Anyone else fasting while on chemo?

Going through breast cancer treatment Chemotherapy
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Hi there,

I am about to start my first chemo (3 x fec + 3 x t) treatment tomorrow, and I have decided to fast for 48hr prior and 24hr after. I realise this is not everyone’s cuppa tea, but after reading a lot of research on it, for me, it made sense to try it. 

This is the thread that made me research it a bit more:

community.breastcancer.org/forum/69/topics/768785?page=

 

Anyway, like I said; completely understand this is not for everybody, but I was wondering if there are any other ladies out there doing the same, or are interested?

 

Thanks,

Marije

 

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Hi Marije,

 

Good luck for your first chemo. I also read some stuff about fasting but decided but only once I had finished the EC/FEC side of my treatment (the one which may make you more sick/nauseous). I think the most important thing is you really need to keep up your fluids to help flush excess drug out of your system and also to keep bowel movements regular as you can get very and painfully constipated during this time. If you are familiar with fasting, maybe you did the 5:2 diet then I say go for it. But chemo is quite tough emotionally and physically and some of the anti sickness and anti allergy meds need to be taken with food otherwise they can be heavy on the stomach. So even if you do fast try to have something in which can help you get around these things. You might just have to be realistic about what you can achieve/get through. Just don’t be too hard on yourself if you can’t keep up. 

 

Most importantly, listen to your body and take care of you!!

 

Ali xx

 

(day 2 after last chemo)

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Hi All,

 

I am doing the fasting for a 2nd time (2nd chemo tomorrow, I’m on 3 x EC followed by 3x Docetaxel). I’ll write what I’m doing in case it’s helpful for others to think about.

 

I’m fasting for 4 days total: 3 days prior to chemo, 1 day after. The reason for this is Valter Longo’s research showing the body’s metabolism changing from growth to maintenance after 2 days of fasting: so IF this works according to the theory, the body should be well into its “maintenance mode” during the chemo. The idea is that the body stops growth where possible: this means that areas that have stopped growing will not be targetted by the chemo, while the cancer cells (who don’t answer to normal stop signals, that’s the whole problem) will be growing as usual. This is supposed to make chemo more effective while preventing some side effects - so much for the theory.

 

In terms of the nuts & bolts of the fasting, I start at noon on the day 1 and end at noon on day 5 (for me these are Monday and Friday, my chemo is Thursday). This allows me to eat a HUGE breakfast-brunch with eggs & cheese & avocado and what have you on day 1. After that I am not hungry for the rest of that day, or the next morning. And after 24 hours, the body is sort of used to fasting and doesn’t really get hungry - at least that’s my experience. So after that fasting doesn’t require any discomfort or willpower (which I don’t have at all! I hate being hungry, have never ever dieted,etc).

 

During the fasting, I drink tons of water, black tea, black coffee, herbal teas. I also (starting on day 3, so Weds for me) start eating chocolate. This is sort of backed up by science, again Valter Longo’s “fasting mimicking diet”, which recommends low calorie intake with 10% protein, 45% fat, 45% carbohydrate (roughly), and this is basically Cadbury’s fair trade milk chocolate! Why not. So when I am feeling a bit woozy or uncomfortable, I eat a couple of squares. Last time I ate 2 blocks of chocolate (roughly 1100 kcal total) during the 4 days, and was fine. That’s definitely not enough for the body to start “growing” again, but it’s plenty in terms of feeling stable & energetic. I’m small (50 kg) so bigger people might well need quite a bit more. I’ve just done on a “needs” basis.

 

So that’s it! Last time I had very few side effects: a tiny bit of nausea & heartburn at the very beginning after chemo, hair loss (inevitable), that’s it (oh and bone pain from filgrastim injections - not chemo directly). No metallic taste, no urine/digestive issues, no mouth sores, nothing. So maybe I would have been fine anyway, but goodness knows the fasting was easy enough and I’m not interested in seeing how much more miserable I am without it. And I’ve been eating like a horse ever since (started on soup but then quickly onto tasty curries & french toast!).

 

That’s my experience, very subjective obviously, but would be interested in seeing what other ladies are doing.

 

Cheers & sorry for long post, but figured it might be helpful to someone,

Julia

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Marije,

i had my first chemo last week.  I had read about fasting just 2 days before but I was sufficiently intrigued (and convinced) by the idea that I talked to my dr and with his green light I fasted for about 30 hours before and 24 hours after.  It was surprisingly easy with the motivation I felt.  After chemo I didn’t have any nausea.  I was light headed from fasting (I assume) and I had some bone pain from Neulasta for a few days as well as some cramping, but now, 5 days out I’m feeling great.

 

what was your experience?  I plan to do it for 48 hour before next time.

 

jan

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I am now at the end of week 2 after chemo.  I fasted for a total of 67 hours, 24 after, the rest before the infusion.  I had some side effects for the first week (mainly fatigue, but also some bone pain from Neulasta), but I wouldn’t say they were awful.  By the end of the 1st week, I felt like myself again in terms of energy, lack of pain, etc.  there’s no way to know if the fasting made a difference, but since it did no harm, I plan to do it again during my next round.  

Jan

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I wish i felt back to normal that quickly! 10 days after my first and i’ve had awful mouth problems, heartburn which seems easier now theyve given me a different med, a breathless tight chest which they said was the chemo but i am asthmatic and a spacey feeling which is often the case with blood pressure patients which i am.i’ve suffered digestive problems for years so was expecting that.anything i can do to feel better next month? Oh and i’ve gone from sleeping about 5 hrs a night to needing 9!

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Hi All,

 

just done chemo 4 (first Docetaxel after 3x Epirubicin + Cyclophosphamide). I thought I would update my experience if others are reading this.

 

I did the fasting for chemos 1-3 as 3 days prior to chemo, 1 day after: 4 x 24 hours total. I got sick of the chocolate part way through (partial) fasting for chemo 3, and had a couple jacket potatoes with butter (low protein, high carbs & fat), but they gave me indigestion and diarrhea (sorry!) and set me back a full day in terms of recovering from chemo. Normally I have chemo on Thursday and am fine by the next Tuesday: this time it was Weds before I could really face the world. I also was upset a my lowered white blood cell counts, and figured the fasting probably wasn’t helping (although I had a huge period between chemos 2 & 3 so that was probably a more important factor).

 

For chemo 4, I changed the schedule and diet. I started fasting only 2 days before chemo, not 3, and will keep fasting until the 24 hours are done. It’s a partial fast, as before. I’ve been eating 2 crumpets a day with jam or pickles (breakfast & lunch) to accompany the steroids I have to take, which should not be taken on an empty stomach. So far it’s a lot more manageable - who knows what my side effects will be this time with new chemo drug.

 

Cheers,

Julia

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I’ve also been fasting and have so far done 3 x EC, final one next week.  I have been eating as little as possible for 72 hours prior, 24 hours after, just miso soup, steamed brocolli/asparagus and vegetable juice.  If I feel I really need it, I have half a slice of toast.  I have found the chemo fine.  I was very tired after the first cycle for a week, but have found it easier every time and after the last cycle did not feel any tiredness at all.  I’ve had no other side effects (other than the hair loss) and have even managed to get my weight up after the post-op loss.  Obviously I don’t know what it would be like without fasting, but I’m not prepared to try it now! 

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I have also gone down the fasting route, along with massive diet changes - largely cutting out sugar, dairy, processed stuff and alcohol-my diet is along the Mediterranean type. I live from meal to meal and love my grub!
I have had 4 lots of chemo and 1 lot of Herceptin. 2 more chemo, operation and radiotherapy to go. Then just the Herceptin jabs every 3 weeks til next August. Roll on…
My side effects have been insomnia during the 10 days I do the Filgrastim jabs, diarrhoea and intermittent tiredness. I have not had nausea or vomiting and I am beyond grateful for this. My main advice beyond fasting (partial for me as I drink miso soup and hot marmite plus nibble bits of celery) is to keep hugely hydrated. I also swig loads of fizzy water, and green/herbal teas. When I didn’t drink enough after chemo 1, I felt bad and had constipation-along with diarrhoea so took that message on board sharpish!
Thanks to everyone who puts such helpful and kind stuff on here.

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I have just read some research info about fasting and found this thread so find it really interesting to hear what everyone else is doing.

 

Only learned about it today and doing lots of research so hopefully by my 2nd chemo which is 30th december fec I should be able to take part in some fasting though Im not as yet sure what exactly might be best way to do it.

 

Any tips as to links to different ways would be helpful, from what I have read it does seem worthwhile and what is a few days no food or extremely limited food if it protects blood cells and makes the cancer more vulnerable to the chemo…this chemo is horrible stuff so if I can get more value from it then Im certainly up for a bit of fasting.

Andrea X

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Hi AndreaJ
I had my first FEC on Wed and fasted for 48hrs prior and about 12 hrs afterwards. I have read a lot about it and wanted to try it to see if it could limit side effects and hopefully make chemo more effective. Obviously as it was my first session I can’t compare it with anything but after the initial first 12 hrs I haven’t felt too bad.Have you read the Victor Llongo study?
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
Claire x

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Hi Andrea
I had miso soup and lots of herbal teas and fizzy water also a little bit of celery and I felt ok. I would just go with whatever you feel comfortable with it’s hard enough isn’t it without pushing our bodies even more. I am feeling ok today which is day 6 just got a cotton wool feeling in my head but I am already dreading the next one. Hope you enjoy Xmas and your next treatment goes well xx

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Hi All,

I thought I would join you, will be starting FEC-T a week today, and would like to try all sorts of alternatives that could help.  I have *mentioned* various ‘alternative’ and complimentary treatments I would like to do alongside the medical mode but so far very little support from my team. Even though I am a HCP myself and practice a lot of these in my day to day work (am an acupuncturist as well).  

 

Am really interested in this fasting.

All the best to all

Amanda

x

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I’m doing this too. First round of EC tomorrow (Monday)  and I’ll have fasted for 45 hours (was supposed to be 48, but we had a lie-in yesterday so had brunch). I’m ok with not eating for that period, and I’m hoping to hold off eating until Tuesday evening. Although I realise that it will be dependent on how it goes. 

 

I’ve looked at all the research, and while I realise that there’s more to be done, it seems unlikely that it will do any harm. I’ll admit I’m interested in fasting generally, there’s lots of evidence on diabetes reversal out there. I suspect that’s it’s also attractive because it allows for some element of control. Like lots of people almost the worse thing about this is the loss of autonomy. 

 

Anyway I’ll let you know how it goes re side effects etc. 

 

Ali 

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Hi All

I am day 4 FEC now, and to be honest feeling ok nausea wise, used the Emend and Ondastetron and that is it.  The fasting has changed to wholemeal toast & marmite, fruit and sugar free jelly particularly bananas.

I do love a chippy chips wholemeal sarnie!

 

I will def be doing it again next time!

 

A

xx

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Wow, Blueash. That’s really impressive and certainly provides an incentive to do it properly. I’ve been fine with water, tea and coffee since yesterday midday and just had a mug of miso soup.  I’ll report back how tomorrow goes (well, more importantly how the following few days go).  

 

Ali 

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Im struggling with fasting but hanging in there, Its not that I am too hungry I just feel very weak and ill nausea etc. not feeling good at all.

 

I began with one day of protien then am following with 48 hours of no food but am having grean tea and flavoured water…today which is the second day of fast I felt so exhausted and ill that I ate a hard boiled egg and an hour later I feel a little better, not sure if its a coincidence

 

I would have stuck it out but my OH pointed out that I look so ill white and awful that if I turn up for chemo tommorow morning they may refuse to go ahead and since I have already had to be put back due to low white cells I thought I had to do something.

 

I beleive it is the fasting that is causing me problems as I began fasting for the chemo last time and became like this but the chemo was put off due to low white cells.

 

Has anyone else had this problem please?

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Andrea, I dont think fasting shouold make you feel so ill/ - I like to drink the OXO cubes in boiling water or Marmite.  I use the fasting to help with nausea and sickness rather than the cancer killing properties.  I avoid all dairy, carbs and all the nice crisps, snacks and chocolate.  I also stopped all caffeine based drinks but think this gave me a headache during treatment! 

 

Not sure if this helps…

Amanda

xx

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I have rectal cancer, not breast cancer, but thought I would offer some information here about fasting (I’m planning to fast starting on my next cycle, which will be 5 on FOLFOX chemotherapy, if my onc allows it).

 

Specifically, if you want to snack a little while you are fasting, don’t eat chocolate or other foods with carbohydrates. Focus on protein-rich foods because protein raises the blood sugar slower and for a longer time than starch or sugar. This should add to the stress on cancer cells as they try to divide without enough nutrition.

 

Also, if you start 48 hours or more before your chemotherapy, you may have time to get your metabolism into ketosis, which may or may not be an additional aid (nobody knows, as no research has been done on ketosis and cancer). To do this quickly, start with protein then add lots of fat and/or oil. Read websites about ketosis so that you will understand it before you start.

 

Fasting and intermittent fasting has some research behind it; ketosis is an unknown so far. Always research these before you propose them to your onc, so you will be knowledgeable and because this concept may be new to them.

 

Best of luck and lots of love to us all!

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