Cancer Meds and ketosis - 2 weeks for newbs

(Miro) #1

Just sharing here for people in my boat.
I started keto on May 5th.

I am 41m 180lbs and have gbm cancer so I am on some roid pills where I have to eat something with it. So it is also hard to do any kind of fasting.
Since I do have to eat ‘something’ I just check my keto levels first thing in the morning around 7am every few days (2-3 days). Before I eat something small and take my meds. I read that keto levels are higher in the morning but at least I have the same benchmark every morning.

For the newbs out there in my position, it took 2 weeks for me to hit .6 , as I was at .3 and .4 for my readings earlier.
My initial carb intake was 30 carbs a day and this week I have roughly brought it down to 20-25 as I learn how to make and plan meals better. I also have to say getting a small $10 weight scale where I can measure food better with the app Carb manager in grams vs teaspoons and tablespoons.

After the first week I was not hungry in the morning so it allows me to have a simple 1/2 an avocado and some prosciutto as a snack with a few grams of nuts and tea for a total of 2 carbs. Then I can finish ‘fasting’ till about noon, and try to eat from 12noon - 7pm ish. (When all the other meds are due)

Next goal is 1.0 for a keto level but I just wanted to give others a bit of hope and how I got to this level where I am. I’m aware I can easily fall out if .6, but at least I finally got some progress.

Thanks for all the help everyone has answered for me in my other posts.

Cheers,

Miro

(Scott) #2

So sorry to hear your diagnosis. From what I have read you want to keep your carbs very low. I read in the book Tripping Over the Truth that combining conventional treatment with very strict keto and hyperbaric chamber therapy not only may inhibit the cancer growth but also eases the side effects of the drugs. I will keep you in my prayers.

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #3

Miro, I’ll be going back on a heavy dose of steroids later this year. I’m terrified that it will destroy all of the work I’ve done (losing the 30 lbs the last round of steroids packed on). I’ll be following because I’m interested to know how you handle them. Thanks for sharing!

(Miro) #4

I set my carb monitor app to hold my weight. I am not yet trying to lose it.
I will see what all the meds do and the rad and chemo I start next week.

But I did slowly decrease the carbs over the week from the 30 to 20 while I adjusted fat and protein intake and got use to things like coconut oil, ghee butter and all the cheesed and stuff.

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #5

I just kept telling myself, this is temporary, I can do this. I wish you peace on your journey and a great outcome.

(Miro) #6

So an update.
I celebrated too much yesterday and cut myself a 6.5 oz tenderloin steak for supper with the regular salad. I was still in my 5%/80/20 but it was too much food for my 7:30pm meal.

I checked in the morning and was back to .4

So I have to spread the food better from 12noon to 8 pm better.

Newbie error.

I but now that I have hit the .6, I know it’s possible to achieve.

(Miro) #7

Do you know what your dose is going to be?
I’m on dex. It might raise with rad and chemo but 4mg morning and 4mg afternoon.

Right now the plan is to keep it constant so they can better measure the rad and chemo starting Tuesday.

M.

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #8

The last time I had to take Dex 40 mg daily for four days on, three days off. I wish it would have just been every single day at a lower dose but that’s not how they did it. Going on and withdrawing from them weekly was tough. I did this for six months then they let me discontinue it because I complained so much and just take the chemo for another three months, then I had a bone marrow transplant. Hopefully this time won’t be as aggressive but we’ll see.

This used to be my breakfast. (I eventually bought apple sauce and put them all in there and spooned it in. It was easier that way.)

1407889575149

(Eric - The patient needs to be patient!) #9

Miro

Peace, love and prayer for your journey and health recovery.

(Miro) #10

An update for everyone:
Keto level = 0.9 (first time)
Blood Glucose = 5.1

I have started checking keto levels before a breakfast snack to take with the roids and food to keep numbers as consistent as possible.

I am not hungry in morning, and also trying to eat only between 1pm and 8pm. So the breakfast is really just a morning snack. (About 1-2 net carbs and 400 calories). I try to make breakfast a higher fat.
1-2 pm(ish) is a higher protien.
Then supper around 7-8 is the remainder fats and protein.
I can have about 80g of protein a day, but I aim for under 65-70.
180g of about fat. I have been trying to put on weight so I have been aiming for 190-200 and also to offset the protein a bit.
28g of carbs but I aim for 20 and see how close I get.

Earlier in the week I celebrated with a big streak when I hit that .6 and it knocked me out of ketosis for 6 days. So careful on celebrations :wink:

I’ll see if I can get myself to a .1 or 1.5. Or at least how long I can hold .9.

(Miro) #11

Update: I was able to hit 1.3 ketones this morning.
Glucose was 4.8

I have been making bone marrow broth and have been adding it to my foods. I also aim to eat always at 1pm and 7pm.

That is about the main differences.

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #12

How are you feeling day to day? Hope things are going well for you.

(Miro) #13

Radiation daily. So it messes up the food schedule. Yesterday I ate at 1pm and 9:15pm.

Too much to do around the schedules.

(Miro) #14

Back to .6 this morning with not much changing food wise. Could all be timing with pills and stuff …

So it’s a battle up and down.