I was diagnosed with metastatic renal cell carcinoma in 2019. In July 2021, after immunotherapy stopped working well, I switched to Lenvima (lenvatinib) and belzutifan. I began experiencing side effects rather quickly, the most disruptive of which was diarrhea. I was having 5 to 10 episodes daily (sometimes more) and found myself nervous about being too far from a bathroom.

I was working full-time, exercising regularly, and trying to function normally, but the diarrhea was seriously impacting my quality of life. My doctor prescribed loperamide, which helped to control the symptoms, but I needed to take it prophylactically and it was distressing to me to be dependent on another drug that might carry its own additional side effects and interactions.

I began to research natural ways to combat diarrhea. Two specific recommendations that looked promising in my research were eliminating dairy and taking probiotics. Giving up dairy was easy, but I had concerns about taking probiotic pills due to conflicting information that they might reduce the efficacy of my cancer treatment. Instead of taking probiotic supplements, I began eating foods rich in probiotics, including sauerkraut, olives, and miso. My move to a dairy-free diet made one of the best sources of probiotics, yogurt, off limits. Fortunately, I was able to find a plant-based, nondairy form of yogurt.

In just a few weeks, I started feeling better. My episodes of diarrhea dropped to 1 or 2 per day. I began experimenting with recipes and found rapid success combining the nondairy yogurt with fruit and granola. Within 1 week of eating this every day, my diarrhea completely resolved.

I have since switched my intake of the yogurt to a treat that I make by mixing equal parts yogurt with organic peanut butter, freezing it in small pieces and drizzling dark chocolate on them. They are delicious and an easy way to get regular “doses” of yogurt.

Since incorporating these changes, I have been able to remain free of treatment-related diarrhea for over a year without the need for additional drugs like loperamide. Keeping nutrients in that were previously lost to the diarrhea, in addition to no longer being regularly dehydrated, has helped so much. I feel like a completely new person. I have even been able to drastically increase my workout routine duration and intensity. Most importantly, I can continue to fight my cancer without sacrificing my quality of life.