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What diet?

User
Posted 14 Mar 2024 at 15:11

Hi I'm 69 quite fit and just diagnosed with Prostate Cancer, currently undergoing hormone therapy first injection done second in a few weeks time.

will be undergoing Radical Radio Therapy in the near future, starting the low wind diet and wanted to know what others might be on this what their diet consists of?

 

User
Posted 14 Mar 2024 at 20:01

Hi, my husband finished RT yesterday 

 

he was advised low fibre diet to help the bowel be free of waste and gas. It was quite bland - no caffeine no alcohol no fizzy.

 

Fish chicken meat white pasta white rice white bread. He cut out fruit veg caffeine alcohol. Laxative was suggested if constipated, he didn’t need that after 2 weeks. Drank lots of water. They provided mini enema which he used daily before leaving home as he was asked to. He can now gradually re introduce foods to return to a balanced diet. 

from my reading on here each hospital seems to say different things, but continuity seems important. Follow whatever your hospital suggest and good luck 🙂

 

User
Posted 22 Mar 2024 at 13:42

All treatment centres seem to have different guidelines and procedures on the day.

My treatment centre told us not to change our diets unless/until there was a need to do so. They want you to try and maintain the same weight from the planning scan through to the end of the radiotherapy. (One person who was losing weight was told to go and eat some cakes!) They also never mentioned what foods might be gassy or that this is an issue, which some centres do.

I found from the second week, I had to start switching to a low-fibre diet, and by the 3rd week I was on a fibre-free diet. That's basically no fruit except peeled apples, pairs, bananas; no veg except peeled potatoes, white rice, white pasta, no brown bread/flour, i.e. the epitome of a poor diet. I still had breakfast cereal with milk - lowest fibre breakfast cereal I could find was Crunchy Nut Cornflakes, and no one mentioned any problems with milk.

You need plenty of protein because the radiotherapy causes loads of healing to be required. I was mainly eating chicken and salmon. I don't think there is a problem seasoning the chicken, but avoid smothering it in fibre.

I was also doing a lot of exercise (cycling) during my radiotherapy. I subsequently found research which suggests this improves the effectiveness of it.

User
Posted 22 Mar 2024 at 19:49

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member
I am soon to have the pre-radiotherapy scan followed by 7 weeks of prostate and pelvic RT. I have read a whole bunch of NHS/hospital advice which lists an extensive range of food you can’t have during treatment, but says little about what you can. This includes mostly removing my regular diet. The list of what not to eat is mostly the same as the food listed as a healthy diet for those with prostate cancer. I am concerned that cutting dairy for a couple of months risks bone density problems, but mostly it has been the difficulty of eating healthily. The few things we have tried, chicken and fish end up bland and tasteless as it is advised to avoid spices etc. I can’t find any interesting recipes that avoid the ‘can’t have’ foods. How did you guys who have been through RT manage?

 

my husband just completed 20 days of RT cutting out caffeine alcohol fibre etc. they want the bowel and bladder in the same situation as it was in the planning scan.  it’s boring and bland but doable. He is now re introducing food he enjoys and having no issues. Good luck 🙂

 

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User
Posted 14 Mar 2024 at 20:01

Hi, my husband finished RT yesterday 

 

he was advised low fibre diet to help the bowel be free of waste and gas. It was quite bland - no caffeine no alcohol no fizzy.

 

Fish chicken meat white pasta white rice white bread. He cut out fruit veg caffeine alcohol. Laxative was suggested if constipated, he didn’t need that after 2 weeks. Drank lots of water. They provided mini enema which he used daily before leaving home as he was asked to. He can now gradually re introduce foods to return to a balanced diet. 

from my reading on here each hospital seems to say different things, but continuity seems important. Follow whatever your hospital suggest and good luck 🙂

 

User
Posted 14 Mar 2024 at 21:40

I would go with what the Radiographers tell you at the CT Planning scan. Mine said normal diet as they don’t want to upset your digestive system…seems logical to me. I certainly avoided curries and broccoli the day before treatments though.

You’ll soon get into the swing of things, RT was a breeze for me(and for many others), especially compared to HT. The Radiographers are so understanding and helpful so don’t worry about it, they’ve seen it ALL before😊

All the best with your treatment,

Derek

 

User
Posted 19 Mar 2024 at 21:38
As Decho says, your hospital will advise. I was told green veg was the big risk factor, plus fizzy drinks.

Good luck, you will find them very supportive.

User
Posted 22 Mar 2024 at 13:00
I am soon to have the pre-radiotherapy scan followed by 7 weeks of prostate and pelvic RT. I have read a whole bunch of NHS/hospital advice which lists an extensive range of food you can’t have during treatment, but says little about what you can. This includes mostly removing my regular diet. The list of what not to eat is mostly the same as the food listed as a healthy diet for those with prostate cancer. I am concerned that cutting dairy for a couple of months risks bone density problems, but mostly it has been the difficulty of eating healthily. The few things we have tried, chicken and fish end up bland and tasteless as it is advised to avoid spices etc. I can’t find any interesting recipes that avoid the ‘can’t have’ foods. How did you guys who have been through RT manage?
User
Posted 22 Mar 2024 at 13:42

All treatment centres seem to have different guidelines and procedures on the day.

My treatment centre told us not to change our diets unless/until there was a need to do so. They want you to try and maintain the same weight from the planning scan through to the end of the radiotherapy. (One person who was losing weight was told to go and eat some cakes!) They also never mentioned what foods might be gassy or that this is an issue, which some centres do.

I found from the second week, I had to start switching to a low-fibre diet, and by the 3rd week I was on a fibre-free diet. That's basically no fruit except peeled apples, pairs, bananas; no veg except peeled potatoes, white rice, white pasta, no brown bread/flour, i.e. the epitome of a poor diet. I still had breakfast cereal with milk - lowest fibre breakfast cereal I could find was Crunchy Nut Cornflakes, and no one mentioned any problems with milk.

You need plenty of protein because the radiotherapy causes loads of healing to be required. I was mainly eating chicken and salmon. I don't think there is a problem seasoning the chicken, but avoid smothering it in fibre.

I was also doing a lot of exercise (cycling) during my radiotherapy. I subsequently found research which suggests this improves the effectiveness of it.

User
Posted 22 Mar 2024 at 18:32
Andy62… thank you for your response.

I think you are correct that there is no consistency across the various prostate cancer hospitals and probably no ‘right way’. That also seems the case regarding treatment regimes. I have the pre-scan discussion on Monday, so hopefully I will be advised as to the diet regime they prefer.

Either way, it looks like fresh vegetables are off the menu for a couple of months. Cornflakes will have to substitute for granola. It won’t be too much of a problem living off chicken and fish… I just need to vary the way I add flavour, to make eating pleasurable rather than just for sustenance.

User
Posted 22 Mar 2024 at 19:49

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member
I am soon to have the pre-radiotherapy scan followed by 7 weeks of prostate and pelvic RT. I have read a whole bunch of NHS/hospital advice which lists an extensive range of food you can’t have during treatment, but says little about what you can. This includes mostly removing my regular diet. The list of what not to eat is mostly the same as the food listed as a healthy diet for those with prostate cancer. I am concerned that cutting dairy for a couple of months risks bone density problems, but mostly it has been the difficulty of eating healthily. The few things we have tried, chicken and fish end up bland and tasteless as it is advised to avoid spices etc. I can’t find any interesting recipes that avoid the ‘can’t have’ foods. How did you guys who have been through RT manage?

 

my husband just completed 20 days of RT cutting out caffeine alcohol fibre etc. they want the bowel and bladder in the same situation as it was in the planning scan.  it’s boring and bland but doable. He is now re introducing food he enjoys and having no issues. Good luck 🙂

 

User
Posted 23 Mar 2024 at 00:49

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member
I think you are correct that there is no consistency across the various prostate cancer hospitals and probably no ‘right way’. That also seems the case regarding treatment regimes. I have the pre-scan discussion on Monday, so hopefully I will be advised as to the diet regime they prefer.

It isn't so much that there is a lack of consistency - more that each man's bowel habits and plumbing will be slightly different. My husband was given the opposite diet to what you would generally hear about but they needed his bowel in a certain position to lift it out of the radiation area. He also didn't have any enemas as they said he was pretty good at clearing out naturally.

I think that avoiding caffeine, alcohol & fizzy drinks is a fairly standard instruction across most hospitals / oncologists.   

Edited by member 23 Mar 2024 at 00:50  | Reason: Not specified

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