Need to be able to...EAT!
 

Anyone have any suggestions on how to stimulate my appetite? Im not even on a harsh chemo right now..Im on Tykerb and Herceptin. Ever since I quit the steriods...i can't eat. I never feel hungry, everything sounds nauseating, and I can only seem to choke down one or two bites. I am drinking Boost after my two bites, but good gosh its frustrating. I've lost 31 pounds now since I finished the steroids. The only time I have really been able to eat somewhat normally was when I had to go back on a low dose of the steroids for a couple weeks. My liver enzymes are elevated, but apparently not enough to cause this much of a reaction. I am on antinausea medication, ondansetron, so Im not really sick to my stomach, but I do feel nauseous when I try to eat. UGH!

Re: Need to be able to...EAT!
 

What a conundrum! Could it possibly be a side effect of one of your meds? What does your doctor have to say? I'd there a nutritionist or dietitian associated with your treatment facility who you could consult with? I had some anorexia ( lack of appetite) during treatment but was able to eat small amounts of high calorie foods like cheese, eggs, yogurt etc in frequent small amounts. And Boost. I lost a good amount of weight but I managed to stay nourished. Let us know what you find out. Keep the faith

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Please try acupuncture or at least acupressure - it is amazing for a variety of things but can really help appetite.

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Re: Need to be able to...EAT!
 

Have you tried pasta???

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You can try to eat rice soup - half cup of rice cooked in 3+ cups of water. Rice is starch and can be dissolved by the enzymes in the mouth water. Just chew it real well before swallowing. Once your stomach is used to it, you can gradually add other stuff to the soup. Just remember to chew them really well...

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Denise reminded me that my onc gave me permission, even encouraged me, to have milkshakes, burgers. ANTHING high calorie that I wanted and could tolerate
Keep the faith

Re: Need to be able to...EAT!
 

If you can only eat 2 bites, try to do 2 bites often. 2 bites of full fat yogurt (Go Baby by Stonyfield is for babies who have to have full fat dairy and they are small yogurts). 2 bites every hour. You might have to plan better (so you have 2 bites of a wide variety of things) but you wouldn't have written if this didn't concern you. Two bites as often as you can. Have things ready - can of soup (chicken & rice) will last a day or two. Same with mashed potatoes that you can microwave your two bites. Alittle chicken or fish or beef - two bites. Canned green beans, corn etc.

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I lost almost 50 lbs when I was doing treatments (sadly have gained back a good deal of it) but I found that I could tolerate things that were cold and sweet, i.e., sherbert, milkshakes, ice cream, Italian ices. Sometimes the cold and sweet would even stimulate my appetite a little. It is very hard to get back to eating, though - I would put food in my mouth and chew and then not be able to swallow it. Take it slow and just try to eat small amounts several times a day. I also like to freeze the Boost to slushy consistency.

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You could try putting chicken stock, cooked vegetables and some meat in the blender to create a smooth bland tasting soup. Sip cold or hot. Put it next to you and take frequent sips. Some rice in the mixture could help too. Use wholegrain, in stead of white, as it has more nutrients.

Sip milkshakes through a straw, in a covered cup, so you don't smell the aroma.

Make sure you are distracted while eating. Talk to someone who understands, watch tv, read a book.

Try to go for a walk before eating or eat a few small bites while walking.

Get checked for food allergy or intolerance. Perhaps the foods you have been eating for a long time no longer agree with you. Try rare foods like quinoa, duck, manioc, alligator, ostrich.

Take supplements and don't worry too much about it.

When my cat had cancer, she was ravenous. The vet said that some cancers make you hungry because they use up all the energy from the food. At least you don't seem to be dealing with that problem.

For decades I had trouble trying to keep the weight on. I turned out to be food intolerant and on the right diet (for me) I gained some weight and have no trouble keeping it on. A trauma or illness can set off food intolerance.

Hope this helps a bit.

Hugs

Jacqueline

Re: Need to be able to...EAT!
 

Talk with your doctor, you have lost a ton of weight, so I wouldn't try anything else---my opinion---but getting advice from either a nutritionist from the hospital or directly from your doctor. You did not mention whether your doctor has any concerns about you loosing so much weight.

Please keep us posted.

Adriana

Re: Need to be able to...EAT!
 

Bonnie..Im on about all the same meds. I did talk to my doctor, he seemed to think it wasnt much of a big deal, and probably due to coming off the steroids and my elevated liver enzymes. Changed my pain meds from Lortab to vicoprofen, which is easier on the liver, reduced my Tykerb dosage and told me he would see me in three months.
It does concern me because, well, first off I want to have some good nutrition going in so I can get stronger, and second because Im afraid I wont be able to stop losing weight when I need to.
Denise...pfffftttt...I was not way smaller than you. And Im shorter than you, so I looked like...a larger bald version of honey boo boo. When I finished WBR I weighed 171. Now I weigh 140, and it took about four months. If I do eat, cold things are better...few spoonfuls of yogurt, a string cheese, really cold Boost. Today I ate a whole cup of yogurt and I was pretty excited, greek with banana in it. I'll check into the acupuncture, thank you for the suggestion. Adriana I see the doctor in a couple weeks, so I will call and see if he might see me sooner. Thank you everyone..if I find out the answer I will definitely share.

Re: Need to be able to...EAT!
 

When I sent those tips, I assumed you would have discussed this with your doc... ;-))

Do you have an onc nurse you could talk to sooner? They usually have tons of info too.

Glad to hear your doc isn't too concerned right now. It is normal to lose weight after stopping steroids, but I agree, you need good nutrition as well. And vegetables are very important! They have lots of cancer fighting nutrients.

Love

Jacqueline

Re: Need to be able to...EAT!
 

Re: Need to be able to...EAT!
 

I lost my appetite big time and was losing quite a bit of weight between cycles (I'm 5'6' and went from 145 which was very heavy for me to 125 lbs) in a matter of a couple months. I found I like VERY specific foods and could eat those. My BF's chicken fried rice, BBQ steak, and salmon and rice. I just experimented until I found a few things that surprisingly I could eat. All the things I typically ate and loved were out the window - sweets had zero appeal to me. But most things with rice and a protein, like chicken teriyaki or a piece of fish were edible. I also liked oranges, generally the little cuties because they were so small and I could eat an entire one or split one.

Good luck, I know I went close to three days w/o an ounce of food and that got a little scary but I got naueous and vomited when I started having hot flashes. That was worse than the chemo!

-Julie

Re: Need to be able to...EAT!
 

LOTS of great advice here...even for me as I've been struggling to keep the weight on...I'm 5'3, been down to 108 and usually weigh 115!!

My oncologist told me from the beginning to keep the icecream/milkshakes going!!!

I've also spoken with my nutritionist from the beginning...and yes, Boost, Ensure Complete...3 a day if I can't eat and have lost too much weight!

I like to through in my blender, frozen strawberries, blueberries, banana's...ice cream, whole milk, etc...when I'm up to it! Mix it up..or ice cream, little peanut butter & chocolate...or caramel...

For me...each day has a different flavor...

WE WILL GET THROUGH THIS, HANG IN THERE!!! :)

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Love you diet, Susan!

Re: Need to be able to...EAT!
 

Denise, if you have put on that much weight I would start to worry about your blood suger. I am sure they have been looking at that, but some here have gone into type 2 diabetes as a result of taking Decadron.

For anyone on the dreaded Decadron - I had that while on Taxotears as well as during the brain mets episode. That drug always caused my metabolism to speed up and I was HUNGRY. Being lucky with having no nausea, but having horrible mouth sores, I had a hard time eating some days.

Broth with rice or some scrambled egg was the best I could do some nights. Once I started the radiation, I took Boost once a day. Then the weight creep started. Over time I put on 10 pounds, but think it was due to less activity.

With brain mets my sleep pattern was changed and this put everything else off. The ups and downs of the 8 hour cycle is VERY hard on us. But gaining weight was not my problem. I lost at least 6 or 7 pounds after my gamma knife while on Decadron.

We each have our own reactions and side effects. However, the appetite thing hits most of us. We just need to moderate the sweets as that is not a substitute for real energy.

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Eat to your heart's desire...whatever that may be!Re: Need to be able to...EAT!
 

KSGal~
Eat WHATEVER you want WHENEVER- you want.
I've lost 25 lbs since finishing WBR in February 2012. I've always said that Decadron or WBR destroyed the eating center of my brain.
I just don't eat. I just don't get hungry. And I don't respond to hunger cues the way one normally should. I've lost my sweet tooth and and I don't like cold food.
I keep Ensure on hand and try to remember to take 5-10 gulps of the dark chocolate flavor multiple times a day. But often I forget.
You have to do what works for you. Yes, I wish I craved higher quality food, but when I have a taste for something, I have to eat it - which usually means 4-5 bites before I tire of eating. And my appetite is so temperamental now that I often have multiple take-out containers of half eaten food that I never go back to. Believe me, the homeless folks that search the trashcans outside of my condo often find an assortment of spaghetti, chinese food, sandwhiches nicely packaged and bagged with an extra napkin & a small bottle of H20. Sometimes they reject my offerings and I do get a little offended, but try not to ;(
So if a large iced tea and hashbrowns works for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and if I can remember to eat that often, that is what I eat. Until the next urge hits.

Don't put more pressure on yourself! Just remember that you have to be well nourished to fight the good fight!

Keep the faith
Jml

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Where is Tanya, our registered oncology nutritionist? I bet she could help.
I think the body is smart and knows what it needs. The gastro intestinal track might be overwhelmed by the chemo or other things.
Eat lightly. Don't try to eat alot at one time. Several small meals or snacks might be good during the day.
I like the suggestions about the soft rice and eggs. Perhaps a little yoghurt will help replace the friendly bacteria in the gastro intestinal track and give you extra protein and calcium. If you don't want to eat yoghurt you can get chewable probiotics from any health food store. Some brands also have digestive enzymes in them. You might want to wash and freeze small fruits like grapes and eat a few when you feel like it. They are very good frozen.
I make my own fruit juice from frozen berries or other fruits. I use half for drinking and mix the other half in a smoothie with yoghurt or almond milk and protein powder from the health food store. I pour the mixture in small cups or ice cube trays and freeze them for refreshing small snacks during the day. You can cooka a few veggies and juice them instead of eating tghem whole. Cooked carrots, apples and oranges juiced together are very refreshing and nutritious. Try Gerber 2nd foods, especially the fruits and sweet potatoes. They can be eaten the way they are and are not too much to eat at one time. Those little boxes of raisins are great carry along snacks for when we go out. I also carry a cereal bar or a few crackers with cheese or peanut butter with me no matter where I go. Even if I don't eat everything every little bit helps. I also carry water with me









re.

Re: Need to be able to...EAT!
 

I was the same when I had chemo and I could ill afford to lose weight at the time. I agree with Becky to eat little and often as I did, I finally began to gain weight and get an appetite about a year after I finished treatments.

Re: Need to be able to...EAT!
 

Elaine brought up chewable probiotics. That reminded me that I took acidophilus and bifidus tablets, which helped.

Plus the havoc played with our elimination system by the drugs and the pre-meds do not do us any favors. Finding a good balance on the elimination side certainly helped me want to face more food.

Hope things are better for you by now.

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There was a time in my life when, due to a severe emotional trauma, I just could not eat. I remember how scary that was. Eating is so primal, and we know we need to do it. There was also the regret that something I used to like so much was such a chore. Like you, it was two bites and then it simply became impossible to put in, chew, and swallow any more.

People told me I looked great, and I did. I'm usually a size 10 or 12, and I got down to a size 6 or 8. But the experience made me realize how upside down and backwards our cultural values can be. I was wasting away! Looking great in a sundress did not make up for that.

I wonder if maybe there's guided imagery that would be helpful to you? If not, perhaps simply doing mindfulness meditation would help you get back in touch with your appetite.

Good luck! Let us know how it goes.

Re: Need to be able to...EAT!
 

Im hanging in there...Im taking probiotics. Im eating a little bit more than I was...trying to work in a lot of the suggestions I have gotten from you all. Im still eating only few bites at a time, but doing it more frequently. I can get about a half a cup of yogurt down for breakfast. Sometimes because I don't get hungry I totally forget to eat, so I have set the alarm on my cell phone to go off every couple hours to remind me. Amy, I never thought about it that way, but you are right...its totally backwards and upside down. Makes me sad. Im also doing some hypnosis and meditation. I know I have to eat to gain strength and be better. It's only a matter of time before I will have to start a more harsh treatment regimen, and I want to be strong when I do.
I just want to say thank you to everyone for all the suggestions, and just for being there when I have a question or I am feeling down or whatever it is I need. Wish I could just give you all a hug....

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and JML..thanks for posting. Its nice to hear someone who has the same results after WBR. I too said..they must have damaged the part of my brain that tells me to eat..or I must have a tumor in the part of the brain that controls my appetite. I think Denise is right, I need to quit obsessing about it, and if I am getting in enough calories with the Boost and making sure to take supplements and eating what I can here and there...well, then maybe its enough for now. I hope so. :)

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Have they put you on Megace or Marinol yet? That's what they give to people who get under a certain weight at my oncology office. My friend there was down to 89 and they put her on Megace and now she's up around 100 again - she looks great.

I too, can't eat. I get full with one or two bites. I think it's liver disease, it just makes us not hungry and eating is painful.

Our family tradition is to eat dinner together nightly so when we all sit down, I eat a few bites and that is enough to keep my weight in the upper 90s, which isn't so far off my normal weight of 103. I keep a bowl of treats that I like, right now it's those Spree candies and sometimes I just grab a few and eat them. And, I love coconut popsicles and I eat one at night watching TV and if I want two, I eat two. I'm not active so don't burn a lot of calories. Sometimes I eat a yogurt during the day.

It's funny because until I got cancer, I was the healthiest eater you've ever met - I haven't had a soda in maybe ten years, I don't do dessert, love veggies, grains and fruits - and now I can't really eat that way anymore. It's just hard on my gastro system so I have to do easily digested foods and oddly, that's what my body wants.

My doctor says at this point, any calories are good calories. The big worry is bedsores so keeping some weight on, however you do it, helps buffer that and keeps your skin from breaking down if you get sick and have to stay in bed.

Remember, the sugar feeds cancer thing is a myth.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/can...SECTIONGROUP=2

I'm sure you go a ton of good ideas in this thread! Dropping 30 pounds would be a big red flag at my oncology office and I'm surprised they haven't prescribed something for you. Maybe they have a certain weight/percentage of normal they get to before they do that? You can ask. *hugs*

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Thanks Ann. smiles. No, they haven't given me anything yet. Even though I lost thirty pounds, Im not near a dangerous weight at all. Im right around 140 last time I checked. Also, a lot of the weight I have taken off was weight I gained on dex. I am on nausea meds and omeprazole. Dont have to take the nausea meds all the time.
Im sure you all can identify with me when I say...Im just sick of being sick. Im grateful for every day I have here with all of you and my family and friends, but I wish I could eat, and I wish I had more energy, and I wish I had HAIR..lol. You all know, its just a rough road to travel, and sometimes it seems overwhelming. If it was up to my body I just wouldn't eat at all apparently. I have scans and labs middle of July, so we will see what is up with the good ole liver and brain then. Until then...Im just chilling eating ice cream and pudding and BOOST. :)

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Yeah, it is not fun being sick. Your brain never catches up to that does it? I still have a hard time when I fill out a questionnaire and it asks me how I'd describe my health: excellent, good, okay, poor....I always still want to put down excellent. Hah! I have to force myself to put down poor.

I do find this comes and goes. I'm feeling energetic these days, which I'm taking advantage of. It's rare and beautiful and I appreciate it a lot more! Often we are tired and sick and not able to do much, but I've found that once in a while, a period of energy comes around and it is so nice! I hope you have one soon!