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Diet leading upto and during radiotherapy

User
Posted 11 Feb 2023 at 10:06

Hi, as i am about to start 7 weeks radiotherapy and have been given a long list of foods to avoid, does anyone have any meal plan ideas or where i can look for ideas to plan for menus for the long stretch of rating bland foods.

thanks

User
Posted 11 Feb 2023 at 14:03

It might be best doing a bit of trial and error on diet first as not everyone is affected in the same way. Whilst I did get the side effects during RT, my diet didn't seem to have a great impact on those side effects.

User
Posted 11 Feb 2023 at 22:20
I agree with the above, from reports here different hospitals ask for slightly different diets and while it isn't clear there may be real reasons in terms of what works better with the particular patient or the particular treatment.

My hospital gave me a mild laxative to ensure I emptied my rectum each morning, and that seemed to work OK without them asking me to take an enema as well - except for the planning scan which I guess is more critical. They were clearly worried about gas and wanted me to avoid fizzy drinks and green vegetables. I was told the requirement to avoid alcoholic drinks was because they were diuretics and they wanted all the tissues fully hydrated (and ensure the water drunk just before each treatment would work predictably in how full it made the bladder). No caffeine for the same reason.

I am someone who normally has a diet full of fibre, I like to enjoy texture in my food. So in practice I cut back a bit in general fibre (toast and marmalade rather than muesli for breakfast, but still brown bread as well as white), and was careful about veg (ate carrots but not greens). I didn't drink coffee, but allowed myself the occasional decaff tea. I confess to celebrating the end of each week with a modest glass of wine on the Friday, on the basis that gave two days to clear the small amount of alcohol from my body.

User
Posted 11 Feb 2023 at 23:03

I was give a booklet with foods to avoid, my treatment was over the Easter and mayday bank holiday period. On the long weekends I reverted to a normal diet and that played havoc with my bowels.

I had the mini enemas and used them a couple of hours before my very varying appointments.

Hope all goes well for you. As already said tke the advice of your medical team.

Thanks Chris 

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User
Posted 11 Feb 2023 at 14:03

It might be best doing a bit of trial and error on diet first as not everyone is affected in the same way. Whilst I did get the side effects during RT, my diet didn't seem to have a great impact on those side effects.

User
Posted 11 Feb 2023 at 14:17

It’s strange how different teams offer different advice. When I went for my CT planning session I was told just to stick to my normal diet.

User
Posted 11 Feb 2023 at 14:23

Wow Decho, that sounds good for your procedure. Been told its about keeping the gas down, tho when i had my calibration CT i had no/ acceptable gas so 🤷🏻 Maybe i should just be careful without being obsessive about the diet. 

User
Posted 11 Feb 2023 at 15:20

Hi Kompany,

I assume you had an enema before your CT?
I did but I’ve only been given another 10 (was suppose to be having 39 sessions but that’s another story!) for the whole treatment.
When I asked why They said that after 10 you won’t need them!

Derek

User
Posted 11 Feb 2023 at 21:00
Not all hospitals require men to have enemas during RT - our hospital only does it if the patient can't empty effectively by himself.
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 11 Feb 2023 at 21:05

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member

Hi, as i am about to start 7 weeks radiotherapy and have been given a long list of foods to avoid, does anyone have any meal plan ideas or where i can look for ideas to plan for menus for the long stretch of rating bland foods.

thanks

 

Best to follow the instructions of your RT department rather than what others have been told. The stance on diet can vary by hospital and also by patient - sometimes it might depend on the layout of the patient's internal plumbing? As you have picked up, gas / wind is the enemy of a man on RT for prostate cancer .... John really missed his fresh fruit, green veg and bran flakes but most of all,  he missed beer & wine. 

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 11 Feb 2023 at 22:20
I agree with the above, from reports here different hospitals ask for slightly different diets and while it isn't clear there may be real reasons in terms of what works better with the particular patient or the particular treatment.

My hospital gave me a mild laxative to ensure I emptied my rectum each morning, and that seemed to work OK without them asking me to take an enema as well - except for the planning scan which I guess is more critical. They were clearly worried about gas and wanted me to avoid fizzy drinks and green vegetables. I was told the requirement to avoid alcoholic drinks was because they were diuretics and they wanted all the tissues fully hydrated (and ensure the water drunk just before each treatment would work predictably in how full it made the bladder). No caffeine for the same reason.

I am someone who normally has a diet full of fibre, I like to enjoy texture in my food. So in practice I cut back a bit in general fibre (toast and marmalade rather than muesli for breakfast, but still brown bread as well as white), and was careful about veg (ate carrots but not greens). I didn't drink coffee, but allowed myself the occasional decaff tea. I confess to celebrating the end of each week with a modest glass of wine on the Friday, on the basis that gave two days to clear the small amount of alcohol from my body.

User
Posted 11 Feb 2023 at 23:03

I was give a booklet with foods to avoid, my treatment was over the Easter and mayday bank holiday period. On the long weekends I reverted to a normal diet and that played havoc with my bowels.

I had the mini enemas and used them a couple of hours before my very varying appointments.

Hope all goes well for you. As already said tke the advice of your medical team.

Thanks Chris 

 
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