Diarrhea

There’s good news about treatment-related diarrhea: What you choose to eat and drink can make a difference in controlling this unpleasant side effect.

Diarrhea can really sap your strength, so it’s important to take action right away when it begins. The tips below include good suggestions on what to do after diarrhea starts, as well as guidelines on how to eat to prevent problems.

To reduce or prevent diarrhea:

• Eat more foods that are high in soluble fiber. This includes oatmeal, white rice, bananas, white toast, applesauce, canned fruit such as peaches and pears (avoid the skins and peels of fruit), plain pasta noodles, cream of rice cereal, and plain unsweetened graham crackers.
• Drink at least 6 to 8 cups of liquid each day to prevent dehydration.
• Be sure tosip liquid slowly, but constantly all day. Try to take at least one small sip of liquid every 10 to 15 minutes.
• Drink liquid at room temperature.
• For each loose bowel movement that you have, drink 1 additional cup of fluid.But remember to sip liquids slowly.
• Try our Rice Congee Recipe.
• Try Gatorade to replace lost fluids. If you use a sport drink, such as Gatorade, pick one that has about 50 calories per serving. More calories means too much added sugar, which can worsen diarrhea.
• Try our Fluid Replacement Drink Recipe. These drinks can help replace lost fluids and minerals (electrolytes), such as sodium and potassium.
• Sip plain broth or bouillon, flat soda, and water.
• Try our Clove Tea Recipe. This soothing tea will lessen diarrhea and help replace lost fluids. 
• Nibble on salty foods, such as crackers and pretzels to replace lost sodium.
• Try nonacidic juices, such as apricot nectar, peach nectar, or pear nectar.
• Eat small, frequent snacks or minimeals. Try just a few bites of food at a time. Too much food will “overload” your digestive tract and make diarrhea worse.
• Drink fluids between meals rather than with meals.
• Lie down after eating.
• Eat a little plain yogurt everyday. Yogurt contains healthy bacteria (probiotics) that help your body digest your food better.

Avoid the following foods, which can make diarrhea worse. 

• Foods that contain insoluble fiber. This includes fresh fruit with the skin or peel (flesh of fruit is OK), raw vegetables (well-cooked vegetables are OK), whole grain breads and cereals, beans, peas, and popcorn.
• Fatty or greasy foods, such as french fries or fried meats, bacon, pizza, mayonnaise, cheeses, rich desserts, donuts, pastries, potato chips, gravies, and high-fat dressings.
• Milk. Sometimes, milk can be hard to digest. Usually, this will improve once you have finished your treatment.
• Drinks that contain caffeine, such as coffee, soda, or a large amount of regular tea. Caffeine can make diarrhea worse.
• Strong spices and herbs, especially those that are “spicy hot,” such as cayenne pepper and hot sauce.
• Very hot and very cold foods. These temperatures may make diarrhea worse.
• Sugar free foods, gums, and candies. These contain sugar alcohols (sorbitol), which can make diarrhea worse.
• Tobacco (cigarettes, pipe, or chewing tobacco) and alcohol. These items will make diarrhea worse.

Call Your Medical Care Team If... 

• You have six or more loose bowel movements per day with no improvement after 2 days.
• You have blood in your stool.
• You have lost lose more than 5 pounds since the start of diarrhea.
• You have a fever.
• Your stomach (abdomen) becomes puffy, swollen, or sore to the touch.
• You have constipation followed by a small amount of diarrhea or oozing stool. This may mean that your digestive tract is blocked (impacted). This requires immediate medical attention. 

Always talk to your health care team about diet and nutrition changes you'd like to try. For medical reasons, some people should not try the following nutrition tips. If you have questions, talk to your health care team to determine what is best for you.