appetite

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Q088suzie
Q088suzie Member Posts: 27
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I was under the impression that my appetite would be sacrificed with chemo. I am having the opposite "problem". I want to eat everything in sight. Granted, I have only had one treatment of 6 so far. I guess my appetite will change furter on down the line. If it doesn't, I will be a blimp by the time my treatments are over. In the meantime, I am being selfish and enjoyng all the comfort food I can. Simple pleasures, you know!!

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  • padee6339
    padee6339 Member Posts: 763
    #2
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    Hi Suzie
    I am not sure if appetite is ruled by the kind of chemo you get. I had taxotere/carboplaten and my first round was the beginning of November. Thanksgiving dinner had some flavor, but by Christmas everything tasted like cardboard. I tried to eat a couple of hot dogs on Christmas day, but they wouldn't go down. I lived on home made soups and jello the rest of the winter. Anything I didn't need to chew, which made it worse. The soups had veggies in them which I'd swallow whole, just to get the nourishment. My last chemo was the beginning of March and it took about a month or so for the taste buds to reappear and since then I have just been hungry. I lost 50 pounds (which I needed to lose anyway) but at this point, all I want to do is eat. I am always hungry and that's bad. LOL Enjoy what you can while you can because when the house smells of good comfort food durng the long winter months, and all you taste is cardboard, it gets hard. I remember over the holidays when my brother and his girlfriend were down from upstate NY, they went out and brought back Chinese. It smelled soooo good and all I could eat was the wonton soup. I wanted to cry, but at least I knew they were eating and I wasn't cooking! Let us know how it works out.
    Hugs -
    Pat
  • New Flower
    New Flower Member Posts: 4,294
    #3
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    padee6339 said:

    Hi Suzie
    I am not sure if appetite is ruled by the kind of chemo you get. I had taxotere/carboplaten and my first round was the beginning of November. Thanksgiving dinner had some flavor, but by Christmas everything tasted like cardboard. I tried to eat a couple of hot dogs on Christmas day, but they wouldn't go down. I lived on home made soups and jello the rest of the winter. Anything I didn't need to chew, which made it worse. The soups had veggies in them which I'd swallow whole, just to get the nourishment. My last chemo was the beginning of March and it took about a month or so for the taste buds to reappear and since then I have just been hungry. I lost 50 pounds (which I needed to lose anyway) but at this point, all I want to do is eat. I am always hungry and that's bad. LOL Enjoy what you can while you can because when the house smells of good comfort food durng the long winter months, and all you taste is cardboard, it gets hard. I remember over the holidays when my brother and his girlfriend were down from upstate NY, they went out and brought back Chinese. It smelled soooo good and all I could eat was the wonton soup. I wanted to cry, but at least I knew they were eating and I wasn't cooking! Let us know how it works out.
    Hugs -
    Pat

    Dexamethasone
    Hi Suzie,
    If you were given Dexamethasone as a pre-med to avoid allergic reaction from Chemo, that probably the for your appetite. I had to take pills and were given IV with this steroid medication. It usually lasted for 2-3 days.
    Good luck with rest of your Chemo
  • Rague
    Rague Member Posts: 3,653 Member
    #4
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    After the first chemo, I ate
    After the first chemo (A/C), I ate like a 'piggy' - small ammounts often like I was told to do. (Lost 1/2 lb. those 2 weeks.) After the 2nd dose, I gradually lost all desire to eat over the first week. It was Hubby that realized I wasn't eating - my Mother was aneortic and we were married the last 4 years of her life so he knows what it is and what to watch for. When I saw Dr. T on Mon. I had lost 5 lbs. in the last 2 weeks. 3rd dose is tomorrow so will see what next week brings.
    So far there has only been 2 things that have lost flavor/taste - sausage and French dip sandwiches.

    Susan
  • ppurdin
    ppurdin Member Posts: 1,181 Member
    #5
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    appetite
    HI,WE ARE IN THE SAME BOAT HERE.I HAD MY FIRST Chemo yesterday and I can not stop eating.I know exactley what you are going through.I ate at least twice what I usually eat.I am already over weight so I don,t need any more weight on me.BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE SOON THINGS MIGHT NOT TASTE GOOD TO US.LIKE YOU I had my comfort foods around.How do you feel after your first treatment?Me I feel a little nausea and restless.I am taking my nausea meds.Take care and let us know how your doing.love and prayers(Pat)
  • dyaneb123
    dyaneb123 Member Posts: 950
    #6
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    ppurdin said:

    appetite
    HI,WE ARE IN THE SAME BOAT HERE.I HAD MY FIRST Chemo yesterday and I can not stop eating.I know exactley what you are going through.I ate at least twice what I usually eat.I am already over weight so I don,t need any more weight on me.BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE SOON THINGS MIGHT NOT TASTE GOOD TO US.LIKE YOU I had my comfort foods around.How do you feel after your first treatment?Me I feel a little nausea and restless.I am taking my nausea meds.Take care and let us know how your doing.love and prayers(Pat)

    Hey guys
    I actually gained
    Hey guys
    I actually gained 20 ls on chemo cause all I wanted was starchy comfort foods and I gave myself permission to eat whatever I could get down. I'll worry about it later...fiddle dee dee....
  • outdoorgirl
    outdoorgirl Member Posts: 1,565
    #7
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    suzie
    nothing wrong with enjoying any food you can!I wouldn't worry about it right now if I were you. Hope your treatments go well...
  • pinkkari09
    pinkkari09 Member Posts: 877
    #8
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    In the same boat
    Hi Suzie, I have had two treatments thus far and I'm eating everything in sight myself, I find some things taste better than others but what's really nice is that I crave stuff that is good for me, like whole grain cereals, subs and salads. Once in a while I have a sugar craving that drives me crazy because I eat tons of it, OOPS, oh well, we need something to keep us going :)
  • Q088suzie
    Q088suzie Member Posts: 27
    #9
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    pinkkari09 said:

    In the same boat
    Hi Suzie, I have had two treatments thus far and I'm eating everything in sight myself, I find some things taste better than others but what's really nice is that I crave stuff that is good for me, like whole grain cereals, subs and salads. Once in a while I have a sugar craving that drives me crazy because I eat tons of it, OOPS, oh well, we need something to keep us going :)

    Still eating!
    I think you might be right about the Dexamethasone. Seems as if my appetite is coming under a little more control,,although, last night went to Olive Garden and pigged out...was so good. I work there (pressently on sick leave) and was good to see old friends. Everyone there is so supportive to me,,,sure does help!!
  • tommaseena
    tommaseena Member Posts: 1,769
    #10
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    Q088suzie said:

    Still eating!
    I think you might be right about the Dexamethasone. Seems as if my appetite is coming under a little more control,,although, last night went to Olive Garden and pigged out...was so good. I work there (pressently on sick leave) and was good to see old friends. Everyone there is so supportive to me,,,sure does help!!

    Steroids
    Steroids will make you want to eat.

    I eat and ate anything.

    Had cravings every now and then for beer and also chocolates but not at the same time.

    I have found that my taste has changed--before chemo I could not eat a roast beef sandwich unless the roast beef was well done---ohhhh how has that changed--I want it rare now.

    I always liked spicy or hot foods but not so that my mouth was on fire but now the hotter and spicier the better.

    Hugs, Margo
  • lanie940
    lanie940 Member Posts: 490 Member
    #11
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    tommaseena said:

    Steroids
    Steroids will make you want to eat.

    I eat and ate anything.

    Had cravings every now and then for beer and also chocolates but not at the same time.

    I have found that my taste has changed--before chemo I could not eat a roast beef sandwich unless the roast beef was well done---ohhhh how has that changed--I want it rare now.

    I always liked spicy or hot foods but not so that my mouth was on fire but now the hotter and spicier the better.

    Hugs, Margo

    What steroid do they give
    What steroid do they give you? I have taken prednisone twice for shingles, and it wrecked my appetite, things tasted like metal.

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