I have multiple food intolerances and I am very worried about having chemotherapy. I think I will/might react badly to the chemotherapy and that it could increase the intolerances and make them worse. Is there anyone who has been in this situation?
Hi Roxy
I don’t have any known food intolerances but I do suffer with nauseaand was very anxious about chemo. I discussed my concerns with my oncologist and she gave me good anti sickness meds which so far have controlled the nausea. I am sure if you discuss your concerns they will be able to reassure you.
Good luck
<li-spoiler>Hi Roxy<br><br>I also have multiple food allergies wheat, gluten.dairy,pineapple,coconut and mushrooms and also medicines too,so I know how anxious you must be feeling but rest assured it can be worked out, although sometimes I had to do the leg work eg phoning and emailing the pharmaceutical company’s direct to find out if they were OK for me to take.)<br>I don’t know what your intolerances are and what chemo type you will b having ( I’m on fec-T) but if you need any advice I’ll be hear.<br><br>Plots of love Jo x<br><br></li-spoiler>
Chemo is a really strange thing.
My situation is that I am now a few months post chemo. I have a neurological disease plus allergies (diagnosed in a conventional hospital with immune system tests).
I also have a list of foods that simply disagree with me. I’ve always avoided chemicals in personal and household products due to side effects. Overall I am very allergic (cats. pollen etc). I’ve always had strange reaction to prescription drugs so chemo was challenging and I went into it with little help and too quickly and optimistically.
I have had severe reactions to most parts of my breast cancer treatments (chemo, surgery, rads etc). The cause for some of this seems to be in the immune system and inflammation my oncologist thinks. I’m still not recovered from chemo.
As an example of just one chemo effect, I had severe nausea and vomiting all through chemo and found it hard to find meds to help this. I’m still on the meds now. It took a lot of time and many different drug attempts to find something that helped. Most of my medical team were useless.
For most of the chemo months I was on a liquid diet and all consideration of food allergies and intolerance went completely out the window. I was very weak, bedridden for most of the time and in hospital for infections. I have postural hypotension normally and with chemo my BP plummeted when I stood up causing me to faint.
In desperation, due to the violent uncontrolled sickness, I was drinking flavoured milk drinks and all sorts of commercial fruit smoothies and things I would never touch if given the choice normally. They did help and I was very grateful to have them.
My diet in chemo was really restricted by what made me feel better (i.e. less nausea and vomiting) and what tasted “true” as chemo changes the taste buds. I found that certain foods tasted great that I would not normally eat and many other normally safe foods foul. I had an enormous weight gain on chemo maybe for that reason.
All through my treatment reactions one thing has been useful - anti-histamines like Claritine and Benadryl. Predislone helped as well. It may be that if there is an underlying immune system reason for your food intolerance then you may also have the severe and strange experiences that I did.
Hi,
I had been intolerant to wheat and lactose for several years prior to my diagnosis following a serious infection. While on chemo I had a very similar experience to Flopsy (crap) but have since discovered that I can tolerate wheat again so it seems the chemo has sorted out that intolerance. There have to be some positives!
X