CANCER CHEMOTHERAPY: TREATMENTS USED TO COUNTERACT SIDE EFFECTS
Diarrhoea
Diet
Make sure you drink plenty of water, fruit and vegetable juices, and herbal teas to replace lost fluids and avoid dehydration. Drink the cleansing vegetable broth regularly (refer to recipes in Part Three of this book). Choose plain, bland foods and eat small frequent meals. Eat banana, pineapple or papaya juice, oat-bran, rice-bran, raw foods and yogurt.
• Avoid dairy products and coffee.
• Watermelon juice should be drunk regularly.
Vitamins and Nutrients
• Essential fatty acids aid in forming healthy stools. Eg DHA/EPA, flaxseed oil.
• Take acidophilus powder or capsules to replace friendly bacteria.
• Psyllium husk or a fibre formula may be beneficial.
• Glutamine repairs intestines damaged by chemotherapy. Take 1 to 4 gm per day.
Herbs
• Use cinnamon in tea (1 teaspoon per cup) or on food. OR
• Goldenseal, citrus seed extract, oregon grape, barberry root bark, pau d’arco or raspberry leaves are useful. OR
• Slipper}’ elm bark is soothing to the digestive tract. OR
• Charcoal tablets (4 tablets/hour with water until diarrhoea subsides).
Herbal Teas
• Try either chamomile, dandelion tea, peppermint, pau d’arco, papaya or raspberry leaf tea to ease diarrhoea.
Effects on the Mouth
Once again, diet is an important factor. Mouth ulcers, metallic taste in the mouth, a furry or coated tongue, sore throat and dry mouth are common symptoms experienced. Mouth ulcers are often caused from a zinc deficiency.
Diet
• Eat plenty of clear vegetable soups with brown rice. Use a food blender to blend foods.
Avoid extremes of temperature and highly spiced foods.
• Avoid alcohol and cigarettes.
• Figs contain demulcents, which soothe the mouth, oesophagus and digestive tract.
• Suck on natural ice blocks or ice cubes made from fresh juice. Natural fruit sorbet helps to
keep your mouth moist and feeling fresh.
Vitamins and Nutrients
• Glutamine helps to protect the body’s mucosa and prevents mouth ulcers. Glutamine soothes
and relieves the pain of and quickly heals sores in the mouth.
• Vitamin E reduces the occurrence of oral mucositis 250 iu to 500 iu/day.
• Zinc and L-lysine are useful in healing mouth ulcers. Take 4 ml of zinc liquid per day or an
80 mg zinc tablet or suck on zinc and L-lysine lozenges.
• Â complex vitamins are essential in preventing mouth ulcers.
Herbs
• Add 5 to 10 drops of myrrh oil or myrrh tincture and add to a glass of water. Use as a
mouthwash – good for healing mouth ulcers.
• Another powerful and useful herb for healing/preventing ulcers is red sage.
• Aloe vera juice is also very soothing and healing on mucous membranes. Drink 1/4 cup
morning and night.
Other Advice
• Brush teeth with a soft toothbrush. Use a small amount of bicarbonate soda/water after eating
(1/4 teaspoon in 1/2 glass of water).
• Use a natural lip balm or beeswax to keep lips moist.
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