HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post

PeaceMomma · 04-16-2015, 11:52 AM

Thank you, chay, for posting your experience. I had found this thread earlier this month while researching fasting around my own upcoming chemo. I must have read this just before you updated with your summary. Thanks for sharing that. I made the decision to fast for my first round of chemo and my oncologist was willing to let me try, her concern mainly being weight loss, as I am slim to begin with. That is my major concern as well, as I have always had a difficult time keeping muscle mass over the years. My first chemo was on 4/9 and I fasted from 4/7 to 4/11, breaking my fast that afternoon on the 11th (~46 hours after my chemo was completed on the 9th).

I am ER+, PR+, HER2+ receiving TCHP with a neulasta shot the day after. I did a water-only fast, except for taking my steriods, where I drank about 4oz of milk. Breaking my fast went fairly smoothly and my nausea was very low. I did start getting diarrhea 4 days after the chemo and have been trying to manage that (I think I got a little too fast with foods on that day as I was both hungry and very concerned about starting to get calories back in after the fast).

I lost about 5 lbs during the fast, but I've dropped another pound this week with the diarrhea, so hoping to correct that quickly so I can get my weight back up.

I am also using the chemo cold caps and haven't noticed much hair loss, but I've only had one treatment just a week ago, so that is still left to see. I will post as I go along to document my side effects. So far, I think that the fasting is good and I will do it again on the next round, as long as I get my weight back up.

04-16-2015, 11:52 AM	#10
PeaceMomma Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 20	Re: Our Experiment Fasting Around Chemo Thank you, chay, for posting your experience. I had found this thread earlier this month while researching fasting around my own upcoming chemo. I must have read this just before you updated with your summary. Thanks for sharing that. I made the decision to fast for my first round of chemo and my oncologist was willing to let me try, her concern mainly being weight loss, as I am slim to begin with. That is my major concern as well, as I have always had a difficult time keeping muscle mass over the years. My first chemo was on 4/9 and I fasted from 4/7 to 4/11, breaking my fast that afternoon on the 11th (~46 hours after my chemo was completed on the 9th). I am ER+, PR+, HER2+ receiving TCHP with a neulasta shot the day after. I did a water-only fast, except for taking my steriods, where I drank about 4oz of milk. Breaking my fast went fairly smoothly and my nausea was very low. I did start getting diarrhea 4 days after the chemo and have been trying to manage that (I think I got a little too fast with foods on that day as I was both hungry and very concerned about starting to get calories back in after the fast). I lost about 5 lbs during the fast, but I've dropped another pound this week with the diarrhea, so hoping to correct that quickly so I can get my weight back up. I am also using the chemo cold caps and haven't noticed much hair loss, but I've only had one treatment just a week ago, so that is still left to see. I will post as I go along to document my side effects. So far, I think that the fasting is good and I will do it again on the next round, as long as I get my weight back up.