I wrote this blog for anyone who has or knows someone with cancer and is faced with the daunting prospect of chemotherapy. I wrote it because I carried out a personal ‘experiment’ based on early results from the latest scientific research – I fasted for chemo.

In a nutshell, the idea behind fasting during chemo is to put your body into a state of ketosis so normal, non-cancerous cells stop dividing. The chemotherapy only targets dividing cells so, because cancer cells will not stop dividing, they are hit by the chemotherapy whilst most normal healthy cells in your body….well… they hide.

So, informed by early results published in peer reviewed scientific papers (see Further Reading), for the first two chemo sessions, I followed a strict 350 calories-a-day diet for the 48 hours prior to chemotherapy and continued this diet for 48 hours afterwards. I then slightly increased my calorie intake to 500 for a further 48 hours.

After these first two sessions I was astounded that I did not suffer with the other side effects associated with EC chemotherapy – my digestive tract and mouth were fine with no ulcers, and I had a voracious appetite; my nails were as as strong as ever; my skin seemed to be avoiding the ravages of the drug. All in all, once the chemo had more or less left my body after a few days, I felt pretty good. And people told me I was looking well.

Perhaps the fasting was helping…

For the third session I was not as strict with my fasting regime and the side effects were more severe. Following the third treatment, my digestive tract was hit hard and I experienced nausea for nine days, followed by painful stomach inflammation, acid reflux and changes to the condition of my skin. None of which I had experienced previously.

Clearly, the side effects I experienced after the session three where I was more relaxed about fasting might have happened regardless due to a cumulative effect of the chemotherapy drugs.

But… what if the fasting really was working?

The lives of many going through chemotherapy could be improved considerably….

I hope you enjoy reading my blog and do share with people you think might be interested. 

Della x

Disclaimer 

The information contained in this post or any other post on this blog is based on personal experience and should not be viewed in any way as medical or other advice. If you are considering fasting for chemo, please consult your health care provider.

Copyright (C) 2015