Significant changes in food taste

Hello! I had my Whipple June, 2024. I can tell you that my appetite is not what it used to be pre-Whipple. These days, I enjoy eating mostly neutral tasting foods like chicken soup, rice, fish (baked), vanilla yogurt and also cottage cheese. I don't do well with vegetables that have high fiber or cellulose skins like corn. I boil my green beans and beets. Breakfast is my largest meal with yogurt and a slice of home made bread. I can then go for many hours without getting hungry and will then have a snack or small meal for lunch. I don't crave greasy meats or foods at all. All in all, my appetite and also foods choices and taste have changed post Whipple in a way for the better for I am staying at a healthier weight than pre-Whipple. I am also taking 24,000 units of Creon with my dinner that has helped me tremendously with digestive gas.

@carfbuch

Thank you for the reply.

I do not crave processed foods, greasy foods or anything like that now as well.

Maybe I will boil my veggies so I can eat more. They seem to do well with me in small doses.

I’ve gotten used to eating small portions which is nice.

I do feel healthier now.

I’m not on digestive enzymes yet.
My bile duct just got ballooning to make it wider as it was really narrow due to scarring from the whipple.

Best of luck to you and your journey going forward.

Take care 🧸

Hello from Minnesota, during the six months of folfirinox, my sense of smell and taste decreased/changed significantly. It's been three months since the last chemo session and the senses seem to be coming back, but slowly. In fact, I was just doing an internet search this morning related to sense of smell because losing that keen sense of smell impacted my eating - nothing tasted good because I couldn't smell it. My internet search produced sites that told me it's common with chemotherapy and usually will improve post-chemo. I can finally taste coffee again and I will never again take a good cup of coffee for granted!

@anne7573217

Thank you for the hope!

There’s so much in life we take for granted.

@azsunshine7 Thank you! I have been thinking of dusting off my juicer as well and see how having some fresh squeezed vegetable / fruit juice (without the fiber) agrees with my new GI anatomy. This would be a great way of getting vitamins from fresh produce without the fiber's digestive issues. To a healthy 2026!

Yes, my tastes have changed significantly, and I didn't expect this, it’s been quite a change! It started with chemo - folfirinox - and then I guess the Whipple added to it. After having coffee every morning for probably 40 years +, I cannot drink it at all. Lost my sweet tooth - most sweet things are TOO sweet. No chocolate anymore, I LOVED chocolate. Nothing greasy or spicy, I used to love red, green, poblano peppers, now avoid them. No bacon at all - and it’s everywhere! Bland foods, as others have mentioned, are good - pasta and white sauces. Mashed or baked potatoes with butter, cheese and sour cream has been our fall back dinner. I squeeze lemon juice on casseroles, this helps. And drink lemonade, don’t like water. This has been hard since I need more hydration I know. One other weird thing, I might crave something, and it is sooooo good at first, might have it 2-3 times, but after that I just cannot think of having it, tastes turn 180 degrees around. Variety helps, just have to keep searching for what sounds good. The whole taste thing has been a journey, and sometimes hard to explain to people. A good way to describe it that I read somewhere, is that the chemo causes an ‘altered sense of taste.’ Also read that it more than likely -but not always - goes away once chemo ends. I have 1 round left, so looking forward to hopefully having things go back to normal!

Hi azsunshine7,
I really enjoy your posts;thank you. Just yesterday my infusion nurse mentioned some taste problem remedies--I'm on Gem/Abrax and noticing a metallic taste, although in general my taste buds have been affected. So...here's the list: try old-fashioned lemon drops (read ingredients, they sure vary), wooden or plastic (!) utensils. I do eat a lot with chopsticks as Asian food (rice, chicken, veggies are good for me). I'm not good at them, but that's good too--slows me down, because I do get hungry when the food is in front of me and tend to eat fast. Courage, Carrie

My taste is still not normal after 2 months. I think the chemo changed your taste. The amount of food may not change.

@carrie40

Thank you so much Carrie! 💖

This is helpful. I’m going to get the lemon drops later today.

Hugs

Your post sounds like I could have written. I can say now as I just completed six months of chemo after Whipple that my eating is different and expect it to remain. Fried food is out, i used to like Wendy’s spicy chicken sandwich every once in a while, it now tastes spicy and my stomach doesn’t like it. I previously enjoyed spicy food, only recently have I been able to add dried peppers to my pizza. (We make our own pizza) Ironically Thai curry dishes are not spicy and have actually helped with digestion. It may be a me thing only, but my oncology dietitian made the recommendation. The low fat, a little spice, and slow eating has worked for me, I have been able to gain 10 lbs in the last 8 weeks, and that is a good thing.