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Diarrhoea

Diarrhoea can be a side effect of radiation therapy or certain types of chemotherapy.  If you are having diarrhoea you may find that reducing the amount of fibre in your diet will improve the symptoms.  You can do this by:

• Eat white bread, white rice and normal white pasta.
  Low fibre cereals such as cornflakes, rice crispies.
• Avoid the skins of fruit and vegetables as well as dried fruit.
• Have stewed fruit or tinned peaches (in natural juice).
• Avoid raw vegetables.
  Choose a diet that avoids fatty and spicy foods, i.e. avoid fried foods, fatty meats and have oil and margarine in moderation.  Important: if you are underweight then do not limit the amount of fat and oil you eat.

Note:  This is a temporary diet to follow.  As the symptoms settle gradually increase the amount of fibre in your diet.

Drink plenty of fluids to replace those which are lost.  Try to have 8 – 10 drinks daily and ensure you have some of the following types of drinks: energy and sports drinks, Bovril, Marmite.