Upset Stomach

Different foods can help alleviate an upset stomach.
Bananas are easily digested if you do not want to chew they can be made into a smoothie.
Mint and ginger help with upset stomach and can be made into teas. There are ginger hard candies/chewies that are sold in health food stores or asian markets.
Taking a warm bath can alleviate an upset stomach.
Avoid coffee, onions, milk, cauliflower, chocolate, fried foods and baked beans.
I am sorry about your upset stomach. This is a common issue in patients going through radiation treatments. What you are worried about is very important, sufficient nutrition in your diet is necessary to help your body recover and maintain health. At the end of the day, you will have to experiment to find the right nutrition plan for you.

If you can, meet with a nutritionist to develop a specific plan for your diet and make sure you understand the calories, protein, vitamins, etc. that you need as well as food options and how much to eat.

Here are some general suggestions that may help:
- try eating snacks and small meals throughout the day instead of a few large meals
- make sure to eat foods high in nutrients (high in protein or calories, such as nutrient bars, ensure, nutrition drinks, milk shakes, cheese, fruits, peanut butter, nuts, crackers, and juices.) and stay away from foods with little nutrition such as junk foods.
- drink dense fluids such as milk, milk shakes, and juice.
- when you feel good, make sure to eat
- prepare food that is colorful and appealing to the senses.
- try different seasonings
- bland foods, such as crackers, broth, and rice, may be easier to digest.

Depending on how you feel and the severity of the side effects, you may want to talk to your doctor about medications that may help alleviate an stomach upset and prevent weight loss. Here is a link to a list of potential medications your physician may prescribe for lack of appetite: http://talkabouthealth.com/what-medications-might-be-prescribed-for-lack-of-appetite

Somebody told me not to eat any meat the day before and the day I had chemo. Why, I had no idea, but it seemed to have helped. I did really well with soups and smoothies. Perhaps its because I stuck with foods that digest more quickly.

Crackers ARE great, but be careful. Believe it or not, most people gain weight with breast cancer chemo and this is the converse of what happens with chemo for other cancers. For most people, the goal in chemo treatment should be to maintain your weight - you don't want to fluctuate up or down too much. To help prevent nausea, here are some things to try:
- try eating bland, easy to digest foods and drinks that will not upset your stomach, such as plain crackers, dry toast, gelatin, and broth
- try drinking one or two lukewarm cups of peppermint tea
- try eating 5 to 6 small meals a day
- have foods and drinks that are warm or cool, not hot or cold
- drink carbonated liquid that is warm and has lost its fizz, such as ginger ale
- take small bites of popsicles or fruit ices.
- suck on sugar-free mints, tart candies, or chewing gum.
- when you feel like vomiting, breathe deeply and slowly and get fresh air.
- stay away from foods and drinks with strong smells.
- acupuncture is an alternative to try as well.

I believe it is important to eat foods that are as high in nutrition as possible as well as making sure you have a balanced diet. Over time, you will probably want to vary your diet by being creative with various sauces and small amounts of spices to change things up.

Here are a list of nutritious foods to work into your diet:
- fresh or dried fruit and fruit juices
- fresh vegetables
- dairy products - cottage cheese, milk, eggnog, milkshakes
- soups
- drink lots of fluids
- try different types of meat with various sauces

You may want to avoid the following foods:
- spicy or hot foods
- acidic foods - oranges, tomatos
- hot liquids such as coffee or tea
- course foods like chips, raw vegetables, crackers, and nuts (you may soak some of these in liquid to soften) I believe it is important to eat foods that are as high in nutrition as possible as well as making sure you have a balanced diet. Over time, you will probably want to vary your diet by being creative with various sauces and small amounts of spices to change things up.

Here are a list of nutritious foods to work into your diet:
- fresh or dried fruit and fruit juices
- fresh vegetables
- dairy products - cottage cheese, milk, eggnog, milkshakes
- soups
- drink lots of fluids
- try different types of meat with various sauces

You may want to avoid the following foods:
- spicy or hot foods
- acidic foods - oranges, tomatos
- hot liquids such as coffee or tea
- course foods like chips, raw vegetables, crackers, and nuts (you may soak some of these in liquid to soften)

Some over the counter options include:
- Antihistamines may help prevent nausea and vomiting. These include dimenhydrinate and meclizine hydrochloride.
- Pepto-Bismol, Maalox, and Mylanta may calm upset stomachs.
- lo-dose ranitidine and famotidine

Some potential prescription medications you physician might prescribe are:
- ondansetron (Zofran)
- promethazine (Phenergan)
- prochlorperazine (Compazine)
- aprepitant (Emend)
- dolasetron (Anzemet)
- granisetron (Kytril)
- palonosetron (Aloxi)
- lorazepam (Ativan)
- metoclopramide (Reglan)
- dexamethasone (Decadron)
- famotidine (Pepcid)
- ranitidine (Zantac) Some over the counter options include:
- Antihistamines may help prevent nausea and vomiting. These include dimenhydrinate and meclizine hydrochloride.
- Pepto-Bismol, Maalox, and Mylanta may calm upset stomachs.
- lo-dose ranitidine and famotidine

Some potential prescription medications you physician might prescribe are:
- ondansetron (Zofran)
- promethazine (Phenergan)
- prochlorperazine (Compazine)
- aprepitant (Emend)
- dolasetron (Anzemet)
- granisetron (Kytril)
- palonosetron (Aloxi)
- lorazepam (Ativan)
- metoclopramide (Reglan)
- dexamethasone (Decadron)
- famotidine (Pepcid)
- ranitidine (Zantac)