6 Foods and Drinks to Avoid While Taking Hydroxyurea

Hydroxyurea (Hydrea) is an oral antimetabolite medicine that slows or stops the development of certain cells. It’s used to treat certain types of leukemia and cancers of the head and neck. Another formulation, hydroxyurea (Droxia), is also used to prevent sickle cell crisis in people with sickle cell anemia. 

Sometimes, certain foods can affect how a medication works. And sometimes food in the stomach can interfere with how a medication is absorbed. The good news is, there’s no evidence that food affects how hydroxyurea works or is absorbed by your body. 

That said, certain aspects of your diet can worsen common side effects of hydroxyurea. These can include nausea, vomiting, headache, and sores in your mouth and throat. Avoiding certain foods and staying hydrated can help you tolerate the medication better and take it as prescribed. 

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Why is it important to avoid foods that worsen side effects?

Worsening nausea increases the likelihood that you’ll vomit. If you can’t keep the medication down, this will decrease its effectiveness. Keeping nausea at bay will also help you maintain adequate nutrition. 

Similarly, minimizing pain due to mouth sores is important for a few reasons. Severe mouth pain can make it difficult to take medication, stay hydrated, and maintain adequate nutrition. 

All of the foods below can worsen side effects from hydroxyurea. But people experience medications, side effects, and even foods differently. This list of six foods to avoid is a good place to start, but do what works best for you.

EXPERT PICKS: WHAT TO READ NEXT

• Struggling with medication-related nausea? Here’s our top tips for dealing with nausea caused by medication. 

• Hydroxyurea can help prevent sickle cell pain crises. Learn more about these events and how they’re treated.

• Mouth sores from hydroxyurea can be painful. Here are some treatment options that might help.

1. Spicy foods

Spicy foods can worsen both nausea and mouth sores. Spicy chips, in particular, could worsen nausea, and the spice and crunch would increase pain from mouth and throat sores.

Examples of spicy foods and ingredients include: 

• Peppers like habanero, serrano, and jalapeno

• Curries

• Chilis

• Kimchi

• Horseradish 

• Wasabi 

• Condiments like mustard and hot sauce

2. Greasy foods

Greasy foods like fast food, fried food, and pizza also aggravate nausea. Greasy foods cause nausea because fat takes longer to digest, which slows stomach emptying. Laboratory studies show that increasing fat in a meal increases feelings of bloating and nausea. 

Some examples of greasy foods include: 

• Potato chips

• French fries

• Pizza

• Fried chicken

• Processed meats like bacon and sausage

3. Strong-smelling foods

Strong-smelling foods like onions, garlic, spicy foods, and foods containing vinegar, are likely to aggravate nausea as well. These foods smell especially strong when they’re warm. So, eating cool or room temperature foods can reduce the impact of smells on your nausea. 

4. Acidic foods

Acidic foods like citrus fruits and tomatoes can irritate mouth sores and make them more painful. 

Examples of acidic fruits include:

• Tomatoes

• Pineapple

• Clementines

• Oranges

• Lemons

• Limes

• Grapefruit

Other acidic food and drink products include: 

• Vinegars

• Ketchup

• Mustard

• Soda

• Coffee 

5. Salty foods

Like literally pouring salt on a wound, eating salty foods when you have an open mouth sore can be quite painful. Many salty foods like pretzels and chips are crunchy as well, so they’re twice as irritating. Salty foods can also aggravate headaches in some people. 

Examples of salty foods include:

• Chips

• Pretzels

• Salted nuts

• Processed meats like bacon, sausage, and lunch meats

• Frozen/pre-packaged meals

6. Alcohol

Similar to spicy foods, alcohol (beer, wine, and hard liquor) can contribute to nausea, vomiting and mouth sores. In fact, alcohol can also irritate the lining of your mouth and lead to mouth sores even without hydroxyurea. 

Alcohol can also contribute to headaches. Alcohol causes you to urinate out more water, further worsening dehydration and headache.

Foods to eat while taking hydroxyurea

If you develop mouth sores, eating cool, creamy foods are less likely to aggravate pain. They may even soothe it, as cool temperature can numb the area and relieve inflammation. 

Soft foods that are easy to chew and swallow will be easier on your mouth and throat. Bland foods that aren’t salty or spicy will prevent additional irritation. They’re also less likely to cause nausea or indigestion. Examples include applesauce and bananas.

You may also want to consider smaller, more frequent meals or snacks. Consuming too much food at once can put pressure on your stomach and aggravate nausea. Eating smaller meals can help you avoid this. Small meals and frequent snacks are an effective way to minimize nausea while maintaining nutrition and staying hydrated. 

Additional tips for taking hydroxyurea

Hydroxyurea requires some unique precautions to take it safely and manage side effects. Here are some strategies that can help: 

• Take hydroxyurea at the same time every day. 

• It’s recommended that you take hydroxyurea with a glass of water. 

• Most people will need to take folic acid (a B vitamin) along with hydroxyurea to minimize side effects. 

• Consider taking hydroxyurea a couple of hours after meals or at bedtime if it interferes with your appetite. 

• Do not split, chew, or crush hydroxyurea capsules unless otherwise instructed.

• Wear gloves to administer the pill. Hydroxyurea can cause skin irritation and damage if it comes into direct contact with your skin. 

If you have any questions about how to take your medication, ask your pharmacist or prescriber. 

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Amy Walsh, MD, MDP

I have worked as an emergency physician for 15 years, including care at both rural hospitals and trauma centers. I am the former Global Emergency Medicine fellowship director at Health Partners.

Edited by:

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH, is a medical editor at GoodRx. She is a licensed, board-certified pediatrician with more than a decade of experience in academic medicine.

Reviewed by:

Mandy Armitage, MD

Mandy Armitage, MD, has combined her interests in clinical medicine with her passion for education and content development for many years. She served as medical director for the health technology companies HealthLoop (now Get Well) and Doximity.

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