How long before my taste buds recover after H&N treatments?

I am at 18 months after treatment ended for tonsil cancer. My RBC and hemo is finally close to the lower level of normal. They slowly climbed over 18 months.

My docs say that, since my creatinine is high, the hormone in the kidneys that stimulates RBC growth is inhibited, My RBC levels will probably stay about the same.

Thanks for the information.

I agree with Stephen and others here, it takes months to literally a couple of years before normalcy returns. And even at that, there may be issues which last for many years such as nerve pain or muscle cramps. It took me thirteen years to stop tearing up from the pain of a sneeze, the last of my painful issues to subside.
Radiation to me seems similar in recovery to a severe burn rather than a broken bone or recovery from a difficult illness. Radiation is just nasty what it does internally. In addition, in many cases radiation to the neck can injure the thyroid, which in turn can make the patient feel like crap. Have his TSH value checked at next doctor visit to be sure, an easy blood test.
The worry about an upcoming PET scan? Just something else to get used to. Not sure the worry ever goes away. My experience with others about repeating treatment? It's very unlikely. Courage.

My son, at age 54 had stage 3 thyroid cancer diagnoses and underwent 33 radiation treatments and 5 or 6 weeks of chemo in 2019 and has yeat to get his taste back. He was told it could take a few months, or a year or so or maybe never. He drinks nutrition drinks and eats no food for all of these years and now just sits at home and has no energy, cannot even walk to his mailbox and refuses to go to the doctor and get checked out. He never married and lives alone with his cat. He was denied disability and he has always worked, has a college degree and was a bridge builder. He didn't tell us about his diagnoses until the last day of his radiation--didn't want to upset us and knew that we would look for the best treatment possible for him (Yes we would have). To see how healthy he was and how he is now breaks my heart, so I hope if anyone sees this post and tries to keep a diagnosis from a loved one, Please don't--they care so much about your well being and may be able to help you traverse the medical field and get you the best treatment available! Prayers and Hugs to all. Baz10

Now I was age 39 back then and I was a very active person and avid weightlifter which I continued even during my treatments until week #7 (Radiation #30). Then it hit me like a ton of bricks.
Didn't start working out again for 5 weeks after that as I would even get tired going to my mailbox. Six weeks after that I went back to my job as I was out on short-term disability.
Hope this helps.

Did it take awhile for you to have more energy and get back to normal?

How long after treatments did you still feeling yourself and more energy, did it take awhile? Were you worried to have pet scan? That’s coming up for my husband and he’s worried.

@vickie1320 I am so happy for you both.

With my blood work I had three things that needed to be monitored back in 2008.
1) My magnesium level was low so started taking a magnesium plus protein from my dietitian suggested.
2) My creatinine level was high but that was a combination to the chemo and my workout supplement I was taking so I stop my workout supplement and that went back to normal.
3) My red blood cell count was the lowest in the normal range and is even a little less today putting me outside the normal range, but my oncologist assures me it's not an issue as he says if needed it will spike and once again stated that to me back in March of this year when I was diagnosed with a different cancer.

You will get better.

Did it take awhile for bloodwork to go back to normal? Some of my husband’s is low and some is elevated, there watching it. It’s been three months since last treatments. And he still is more tired, he’s older so it’s been hard.