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Eating schedules while on chemo

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Posted 4/24/2018 12:46 AM (GMT 0)
My dad started his chemo today and my mom asked him if he'd eaten anything. I did not know you couldn't eat 1 hour before and 2 hours after taking the chemo. What is the reason? Will it make you sick or worse yet, will the pill not be effective? Is it the same with all chemotherapy types? Right now he's on Estramustine and Etoposide. I think this is going to be a challenge to my dad because he's used to eating what he wants when he wants it, and he can be very air-headed and forget he is not supposed to eat. I'm thinking of putting a sign up telling him when he should and shouldn't eat. Sounds silly but I will do what it takes for my dad to do it right.
Posted 4/24/2018 11:30 AM (GMT 0)
I don't know much about either Estramustine or Etoposide but my husband is taking Zytiga and predisone and has the same sort of eating rules. He gets up before the alarm and takes his thyroid pill, then waits an hour and takes his Zytiga, then waits another hour and takes his presdisone. I think Zytiga is no food two hours before and one hour after. Predisone says to take with food as it can damage the stomach lining. Not that my husband does. LOL

From what I understand about Zytiga, it has something to do with the way the medicine is absorbed and when there is food in the stomach. I think the drug gets into their system too quickly.

Many medicines have food restrictions or requirements so that's actually pretty normal.

You may want to suggest he take his meds as soon as he gets up then he'd only have to wait an hour to get something to eat.
Posted 4/24/2018 3:39 PM (GMT 0)
I'm on Taxotere, and there is no list of rules for food or timing. In fact, I take a ziplock bag of ChexMix to graze on, with some mixed fruit juice. It keeps my stomach from going crazy. I take whoever drives for me to the local BBQ place, and we "pig" out. Then I go home and crash on the couch for the rest of the day.

The center quit providing the ChexMix, and gave me cheese crackers. Needless to say, the very dry crackers and imitation cheese hosed my stomach, and things did not go well. I take my own now, as spending the afternoon attached to a barf bag is no fun.

My Onco is much more worried that I might stop eating (I have no sense of taste left, and eating a meal seems a useless chore) and lose weight.

The Zytiga rules are to be sure the food being digested does not change the rate of med absorption in the stomach.
Posted 4/25/2018 4:26 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the replies. I try to imagine myself having to go through that routine. It sounds like a hassle but then I guess you just have to remind yourself you've gotta do it and sooner or later it will just be like any other routine. My dad was on Zytiga for a while and I remember something about food but I don't remember exactly what it was, and it didn't seem as complicated as this does now, but maybe I just wasn't as informed then as I am not.
142, why don't you have any taste left? Is that from the medication? Well look on the bright side, you can pick the healthier foods because usually they taste bad and since you can't taste them, might as well eat them!
Posted 4/25/2018 4:46 PM (GMT 0)

LisaInIndiana said...

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142, why don't you have any taste left? Is that from the medication? Well look on the bright side, you can pick the healthier foods because usually they taste bad and since you can't taste them, might as well eat them!

Exactly. The chemo (taxotere, at least) can have the SE of killing random tastes. I can taste very salty, but not much else. Meals can be ok, or be imitation cardboard. It takes the pleasure of eating away, thus the eventual weight loss.

The ChexMix has a lot of different textures and consistencies, so it is "interesting" to my mouth, even though the tastes are pretty much bland.
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