Hello Expat,

I hope you dont mind, I have asked the nutritional advisor at the other site I use (Maggies Cancer Centres online) whether she can give any advice on Ascites and Diet - (I have of course not mentioned any of your personal details).  I will let you know if she comes up with any suggestions.  I hope you find something that helps.  Regards, Katielouie

Hi Expat

He may try to abdominal massage,Abdominal massage may help  get the material moving again and reactivate the digestive pricess.Scrubbing by hand in the abdominal massage, can help digestiao and elimination of ***, yiqi for health,spironolactone offal meridian. It worked for me.

Sophie

You are an intelligent woman Expat.  You don't need me to say you'd need to run that by the oncologists first.  Manipulating and massaging would have the potential to do a lot of harm too I suspect.

Lorraine

I found this Expat:

http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinformation/Livingwithandaftercancer/Symptomssideeffects/Othersymptomssideeffects/Ascites.aspx

I see it mentions the peritoneal cavity.  That's where Ian's "mass" is (or hopefully was).  I wonder if that explains his huge, uncomfortable, ungainly belly??  I'll be asking at the clinic on Monday!!

Lorraine

Huge uncomfortable ungainly belly is a pretty good description or ascites.  8 litres of fluid drained so far from the peritoneal cavity and still counting.  Looks a bit like a pregnant belly (the nurses in the outpatient ward before he was admitted asked when the baby was due) but much more taut.

Expat

Hello expat,

I got a reply from the nutritional advisor on Maggies Online (Maggies Centres UK). She says ascites is difficult to treat nutritionally other than by trying to reduce salt and increase potassium intake - bananas, avocados, fruit and veg generally, dandelion tea (a diuretic).  Please speak to your oncologist first as I would not like to suggest anything that may be bad for your husband, or interfere with any drugs he is taking.  You can look at her answer if you go to maggies online and into the conversations section - it is the first question on there as it is a much quieter site than this one.  I hope your husband is feeling a bit more comfortable after getting the fluid drained away, and hope you find something that helps keep it from coming back,  Katielouie  

Hi Katielouie,

Thanks so much for your help. It's daft, a dietician visited him yesterday on the ward and the focus was so much on diabetes and trying to stop him losing weight that how to control ascites as well got forgotten. Brain dealing with one problem at a time, definitely no more than two.  The diabetes limits the bananas to one small one a day and no more than half an avocado; fruit generally is OK as long as it's spread throughout the day in small portions rather than a binge. In 3 years since he was diagnosed with cancer and diabetes this was the first time he has had a prper conversation with a trained dietician!

I haven't tried the Maggies site although I've heard it's a good organisation; I know myself - might get sucked in so what you have done for me is a great help.

My husband is still in hospital but at least the flow has slowed down.  Unfortunately I can't be there at ward round time today or tomorrow but will be there with my questions later in the week.

Expat

I thought I would post a conclusion on this thread in case anyone searches for ascites on the site.

It would seem from my conversations with members of the medical team that once a patient has ascites as a complication of cancer there's nothing one can do in terms of diet or lifestyle to slow the build-up of fluid down.  I think it might be different if the ascites has another cause (e.g. liver disease).  So although my husband has now been discharged the ascites can only build up again; I think about 17 ltres was draned in the course of 7 days, but he can't stay in hospital for ever.  If it gets bad again, we have to go to A&E and he would be admitted to have it drained again.  The other option will be to have a permanent drain fitted which he could open and close himself when necessary, but he didn't want that option just yet.

Be aware folks that we are outside the UK and I think this might be handled differently in the NHS.  Where we are, patient support groups are lacking so we don't have the option of speaking to a patient who is managing such a drain. Luckily for us the national cancer centre is very close to where we live and if we go to A & E my husband is seen by the oncologist on call.

Expat

Hi expat

I am sorry to read that your husbands choices are so limited.I just wanted to say best wishes for the days ahead.

emma

Hi 

I’m sorry to hear about your husband. My Mum has developed signs of Ascites and has been referred to a specialist. I’m so scared as I’m trying to understand why? After your husband had the drainage done at hospital did the problem come back? The water drainage? 

What was the next step? If it reoccurred is your husband ok now? I’m sorry for the questions it’s just that there not much info on the net. We’ve been told the doctors don’t know what to do.