How can I settle my stomach after chemo?

The following are suggestions to minimize your discomfort:
  1. Avoid your favorite food. ...
  2. Talk to your doctor about nausea medications. ...
  3. Avoid strong smells. ...
  4. Avoid warm foods. ...
  5. Eat every 2-3 hours. ...
  6. Eat what you want to eat. ...
  7. Drink liquids in-between meals/snacks. ...
  8. Use ginger and peppermint.
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Why does chemo upset the stomach?

Under normal conditions, the intestines are populated with a variety of “good” bacteria that help with digestion. Chemotherapy may kill these bacteria, resulting in an imbalance in the intestines that allows “bad” bacteria to flourish. The result is poor digestion, increased flatulence (gas) and cramping.
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What helps nausea from chemo naturally?

Herbs and Other Supplements
  • Ginger can help you manage nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy. ...
  • Zinc may help prevent taste changes, a side effect of radiation, chemotherapy, and some pain medicines.
  • Astragalus might ease the side effects of chemotherapy, such as nausea and vomiting, if you have colorectal cancer.
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How do you fight chemo nausea?

8 Tips for Managing Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea
  1. Avoid your favorite food. ...
  2. Talk to your doctor about nausea medications. ...
  3. Avoid strong smells. ...
  4. Avoid warm foods. ...
  5. Eat every 2-3 hours. ...
  6. Eat what you want to eat. ...
  7. Drink liquids in-between meals/snacks. ...
  8. Use ginger and peppermint.
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How do you calm nausea?

When trying to control nausea:
  1. Drink clear or ice-cold drinks.
  2. Eat light, bland foods (such as saltine crackers or plain bread).
  3. Avoid fried, greasy, or sweet foods.
  4. Eat slowly and eat smaller, more frequent meals.
  5. Do not mix hot and cold foods.
  6. Drink beverages slowly.
  7. Avoid activity after eating.
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How to Manage Chemotherapy Symptoms Through Food | Dana-Farber Cancer Institute



How many days after chemo do you feel better?

Most people say it takes 6 to 12 months after they finish chemotherapy before they truly feel like themselves again.
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What helps with chemo side effects?

How to Manage the Side Effects of Chemotherapy
  1. Counter Chemo-Induced Fatigue With Exercise. ...
  2. Take Medication to Quell Nausea and Vomiting. ...
  3. Consider Using a Cooling Cap to Minimize Hair Loss. ...
  4. Beat Mouth Sores With Ice Chips. ...
  5. Wash Your Hands Often to Avoid Infection. ...
  6. Tell Your Doctor About Tingling in Your Hands or Feet.
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What helps chemo stomach cramps?

Tips to try to minimize or avoid cancer treatment-based abdominal pain:
  • Low total fiber or good soluble fiber source (i.e. rice, bananas, white bread, oatmeal, mashed potatoes, applesauce, skinless/boneless chicken or turkey).
  • Increase the amount of sodium (salt) and potassium in your diet.
  • Drink plenty of fluids.
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What makes chemo patients feel better?

Nausea. Ginger chews, ginger ale and saltines helped Kakutani. Eat small amounts of food throughout the day, said Joanne Taylor, who was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007. She also found that chicken, salmon, broccoli and beet juice helped her feel better during chemo.
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Does ginger help with chemo nausea?

Results from two studies of adults who took ginger for nausea showed that various doses of ginger before starting chemotherapy treatments helped to reduce the severity of nausea. In these studies, participants began taking ginger orally three days prior to starting chemotherapy.
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When are chemo side effects the worst?

Blood cell counts often reach their lowest level about 7 to 14 days after chemotherapy. Low blood cell counts is the most common and most serious side effect of chemotherapy. When it happens, the dose of chemotherapy is adjusted right away or chemotherapy may have to be stopped temporarily.
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What is the toughest chemotherapy?

Doxorubicin (Adriamycin) is one of the most powerful chemotherapy drugs ever invented. It can kill cancer cells at every point in their life cycle, and it's used to treat a wide variety of cancers. Unfortunately, the drug can also damage heart cells, so a patient can't take it indefinitely.
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What should you not do after chemo?

9 things to avoid during chemotherapy treatment
  • Contact with body fluids after treatment. ...
  • Overextending yourself. ...
  • Infections. ...
  • Large meals. ...
  • Raw or undercooked foods. ...
  • Hard, acidic, or spicy foods. ...
  • Frequent or heavy alcohol consumption. ...
  • Smoking.
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Why can't chemo patients have ice?

You are being treated for cancer with a chemotherapy medication called Oxaliplatin. This medication has an unusual side effect called “cold dysesthesia”. This means that different parts of your body may be very sensitive to cold – cold drinks, cold food, and cool or cold outdoor temperatures.
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Do chemo side effects get worse with each treatment?

Most types of pain related to chemotherapy get better or go away between individual treatments. However, nerve damage often gets worse with each dose. Sometimes the drug causing the nerve damage has to be stopped. It can take months or years for nerve damage from chemotherapy to improve or go away.
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Why do you have to flush toilet twice after chemo?

Small amounts of chemotherapy are present in your body fluids and body waste. If any part of your body is exposed to any body fluids or wastes, wash the exposed area with soap and water. People in your household may use the same toilet as you, as long as you flush all waste down the toilet twice with the lid down.
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Which is harder on the body chemo or radiation?

Since radiation therapy is focused on one area of your body, you may experience fewer side effects than with chemotherapy. However, it may still affect healthy cells in your body.
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Which chemo is worse AC or Taxol?

AC was worse for me

I had 4 rounds every 2 weeks of AC and 12 weekly of taxol. The AC made me nauseas and taxol did not. I was actually able to go back to work when I started the taxol. I could not work through the AC, the nausea was hard on me but I never vomited.
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Which chemo is the Red Devil?

Can the red devil be defanged? Doxorubicin, an old chemotherapy drug that carries this unusual moniker because of its distinctive hue and fearsome toxicity, remains a key treatment for many cancer patients.
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Is second round of chemo worse than first?

Overall, my second round of chemo went much better than the first... thanks to an adjustment Dr. Soule made based on my round one experience (she extended my steroid to be taken for three days after chemo, instead of just one, though with smaller doses on each day).
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What are the signs that chemo is not working?

Here are some signs that chemotherapy may not be working as well as expected: tumors aren't shrinking. new tumors keep forming. cancer is spreading to new areas.
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Does each round of chemo get harder?

The effects of chemo are cumulative. They get worse with each cycle. My doctors warned me: Each infusion will get harder. Each cycle, expect to feel weaker.
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How much water should chemo patients drink?

The goal is to drink at least ten 8-ounce glasses of fluid every day. That amount should increase if you have diarrhea, vomiting, or a fever. Don't count on thirst to tell you when you need to drink. Always keep a beverage with you, so you can take sips throughout the day.
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Is milk good during chemotherapy?

A protein found in milk can alleviate chemotherapy side effects, potentially bringing relief to millions of patients undergoing cancer treatment, according to US researchers.
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What kind of yogurt is good for chemo patients?

Like all yogurts, Greek yogurt contains water so it can add nutrients and flavor as well as hydrate you, which especially important during treatment. Greek yogurt can serve as one of your three recommended daily dairy food servings.
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