Help with eating.

I'll be following this thread as my husband has had a similar problem. He's only lost 15 pounds, but he really didn't have weight to lose. I know he has been forcing himself to eat. Truthfully we are no longer as concerned about high nutrition as we are about something he can keep down. He usually can get a protein drink and some fruit in his stomach in the morning. But then it seems his taste changes constantly so when he says a sandwich would sound good... by the time it is made, he can't handle it.
For a while, jello seemed to be something he would eat. But not now. Soup was good for a while, and now he won't touch it. We used to eat a lot of chicken and venison and I don't know that he's had either for months.
And liquids are the same. He used to drink a lot of water and milk. Now, finding anything he likes to drink is nearly impossible. We've tried about every liquid you can think of and finally found a flavored water that he can/will drink. Nothing special about it.... no electrolites or anything... but at least it is liquid and he will drink.
He's just finished his 12th treatment so starting on a new/easier regimen so I am hoping that food will taste better to him soon.
Wish I had some good suggestions. All I can say is we keep trying different foods all the time and if something works, he may eat it several days in a row until we need to try something new.

I had the same problem. I can only tell you that looking at anything with bulk turned my stomach. Things with a citrus flavor worked. Applesauce was a go to. Sips of orange juice. Sometimes seasoned rice. But not overly seasoned. Sometimes pieces of hard boiled egg. Peanut butter and crackers. Just keep trying different flavors and not much at a time.

Thank you.

Start eating like a bird a little bit every hour if you need to whatever you can pick up and whatever taste good to eat…don’t pay any attention to what anybody says when it’s good for you not just eat it.

You definitely need calories, and you need protein to maintain muscle.

How often do you get chemo, or how long since your last chemo?

Oatmeal has become my go-to food whenever nausea or lack of appetite flare up. I often add a whey-based protein powder to my smoothies and sundaes; there are some good ones out there that go totally unnoticed/untasted if mixed in the right quantities with the right foods/drinks. I haven't tried it in oatmeal yet, but now you've got me thinking. After my Whipple surgery I often ate small portions of King's Hawaiian rolls dipped in chicken or beef broth.

For hydration, anything that eventually turns to water helps. Jello, popsicles, etc. You might be able to get some good flavors out of those. Possibly even popsicles made by freezing a protein drink? Popsicles made out of Gatorade might also help with electrolytes.

There might also be an issue with nutrient absorption. Your pancreas might also be failing to produce the enzymes needed to digest the food you do eat, and supplementation might help if your doctor agrees. Other forum members here have experienced gastroparesis (basically a paralyzed stomach) in response to chemo.

CBD oils/gummies might help calm your stomach as well as ease your mind. The THC in medical marijuana (or synthetic Marinol/Dronabinol) might do those as well as stimulate appetite, but with the obvious psychoactive side effects. Megace/Megestrol may increase appetite. Remeron/Mirtazipine has also been used successfully as an appetite stimulant as well as sleep aid. It's important to not let temporary episodes of nausea/vomiting generate a longer-term psychological avoidance of the cause (food) because that's a quick downward spiral.

I have zero medical training, but bottom line is if your doctors aren't helping, you might need to be more assertive with them or find new doctors! Most oncology institutions should be able to refer you to an oncology-specific dietician or nutritionist, and if you don't already have referral to a GI specialist for this, you should request one.

It's been April since my last chemo, and I started radiation 2 weeks ago. Thank you for the info. I found it very helpful.

I had my Whipple in June 2023. I lost nearly 50lbs due to my stomach not waking up immediately after the Whipple. I use Kate Farms Standard 1.4 shakes as they have 455 calories. I’ve picked up 30lbs of the lost 50lbs so far. I only drink 1 a day. I’d imagine if I drank 2 a day, I’d pick up weight even faster. The product is great for me. It’s the only shake that seems to work for me. Check them out. I order 2 cases every month.

I use below for easy eating
1. Risotto (Chicken or Shrimp/ seafood with mushrooms/ veggies) it’s soft nutritious easy to digest
2. Try warm/hot instead of cold
3. cooked rice+butter or oatmeal+ honey paired w high quality protein
4. Softest tofu dishes (easy meal)
5. I try to avoid all seasonings but to enhance flavor, I use Japanese soup broth concentrate sauce, Japanese mayo, roasted sesame oil, toom garlic dip

What stage are you at? When my dad was diagnosed ( stage 4) he didn’t get chemo, but it had already metastasized to his stomach so for several months after he could no longer tolerate my homemade protein shakes, I gave him Ensure - try different flavors. For myself (at stage 2 in 2022 and stage 4 in 2023), I couldn’t eat for a period in order to stop GI bleeding after my surgery, I was put on a pic-line for 2 weeks to at least get my nutrition and electrolytes. Are you getting an anti-emetic ( to help stop vomiting)? Are there any foods that when you think of them they don’t make you nauseous? - mine was ice cream. How about eating foods in very small quantities to start? You can call your general practice dr or your cancer center to get a nutritionist to help you find some foods. You can’t tolerate chemo if you become emaciated (I was on that verge early 2023) so please get some second opinions from other drs or another oncologist.

Hello @ark11 and welcome to the Pancreatic Cancer support group on Mayo Connect. I appreciate you sharing the type of foods that work well for you. Did this eating plan come about by trial and error as you adjusted to treatment for cancer?

As this is your first post, please share a little about your journey with pancreatic cancer. How long ago were you diagnosed? What type of treatments have you had?