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Loss of appetite after chemo and radiation
hi, I have a question maybe someone can help with. I finished FEC chemo on 13 May and radiation on 27 July. I had nausea and also problems eating dinner in the later part of chemo. I just didn't want to eat it. It looked unappetising and I didn't feel hungry. I often forced myself to eat and some times I enjoyed it, but often didn't.
To my surprise I am still have problems eating dinner and sometimes other meals. It looks unappetising and I just don't want to eat it. I seem to have no problems eating chocolate and some snacks, it's meals that are the problem. I am well aware I need to eat healthy food and prior to cancer I usually ate healthy meals with plenty of veggies quite happily. The food hasn't changed, it's my reaction to it that has changed. I don't know what the problem is and how to fix it. I am vegetarian and have IBS (irritable bowel) and so eat a fairly restricted range of foods. Now many of the foods I once happily ate are unappetising and I find them difficult to eat. I am not fading away so I don't suppose my health is being affected badly but it's annoying and unpleasant. Has anyone else had this problem and how did you fix it? Thanks
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6 Replies
thanks Melinda. Karen
Thanks so much. Karen
I had no issues with food during Chemo but did find myself losing appetite in 2012 post major surgery and getting myself to eat again was a nightmare...
I never though losing appetite was a real thing until it did happen to me and to this day remeber trying to eat what smelled.good and I wnated to eat it but could not physically force myself to actually swallow a moutfull. I would chew and chew but the throat refused to cooperate and allow me to swallow and would spit it out as any attempt to swallow resulted in my chokeing :(
After losong 8 kg in under a week because I could not eat I was facing being fed through a tube and had to do someting about it so I started by making chicken soup (no noodles) and would drink small amounts of clear broth. That helped get some nutrition into my body. Also juicing fresh fruit and veg helped. I had no desire for it but just like with soups I found it easier to get my body to accept it.
Next step was making whatever I knew was my favourite food prior to the surgery that I would enjoy the aroma off. I started by taking a small bite only - just a single teaspoon which I would still divide into several bites and somehow that worked for me and body would accept tiny bits of food. Faced with a small.place or smal pieces I could not swallow but faced with a single tiny teaspoon of food would get the body to cooperate... I would also just steam or boil basic veg and would also just have a single teaspoonfull. I would ten try another bit in an hour and so on... Took about 2 days of that approach for my body to start to cooperate and by day 3 I found that I could eat very small meals in a single sitting.
You just need to find what works for you - what your favourite foods are and start slowly without expecting too much.
Best of luck
Jel.
Karen,
I had FEC last year, my appetite waned immediately, I barely ate or drank was very ill through Chemo. Im now 8 months and can say my eating has gone back to normal, though it did take a long time and strangely the same! I still put on 5kg but I put that down to being so ill I couldnt even walk, and thrown into early menopause. I know the dietician definitely helps, I know ladies who have used them and got back on track.
Be gentle with yourself, maybe try new things and see if it helps?
Hugs
Melinda xo
Thanks, I was wondering about seeing a dietitian. I will give that a go. Karen
I lost all taste for veggies on chemo. I ended up seeing a dietitian for assistance and they gave me some great ideas that saw me through. You should be able to get a referral easily through your oncology team or GP. Hope things improve. Kath x
