any ideas … did you have any? … have you been told not to have any ?..
any info / opinions welcome …
if you have info do you think you might explain where it came from …cheers FB x
Hi FB
It was Actimel that made me ill after first Chemo so haven’t tried it since but have had normal yoghurt since with no bad effects,
Babs
I won’t eat actimel because it contains aspartame which I’ve personally avoided like the plague for the last 5 years because some think it turns to formaldehyde on contact with stomach. embalment while living didn’t appeal to me ;0. I hate it’s taste too 
Am looking into yogurt and probiotics though.
googling for
yogurt chemotherapy
is turning up some interesting things. so far all suggesting it’s a good idea to be eating it, which is what I thought. Am wondering where this thinking of should not have has come from?
When I was admitted to hospital with neutropenia after my first chemo, live yoghurt/probiotics were on the list of forbidden foods for neutropaenic patients because they contains live bacteria which could carry infection at a time when you have no immune system to fight it. So, I’ve avoided them ever since as well as mouldy cheese, sushi etc.
x
yes ripley is right any LIVE is a no no
Still finding conflicting info on this one, Some sources are saying that yogurt (yes live yogurt) is good for you so long as it’s grown on a pasteurised base. mouldy cheese etc is different I think because it’s not pasturised. Other sources are saying don’t touch any live products.
nothing conclusive (famliar feeling there then
Ah ha something with a little science mentioned:
From the BC Cancer Agency (British Columbia Cancer Agency)
"2. My patient understands that her immune system will be affected while she is receiving chemotherapy. In the past, she has used “friendly bacteria” like acidophilus to prevent infections. Can she take acidophilus during chemotherapy?
Probiotics are not recommended during chemotherapy. Any probiotic may cause bacteremia in an immunocompromised patient. There has even been a case report of fatal septicemia in a patient taking yogurt! Explain to your patient that chemotherapy-related infections are not caused by an imbalance of organisms (such as we might expect with antibiotic-associated vaginal yeast infections), but rather by a decrease in her infection-fighting white blood cells. Any live bacteria, even the “friendly” probiotics, can cause a harmful infection."
OMG !!!
Well - I bought 2 large packets of it as I was determined to have my next chmo on time and have been having lots and lots of it in the last 3 days - will stop until I know my neuts have recovered …
am feeling really really cr*p today - think that might be why … ??? …
vertangie - you did ask me “why” I thought it might be not a good idea and ages ago someone pm’ed me that it could interfere with chemo … sounds more like it could interfere with us!!!
such is life - heh?
oh well - too late to be sick so will just drink lots of water and hope for the best
GOoD LUCK VERYONE! and thanks a million
love FB xxx
Hi,
On a similar note, did you read that article that they think carotene and one of the vitamins( cannot remember whether it was A or E), if taken in supplements might stop the chemo drugs working so well? It scared me off all vitamins and supplements for now. I was told no runny/raw eggs, pate, live yoghurts and other live products specifically mentioned (all the same advice as when pregnant) before I started chemo and def no to swimming in public pools. As if we didn’t have enough to worry about already!
Lily
Yeah I can’t remember which vitamin it was either. it was A or E (not A&E, sure being there wouldn’t help either LOL).
I wouldn’t panic Fiz, 1 incident of septicemia doesn’t make it necessarily common but best to me careful I reckon. I’ll be staying off it until a month after the chemo and then picking myself up slowly with diet, especially the ole brazil nuts as I know they keep colds at bay and I want to get over this as fast as possible as I’m sure every one does.
But that’s then for now I will be cautious 
As for swimming pools, well we have an outdoor pool in the community and usually I’m one of the people who checks the chlorine and PH levels to make sure it’s safe, not this year. I did do a short training course about bacteria in pools and I don’t think you want to know but you really really do not want to share public water with anyone you don’t share a bed with or wouldn’t share a bath with if you know what I mean. Chlorine does NOT kill everything. I’ve got the training notes still, yuk yuk yuk.
I actually haven’t been back in the pool since I did the training!
Definitely not! Just had antibiotics for massive infection and GP recommended Yakult. I said but chemo booklet says no. Said he couldnt see why not. Rang bcn and she also thought it would be okay. Rang chemo nurse and she said no! Immune system down so no live products.
Thanks thats anwered my swimming dilema, I’ve read a few threads where people have mentioned swimming, how long after chemo? any suggestions or do you have to wait till after rads too?
Babs
Well Babs
my bcn said not a good idea to go swimming as there are lots of bugs in and around the pool ans as our white blood cells are loww we could pick up infections easy …as i would have loved to go swimming but not going to risk it ???
sal x
I took acidophilus following chemo, not during it. No harm seems to have been done, and my gut largely recovered fairly quickly. I didn’t actually find that Yakult did anything for me at all.
Hi my chemo nurse is ferociously against all live yoghurts until 2 months chemo end of chemo - she also ruled out soft cheeses and pates… i was never a friendly bacteria yoghurt woman but i do miss the others so much - it seems like years not months since i had a nice piece of brie (lapses into day dream about September when she can start eating them again).
I just wish they would all sing from the same hymn sheet!
She also ruled out dental work except check ups - not because he is a live bacterium!!! - but for high infection risk.
jennifer
I so agree that I wish they would all sing from the same hymn sheet.
I had dental work (tooth extraction) just prior to chemo following massive tooth infection post surgery. This resulted in two lots of antibiotics just before starting chemo. Since May I have had 5 lots of antibiotics!! It really worries me. They never seem to ask about anything else before they start chemo. They do ECGs scans etc but never ask about general health and as far as I can see GP doesnt tell them as he merely refers for the bc dx.
So they give chemo and send you on your way and then treat problems as they arise. All very worrying to me. And I can only subject myself to it because I have no choice.
From other threads you may see that after each chemo (2) I have suffered increasingly with folliculitis. I wouldnt recommend it!!! Severe infection of hair follicles. And little or no advice or help given about it either. At moment it is slowly responding to washes with tea tree solution.
Life is more restricted than even I thought it would be. Wig is useless to me. Head is too sensitive to wear it and I wonder if it causes it in my case. I find wig very itchy. Does anyone else have that problem? Difficult to boost immune system because of live yoghurt restrictions but trying to eat lots of strawberries! So some compensations!!
I asked about live yogurts yesterady and chemo nurse said big NO. anything live big NO. mouldy cheese evener bigger NO.
so I wont be having them I’ll just wait
B
Yep,
live yogurts are def. out. I miss them so much and worry about the state of my gut bacteria after taking two lots of antibiotics. Still,everything is out of balance with this chemo I expect! Can’t wait to finish and be able to eat it again. I didn’t know we had to wait two months after end of chemo.
My wig lady,who used to be a onc nurse, said the chemo drugs stay in your body for 6 months after chemo is finished.
Ann
I know what you mean about worrying about the gut Anna. Me too.
Although I did mention to the chemo nurse that I had a little athletes foot just before I started on the FEC and she said you don’t anymore I promise!
Gulp.
I won’t be waiting 6 months after chemo to start building up again. I will wait 6 weeks though. I figure this isn’t about interaction of drugs, more about the fact that our bodies just can’t take anymore onslaught with the drugs in there but I too have heard that it will be 6 months before all the effects will pass.
I’ll get their point of view.