In a couple of weeks I will begin chemotherapy and expect I will be severely nauseated.
While there are plenty of tips from conventional sources on things that may help, they are filled with sugar and definitely not keto.
I have a few ideas (keto gummies, ginger tea, kept ice-cream, lemon water) but I am looking for some other suggestions or products and snacks that might be helpful.
I also plan on fasting 72 hours before my treatment.
Any ideas will help!
Thank you!!
-D
Deborah, best of luck to you! I’m sure you’re aware of this because you’re planning to fast before chemo, but just in case not: you’ve seen Walter Longo’s work on fasting and chemo?
Fasting pre-chemo seems to really make a huge difference in terms of nausea and other side effects (I’ve seen a few folks say that they were actually running around or riding their bikes the next day), so good for you for giving that a shot! It seems to also make the chemo more effective, so it seems like a win-win.
Ok - you probably know all that and it’s not quite what you were asking. My guess is that you’ll want to have some things on hand (like your awesome ideas above) and that you’ll find pretty quickly what works for you and feels good.
There’s a cancer portion of this forum in case you want to take a look there for other ideas.
Best wishes -
You might want to think about megadosing vitamin C (ascorbic acid).
Here is one info source:
http://www.doctoryourself.com/hoffer_vitc_can.html
Dr Thomas Levy is another strong proponent of vitamin C for this any many other things.
He tends to recommend liposomal vitamin C (e.g. by Liveon), which is more expensive than regular ascorbic acid powder, but is reputed not to have the bowel loosening tendency of the latter, and is said by some to be as effective as intravenous vitamin C.
Levy actually says it’s a good idea to take vitamin C in as many ways as you can: liposomal, powder, and intravenous (if you have access to it), in extreme cases like cancer.
You might get lucky, I myself did not have problems with that. They did give me anti-nausea medicine during the actual chemo treatment, which also made me drowsy and relaxed. I didn’t know about essential oils back then, but now I would recommend using ginger oil, rubbing it over your stomach. It can also help with the lower-GI issues, you can rub it on your abdomen too. I also sometimes take an oral capsule called Digestzen that helps a lot with milder nausea (when you can keep it down). You could sip some sugar-free ginger ale or lemon-lime soda. Stay hydrated with frequent sips of water and sucking on ice cubes. Get as much rest as you can, ask for and accept help from others, and feel free to reach out for moral support, including to me. 
If you are able to include fasting, it sounds like that could be really helpful too. All the best!
This podcast I listened to recently is very informative and Dom talks quite a bit about this. It was a great podcast.
Hey Deborah. 
I too have heard good things about fasting before chemotherapy, though my gut feeling is that it’s quite an individual thing. As @Darcy mentioned, the anti-nausea medications also work well at times.
I know quite a few people with cancer in their past - my mom, dad, grandmother, a cousin, step-mother, father-in-law, etc. The common thread is that the anti-nausea drugs have really improved over time, even in just the last decade or two.
Ten years ago I had an infection in my back, two vertebrae that were literally shrinking, getting eaten by something - bacterial or viral. Never found out which, but for nine weeks went to the hospital twice a day for intravenous infusions of antibiotics, which apparently fixed me up in the end. I sat with other patients every day, many of them receiving chemotherapy, and everybody had had good or excellent results with keeping the nausea to a minimum.
No doubt you’re already on this, but keep communication open with the doctors; sometimes it takes a few tries to get things right. Hope I don’t sound like I’m pushing anti-nausea drugs too much - what I’ve been impressed with is that what was often a truly wrenching experience is frequently mitigated a good bit nowadays.
Good luck to you, and good thoughts always.
Just wanted to add another vote for mega dosing Vitamin C. (Also you can actually make your own liposomal C. I’m not home for the next few weeks so can’t look up my notes but I think there are a lot of recipes online. You need some special equipment but it’s probably cheaper in the long run than buying it already made.)
Is medical cannabis a legal option in your home state? Best thing ever for this stuff. Obviously I’m not advocating putting yourself at legal risk by purchasing / using illegally but there’s no better nausea treatment IMO.
Hi Dread,
It IS legal!
I live in Ontario, Canada and I am able to get a doctor’s prescription for medical marihuana and cannabis oil.
I am currently looking into it but it looks like it could be another steep learning curve-much like my cancer diagnosis.
So many different types for different symptoms.
I will see how I am doing first (I still have two teenagers at home and recreational use has not been legalized in Canada-yet… so I want to be careful with their perceptions).
Thanks for the suggestion.
-D
Thanks Madeleine,
I am very excited that I have an appointment next week with an Integrative Cancer Clinic who works alongside the local hospital to compliment traditional therapy.
I/V Vitamin C is a treatment they offer but I am definetly going to investigate liposomal vitamin C.
-D
Great news!
Most strains if not all are great for nausea and hunger for the most part. It was my hangover cure for years before I gave up alcohol. Anyway, it’s just another tool available, so look into it and make a determination on your own.
Regarding the kids, I don’t want to give any targeted advice as I’ve only known you a total of a few minutes, but my policy is to cultivate a house that communicates openly. It’s not easy. But honesty with serious issues is important, because they need to know they can come to us as parents and not be punished or shamed for communicating. Just my 2c on that, like I said I don’t want to get all up in someone’s parenting business.
I hope your treatments work well for you. Good Luck. I had cancer 21 years ago. Treatments have advanced a ton since then.
Hi Darcy
I love love love ginger in any form so I am really hoping it works and I don’t have an aversion to it afterwards.
That would really make me sad!!!
I really appreciate the fact that you are offering your moral support.
I do not know any other ketonians except for my daughter who, thankfully, is coming home for awhile to nurse me all better. 
I am relieved I do not have to try to explain the basics of the keto diet to someone too (even though it might convert them LOL)!!
-D
Hi Mike,
It seems there is more information on treatments and research, (especially with my type of cancer) on a weekly basis.
There are also SO many clinical trials too which is both a relief and encouraging.
I am really happy for you and encouraged by your story-21 years!! Way to go!
I hope I will be a keto, cancer survivor who is here to reply and comment on this forum in 21 years.
-D
Well, I think I might have been under a rock…
I had no idea who Joe Rogan was before this.
I listened to a couple of his podcasts and was intrigued.
He discusses ketogetic diets on a number of occasions.
I started with the podcast with Dom D’Agostino.
Was this the one your were referring to?
Thanks for the info!
I will be adding him to my podcast list.
-D
I’m sure you will be! positive thinking, low stress. I want to be here in 21 to hear it which is why I’m keto, albeit occasionally dirty…
I listen almost daily, he’s had a ton of great guests. What strikes me about Joe is he never talks too absolutely, there’s always a hint of an open mind. Even when he’s talking with a total nutjob (not to name names). I always enjoy his podcasts.
