Caring for Someone With GEP-NET: 7 Triggers for Carcinoid Syndrome Symptoms

What may trigger carcinoid syndrome?

Carcinoid syndrome can happen spontaneously in some cases. Other times, certain factors may trigger it, explains Kimberly Perez, MD, Medical Oncologist with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. 

Some triggers of carcinoid syndrome include: 

• Alcohol

• Caffeine

• Chocolate

• Exercise

• Spicy food

• Stress

• Anesthesia

How can you help your loved one avoid triggers of carcinoid syndrome?

One way to help your loved one avoid the trigger of stress is to help them with their household tasks and other responsibilities, says Perez. You can also serve as a sounding board or confidante as they weather the stressful experience of cancer. 

If needed, you can also help direct them to a therapist or social worker who can provide more specialized mental health support.

“If you find that your loved one is experiencing more symptoms related to their carcinoid syndrome, please reach out to [their] care team, or ask your loved one to do so,” says Perez.

Your loved one’s care team is there to offer help with symptoms, but also advice on how to decrease stress and manage other triggers of carcinoid syndrome.

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Written by:

Marisa Taylor Karas

Marisa Taylor Karas is a freelance journalist based in Brooklyn who has covered health, gender, and technology for 15 years. She previously worked at The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, and Al Jazeera America, among other publications, and also served as managing editor of the Mellon Foundation in New York City.

Reviewed by:

Alexandra Schwarz, MD

Alexandra Schwarz, MD, is a board-eligible sleep medicine physician and a board-certified family medicine physician. She is a member of both the AASM and the ABFM.

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