassium was so low! Each time her potassium would drop- the lowest was 2.2- she would put a small bite in and would start gagging. She ended up going in daily for potassium ivs- but had so much trouble maintaining the numbers. I would say she was even having trouble eating until she was able to maintain over 3.8.

After a bowel obstruction hospitalization and getting rid of the oxi she is finally doing better. She has lost a lot of weight and now worries about gaining some back because food actually tastes good and she can keep it down.

What could it hurt to check your potassium? My mom is a RN - and I work in the medical field as well-- neither of us would have ever thought about the correlation between low potassium and gagging/food issues.

I hope you are able to find answers and are able to enjoy meals soon!

Susan

Potassium
My onc doctor started me on potassium capsules twice a day every day about two months ago. At first I couldn't take them because they are so big they made me gag and sometimes throw up. I don't know what my numbers are, but it is something to ask my doctor on Monday. I've taken the pills now for over a month with no problems, but it doesn't help my eating either. I was excited today, I made an Italian cream of chicken soup and was able to eat two 1/2 bowls with no problems (but I stayed away from the chicken, it was just thick, creamy soup)

Thanks, Debbie

fighting for mom · May 2009

bdee said:
Potassium
My onc doctor started me on potassium capsules twice a day every day about two months ago. At first I couldn't take them because they are so big they made me gag and sometimes throw up. I don't know what my numbers are, but it is something to ask my doctor on Monday. I've taken the pills now for over a month with no problems, but it doesn't help my eating either. I was excited today, I made an Italian cream of chicken soup and was able to eat two 1/2 bowls with no problems (but I stayed away from the chicken, it was just thick, creamy soup)

Thanks, Debbie

Well-
Mom ended up taking the liquid- easier to get down and is absorbed faster. With the liquid it still took max dosages plus the potassium ivs daily for 2 weeks to get her leveled out.

I sure hope your potassium numbers are ok. It was so miserable watching my mom when hers were low. Bless her heart- she tried everything I put in front of her- but only 1 or 1/2 bite before telling me it just wasn't going to work.

The easiest to get down her was a chicken and rice soup.

I hope you get some much needed answers on Monday!

I'll be thinking of you-

Susan

bdee · May 2009

fighting for mom said:
Well-
Mom ended up taking the liquid- easier to get down and is absorbed faster. With the liquid it still took max dosages plus the potassium ivs daily for 2 weeks to get her leveled out.

I sure hope your potassium numbers are ok. It was so miserable watching my mom when hers were low. Bless her heart- she tried everything I put in front of her- but only 1 or 1/2 bite before telling me it just wasn't going to work.

The easiest to get down her was a chicken and rice soup.

I hope you get some much needed answers on Monday!

I'll be thinking of you-

Susan

Not eating
I'll ask my doctor Monday if he will check my potassium. If not, I have an appointment with my family doctor on Tuesday and I know she will check for me if I remember to ask.

I know what your Mom is going through. On Oxi, I thought I was going to die from the chemo treatments, not the cancer. My doctor took me off Oxi and halved my 5FU and Avastin. He called this a maintenance dose since my tumors haven't grown or shrunk during the first 8 treatments of oxi, 5fu and avastan. But my CEA is 2.7.

Not eating

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