Patients undergoing chemotherapy often find that factors related to the treatments have an impact on their lifestyle. These include:

Meals and snacks

Patients are urged to eat a well-balanced diet. This includes meals that are high enough in calories to keep their weight up and high enough in protein to help repair tissues harmed during treatments. A well-balanced diet will make patients better able to cope with side effects and fight potential infections.

Chemotherapy often reduces a person’s appetite. Patients who do not feel like eating can try the following steps:

• Eat many smaller meals (four to six per day) rather than the traditional three daily meals.
  
  
• Fluids such as juice, soup or liquid nutritional supplements can provide valuable nutrients and calories to patients reluctant to eat solid foods.
  
  
• Try new foods and recipes.
  
  
• Take walks before meals to stimulate appetite.
  
  
• Consult a dietitian about nutritional supplements and a healthy eating plan.

Alcohol

Patients usually are urged to drastically reduce or eliminate alcohol consumption. Alcohol can reduce the effectiveness of some medications and worsen some side effects.

Sex

The impact of chemotherapy on sexual desire and activity varies from patient to patient. Some patients find that the physical and emotional toll of chemotherapy drastically curbs their libido. In addition, chemotherapy can cause physical symptoms (such as impotence or vaginal dryness) that can make sex difficult or uncomfortable. However, some patients report that chemotherapy has no impact on their level of sexual desire.