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How long before my taste buds recover after H&N treatments?
Head & Neck Cancer | Last Active: Oct 2 2:46pm | Replies (75)Comment receiving replies
Hi, my husband had radiation & chemo for tonsil p16+. He finished treatment almost 9 months ago & still cannot taste anything. He was not on a feeding tube & lost all saliva production.
I would do appreciate responses re return of taste, any taste. He is becoming worried he will never taste again! It’s a real struggle to keep weight on as his appetite is so diminished.
Also, I heard that the longer you go without taste, the more likely it will never return.
Please help🙏🙏🙏thank you all !!!
Replies to "Hi, my husband had radiation & chemo for tonsil p16+. He finished treatment almost 9 months..."
I had very similar cancer and treatments however my taste came back slightly within a few weeks and more or less fully within a year. People complain of loss of taste from Covid 19 or from surgery to the tongue but that doesn't seem to be the case here. A doctor visit might be in order to find out what is going on.
I had treatment for HPV+ base of tongue cancer with chemoradiation and it took a good year and 1/2 for my taste to really come back. At the one year mark I noticed a dramatic difference and it continued to get better. I was advised to take Zinc tablets by my radiation oncologist to help with the return of taste and I still take them. I have 90% of my taste back at almost 2 years out.
I was told that their was a good chance that I would not get my taste back. But months after treatment they came back. Some stuff does taste different than before. So hang in there and good luck
I had TORS surgery for base of tongue HPV16 and neck dissection to remove Lymph Nodes. 30 rounds of radiation. I finished July 2023. My taste as of today is about 90%. It was been a very gradual process and Many foods just don’t taste the same.
@vickie1320 This is probably not what you want to hear, but here goes. It's been 3 and 1/2 years since the end of.my treatment and my taste buds have never returned. I can taste super sweet stuff and things that have vinegar. Nothing else has come back. My oncologist has said there is really nothing that can be done.
For me, I have mostly accepted it and realized I have to eat to live. I now just eat what my wife likes and it's the way it is. If I eat out, I just get things I used to like and imagine how good it was.
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Hi there,
Back in 2008 had tonsil cancer and it was in 3 lymph nodules one being almost 8cm, so I had 35 rounds of radiation which amounted to 70 Gy and 3 rounds of the platinum-based chemo Cisplatin. In looking back at my notes, it took me about 10 months to get most of my tastes back and not have alcohol not burn as much and have my dry mouth the best since I that treatment began.
On the positive side, when my taste buds started coming back, I actually enjoying more healthy vegetables that I never liked before and some sweats were even sweater. Good luck and safe journey.
Best,
Rob