Diet and exercise after acute myeloid leukaemia

Many people ask us about what they should eat and what exercise they can do after they have had treatment. Exactly what you can do will vary. It depends on the treatment you have had, and how fit you were before your leukaemia. This page gives you some idea about where to start. If you have had a stem cell or bone marrow transplant have a look in the life after transplant section for specific advice.

Diet plays an important part in coping with cancer and its treatment. A good, well balanced diet can help you feel stronger, have more energy, and recover more quickly.

After treatment, most people can eat whatever they want. While you are having treatment, your weight may have changed. You might have lost weight. This may be because of the side effects of your treatment including

• Loss of appetite
• Taste changes
• Sickness
• A sore mouth
• Diarrhoea

If you still find it difficult to eat, you can try high calorie and high protein drinks. You may have had these drinks during treatment. Once your treatment has finished though, you should begin to feel better and be able to eat a normal diet. This can take a while after intensive treatment.

When they are diagnosed with cancer, many people look at their diet and make changes, deciding to choose healthier options. For example

• Eating 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day
• Eating less fat and salt
• Drinking alcohol within the guidelines - the maximum is 2 units a day for women and 3 units for men

All of these help you recover and aim to keep you healthy. You can find out more about diet problems in our section on coping physically with cancer and about a healthy diet on Cancer Research UK’s news and resources website.

Exercise is a great way to help you feel better, both physically and emotionally. But don’t overdo it. How much you can do will depend on how fit you are and how you feel. You will probably have days when you don’t have so much energy. Listen to your body and build up slowly.

Gentle walking is suitable for most people to start with. Once your white blood count is back to normal and you don’t have a central line anymore you can go swimming. Interestingly, taking regular exercise can help to reduce fatigue after treatment.

Talk to your doctor if you aren’t sure about how much you can do. You can read more about exercise and cancer in our cancer treatment question and answers.