Nutrition for Myeloma Patients
Many cancer treatments are designed to kill cancer cells. The treatments can also damage healthy cells and that can cause side effects that lead to eating challenges. While not all patients experience problems, some may experience loss of appetite, changes in senses of taste or smell, dry mouth, lactose intolerance, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, weight gain or weight loss.
Good nutrition is essential and eating the right kinds and amounts of food can help your body heal and become stronger. A healthy diet for most people includes lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. However, when you are undergoing treatment for multiple myeloma, you may need to alter your diet to deal with side effects of treatment and boost your stamina. You may need extra protein and more calories than usual, and you may need to add sauces or gravies to some foods to help with swallowing.
A dietitian can help you with any diet changes you may need to make.
Our oncology nutrition specialists are part of your health care team. They are registered dietitians dedicated to helping you eat well throughout the course of your cancer treatment and beyond. They provide individual nutrition assessment and education, and they can answer your questions about food and share information from the latest nutrition research.
One-on-One Counseling: We encourage you to let your doctor or nurse know if you would like to meet one of our dietitians at any time to help you address cancer-related eating issues.
Our dietitians utilize a number of helpful guidelines, many of which you can access here.