Hi, I finished radiotherapy 3 days ago and I have been suffering with diarrhea since then. I am drinking water and peppermint tea constantly to make sure I am hydrated. I can only stomach small amounts of very bland food such as white rice or plain pasta.
Is it normal to get an upset stomach afterwards and how long does it usually last for?
I really want to be able to eat normally and build my strength and immunity back up but I feel like I’m never going to be able to eat normally again. I had some issues with feeling nauseous and having a bad stomach during the second week of radiotherapy as well so it’s not been right since then really.
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Hi @beckelina
Sorry your feeling like this , I haven’t had that experience only bad fatigue , might be an idea to speak to your breast care nurse or the helpline on the forum for some advice
Take care hope you feel better soon x
I didn’t have diarrhoea but I did have fatigue and nausea and a bit of dizziness came along with that . The fatigue hung on but the nausea was gone after a week or so. Maybe you could give your radiotherapy team or BCN a call for advice and get some help from your surgery just in case it isn’t radiotherapy and you’ve picked up a bug - lots of nasty winter bugs still about if it continues. If you’re able to eat/ drink a little live yoghurt or better still kefir to support your gut health that might help. Hope you feel better soon. Xx
Hello beckelina
Thaks for posting.
Radiotherapy to the breast or chest does not usually cause diarrhoea. Sometimes depending on the treatment area, you may get some nausea or indigestion-like symptoms.
@JoanneN says it could be related so something else. Do contact your GP or breast care nurse about your symptoms as @charlottebee suggests. Thery can assess you and find out what is causing the diarrhoea and what might help.
Its understandable you want to resume a healthy well-balanced diet to help your recovery and general health. Our information about this might help once you have resolved the concerns you currently have. We also have a series of videos about diet and breast cancer
We also have a range of services you might be interested in
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