Digestion Issues Post Chemo

I agree @primek, we are all different and some of us bring other health issues to the table with us too. Aside from BC I also live with scleroderma (CREST type), I had been having so called "silent reflux" and only when a camera was threaded down to my vocal cords, was the reason for my four months long "laringitis" found...I actually had ulcers lining my entire esophagus as well as my vocal chords in my larynx. I still take medication for this now. My record during AC chemo for constipation was 15 days....count them...15... I had been trying to resolve this matter from day four without success. When I eventually hit the jackpot, I ended up with a rectal tear. When on Paclitaxol, I spray painted my loo a total of 12 times in one day. I couldn't even fart for the entire three months of taxol, except on the loo, in case I got more than I bargained for. Needless to say I took medication for both these extremes of bowel malfunction. As regards pain, I experienced very little following my bilateral mastectomy with node clearance, even after a massive bleed resulted in me being rushed back to theatre as an emergence and opened up. The bleeders were clamped off. That was eleven units of blood and four of plasma...a doozy of a bleed and also returned from the second visit to theatre with two broken ribs. (I also have severe osteoporosis). I do now, however take one pain tablet before I go to bed after having brain surgery a few weeks ago. I had my right internal carotid artery aneurysm clamped which resulted in air and blood around the brain. This is still resolving. I feel no guilt about this @"Patti J" " and will continue to do so (under my neurosurgeons care) for as long as I need to.

@"Patti J" happy for you that you haven't needed medication for reflux and bowel issues. We are all different and how bad the issues impact on our lives is what determines what is needed I think.

I finished chemo around the beginning of August (or end of July???) and my gut was probably upset until recently.  Double strength Mylanta tablets were good towards the end. I still have slight reflux/nausea issues in the middle of the night occasionally but I can mostly ride them out without any medication.

I didn't take much either - no nausea so no nausea meds, no bowel problems (except when having the nausea meds at the very beginning!). Took some vitamins as recommended by medical team. Good job I didn't know about eggs, salads etc. I lost my tastebuds on Taxol and eggs, salads, bananas and avocado were the only thing I could taste!  

Oh dear. I don't feel at all loved. My BC nurse told me to eat anything I wanted except yakult type pro biotics. She even told me to sit in front of the telly and pig out on whatever I wanted whether it was healthy or not. The first two weeks I pigged out on chippies but after eating fairly healthy for years I felt quite ill so went back to healthy eating. I had heartburn regardless of what I ate so had to resort to stemizen.

OMG. Am I  alone in this? The only things I  take are my prescribed medications and some supplements. No pain killers, no stomach medication, no sleeping pills, no pills to make me go to the toilet, no pills to stop me from going to the toilet!!!???

Whilst I was having chemo, I was told to avoid foods which pregnant mothers are told to avoid. Foods such as soft cheeses, deli meats and salads, soft eggs and so on. Basically avoid foods which may be contaminated by salmonella or listeria.

@"Patti J" Best to be careful then.

@kmakm. I think with the kombucha it is because of my medication which leaves me very prone to infection. Palbociclib lowers your neutrophils as do many chemotherapy medications. 

@kitkatb Kombucha is available in the shops, pretty much everywhere in Melbourne anyway! I like the Remedy brand but there are so many, you just have to keep trying them until you find the ones you like. I have been drinking them for years now and have never had an infection. I always notice an improvement in my gut situation when I drink it regularly.

A few weeks ago I did a fermentation worshop and am now making my own kombucha, scoby and all!

I'm also making my own kefir. I was very suss on it at first, because I'd only tried one from the supermarket once and I hadn't liked it. But the homemade one is gooooood! I like to put a pinch of cinnamon and a bit of honey in it. I can see no reason why you couldn't add it to banana to make a smoothie!

So kefir, same as kombucha, keep trying until you find one you like. You could try health food shops too.