Is it normal for a person undergoing chemotherapy to lose weight fast?

Im currently on chemotherapy to treat my hodgkins lymphoma, the chemo seems to be working as it has shrunk the large lump i had in my neck after the first few rounds of chemo. But the problem is im losing alot of weight fast. I used to weigh 183 last month now im down to 170. Im worried. The reason im losing weight is because i no longer have an appetite and everything i put in my mouth tastes bitter. Im frustrated i cant enjoy my fsvorite foods. Also i suffer from stomach pains which makes it harder to eat. Im 20 years old (male) and so far ive completed 4 chemo sessions, i got 8 more to go and i dont know what will happen if i keep losing weight.

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Recommended Answer:

You have stopped eating as much. You are going to lose weight. I lost about 20 pounds over 9 weeks of chemo treatment. To top it off, your body is working really hard at recovery. If you are throwing up or have diarrhea, then you are also losing water weight.You need to stabilize your weight loss. The simplest thing is to augment your food intake with protein shakes. Ensure is the dominant brand on the market, but there are others. If they are available in your area, I liked the Orgain brand because they were more drink-like and less shake-like. I like the Ensure strawberry flavor and the Orgain vanilla and mocha.Also, I found that chemo altered certain tastes dramatically, and not others. I could not eat any carbs because they tasted terrible. No bread, pasta, potatoes... After I figure that out, I would order a hamburger with a lettuce wrap or eat salads with chicken and cheese instead of sandwiches. I also found a preference for very bold flavors like citrus and vinegars, so I really liked salads and Vietnamese food. Experiment and find things you like.Finally. You are losing weight. Eat. Eat junk if you need to and it tastes good. At this point in your life, calories are calories. Get a milkshake. Peanut butter is full of protein. Try not to eat 100% junk, you need a good balanced diet, but get those calories in your body. You need them.

Other Answers:

• What's normal depends on the particular chemo drug you are taking. You can look up the side effects of the drug on the web or ask your oncologist. However, it is common to lose weight while on chemo therapy. Chemo generally works by interfering with cell grow, and it often has nearly the same effect whether its a cancer cell or normal cell. Normal tissues that have high rates of cell growth often experience a lot of damage from chemo. The cells that line the digestive tract are normally replaced every few weeks, so they are relatively fast-growing and vulnerable to effects of chemo. When the lining of the digestive system is injured nutrients are not absorbed as readily, so a lot of the nutrients pass through without being absorbed. People often need to compensate by eating foods that pack a huge amount of calories. Call your oncologist and ask if you can get a referral to a nutritionist.