Am due to start FEC treatment soon and wondered whether I need to be aware of avoiding certain foods or drinks just prior to the session on the day itself? Thanks for any advice
I would just have something light to eat - and drink plenty of water before, during and after. Good luck.
Hi Lily
would reiterate what Finty says
hope it goes well xxx
monica
Hi,
well I did totally the opposite and got to the hospital early each time to enjoy a big cooked breakfast to line my stomach. Hubby was very impressed with this tactic and stopped me from getting so nervous as knew I was not going straight into chemo. I was never sick or even really felt sick. I drank tons on the day too to wash it out as some people get an irritated bladder. I guess you can try both tactics and see which works for you. Lots of luck and hope your won’t make you feel too yuk. it should only be a few days each time
Lily x
Lily I’m impressed! But I suspect not all of us have such a cast iron stomach, and nausea can be an issue. Also the water is not just for the bladder, but very important throughout chemo to flush the kidneys.
Hi Ladies,
Spoke to a lady l was in hospitatal with, she started her first chemo 2 weeks ago, she said she has had a really bad mouth for 9 days and felt awful in general. She had 10 days of injections after the chemo, and is not sure she will have them each time
Her next chemo is due on the 5th June. I asked her if she had been drinking lots of water, as you ladies always talk about it. She was surprised and said no one had mentioned drinking water, before, during or after chemo!! she said she would mention it the next time she goes.
Has she not heard them telling her? or have they not told her? who actually tells you about the water, is it the nurse or the onc? Obviously l know, and will be drinking plenty, but l thought if it is that important someone would have said. She always takes her husband, and is usually on the ball, so l was suprised she didn’t know!
Sandra
Finished chemo in February, drink plenty of water on the day of chemo. All I was advised to do was eat a light meal on the evening of the day of chemo, they likened it to what ever you would eat after you had been ill with a stomach bug and were just getting back to eating again. I chose sausage, mash and beans. They encourage you to eat breakfast and lunch as normal. If you are at the unit at lunchtime ( which I was for every chemo) they bring round sandwiches and encourage you to take one to eat if you have not bought your own lunch. The anti-sickness meds enables you to eat, just be careful with what you eat, as we all know what makes us too bloated or may be too spicy. Like most on these boards I had no sickness or nausea. In fact on the morning after the 1st chemo I was waiting for it to start.
Re the water it seems that it helps to flush the drugs through the system and keeps you hydrated. I was advised to do this by my son who is a research doctor who has worked with cancer drugs and he asked advised from the oncologists he works with, the advised they gave was plenty of water on the day and couple of days after chemo. I forgot to do it on my 3rd chemo and that was my worst SE, never forgot again and all other 5 were reasonably mild, so maybe it did help. Good luck
Sandra I wasn’t told either by my onc - but it was in the information handouts. I was surprised it wasn’t made more of an issue, as seems to ,ake a big difference to se’s. I was also under the impression that you should drink plenty all the way through chemo, not just for the few days afterwards.
Best advice I had was to put a 2 litre bottle of water in the fridge and make sure I drank it over 24 hours. I added squash & drank herbal teas too as went off tea/coffee. Also took Nux Vomica, homeopathic remedy and didn’t need the regular meds very much.
I found eating little & often helped, mostly salads, just like keeping morning sickness at bay. Don’t go out without a snack pot of nuts, digestives or whatever else you fancy as I think low blood sugar adds to the queasiness. You have to go with the flow & eat whatever your body demands be it pizza, curries or fruit & more fruit. Fruit does help with the constipation. Good luck
Drinking plenty is very important to flush the chemicals through and keep you hydrated! Eat what you feel like, whatever you can stomach best, an empty stomach can make you more queasy, I usually have some toast before I go in and sandwiches during chemo, which seems very bizarre! Best of luck! Tina
Hi Lily
I was very sick with chemo and was advised to ensure I had carbohydrate the day of chemo - something like a jacket potato. I ate that though at least 2 hours before my chemo.
I made a big mistake and had a meal after my first chemo and was then sick 2 hours later.
I’m not saying any of this to put you off as I think my experience is very unusual. Hopefully you’ll be fine but for the first one it’s probably best to err on the side of caution. Keep your food intake light and have plenty of fluids.
Hope it all goes well.
Elinda x
Hi,
it is strange how it affects us all differently and being anxious definitely makes it hit you much harder. I was told that alcohol within 48 hours could be a major problem and had to be avoided but others on here have tried it and been ok. I had epi/cmf so I had 12 doses of chemo and found it soon became easy to predict what would happen by keeping a diary. This was particularly helpful as one bunged me up terribly and on the other I hardly got out the toilet and became lactose intolerant for a few days and could eat no fruit or veg at all. Again that affects people in different ways. I was on a research trial and had 1000mls of epi each time whereas my friend had just 90 on FEC so that explains some differences. I ate a lot on chemo too as I got the travel sick sort of sensation where you feel everything is moving slightly and I cure that by eating when I travel so did the same with this. My friend who threw up before she got out the car park after each dose and for days after, cured it by having a big egg roll before each chemo after trying my eat yourself better cure and a dose of science in the form of extra anti-sick tablets. The cure for sore tongue/horrible taste is eating ice lollies through or straight after chemo. I think it works like the cold cap but on your tongue
Lots of luck those still heading down the black hole
Lily x