Connect
When will food taste good again after chemo and radiation?
My husband was diagnosed with a Stage 4 bladder tumor in early Feb of 2020. He started with 4 rounds of chemo in March and a heavy dose of radiation in March, at Mayo in Rochester, MN. After they determined this was the correct treatment, he began 5 weeks of daily radiation concurrent with Cisplatin chemo two days of each of those five weeks. He never felt nauseated. Never got sores in his mouth. However, his taste buds went haywire. Everything under the sun tasted disgusting.
The odd thing is that he is now just about 3 months past his last Cisplatin chemo treatment and radiation, yet his taste has gotten worse. He can't stand even looking at food. He has dropped 25 pounds since treatment started. The dietician told me to give him six small meals a day. He can't even stand to put something in his mouth once a day.
Sometimes I can get a quarter cup of cottage cheese with canned peaches in him. Other times a half cup of mashed potatoes. Bran cereal in the morning. But no matter what I try he says it's torture getting it down because it all tastes so terrible. I am having him drink Boost 20 gr protein drinks 3 times a day and an considering pushing 4 a day on him. He hates them, too, because they are way too sweet, but he can gulp them down quickly. However, he has to immediately follow the drink with three green olives, to get the sweet taste out of his mouth.
I've tried everything... gargling with water/baking soda/salt before eating. Gargling with black tea before eating. Giving him sauerkraut and other non-sweet foods. (He absolutely hates any meat because he has to chew it). I've given him bean with bacon soup but I have to puree it first, so he can quickly drink it down.
I've been on the phone so many times with dieticians and doctors from Mayo, and they all say this won't last forever. But when his treatment ended they said, "Expect another month or so when your taste is still bad." It's been three months, and I swear, it's gotten worse the last few weeks.
Has anyone ever gone this long with tastebuds totally messed up? My husband is beginning to think this is going to be what it's like for the rest of his life!
Like
Helpful
HugInterested in more discussions like this? Go to the Cancer: Managing Symptoms Support Group.
Connect
Morning thank you for your concern !
Yes , I have tried ginger . I haven’t lately but maybe I should try again . Taste
Was so bad I gave up .
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 Reaction@ernierogersquamus123
I am so sorry about the nausea.
I still cannot stand the smell.of certain foods. I don't know if that will ever go away.
Have you tried chewing on ginger ir ginger candies?
Good afternoon . Question , were you ever in need of pain medicine and your doctors prescribe something for you .
I feel like I need something to help me feel better .
I am struggling .
@lilypilly
Morning , part of my problem is that I feel nauseous , stomach and throat. I have had anti nausea medication and something for reflux. Neither one helps . Even had my thyroid tested which came back normal .
The smell of food makes me feel sick . I wish I could be stronger .
@lilypilly Thank you so much for your feedback .
Teach myself to eat again .
At this point I don’t even know how to begin.
Can you tell me something of your process or what foods you started with .
Respond when you get time !
@ernierogersquamus123
I completely understand what you are going through. I had 35 radiation and 3 chemo for SCC base of tongue.
It has been 2 years. I had about 30% taste. This is an improvement from zero.
I still have loads of phlem and severely dry mouth.
I still have my feeding tube but only using 2x per week. I hadto force and teach myself to eat again.
I will saybit is a VERY slow process but it gets better.
I completely agree. We are told nothing by the Dr's.
I amso cannot swollow unless it is chewed for a long time a d chased with a liquid.
Keep pushing....it will come back.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 Reaction@ernierogersquamus123 comprehensive modalities for people with this much discomfort. Something to help us feel better so we can tolerate the side effects.
@weebiscuit Afternoon ,
I am one year out from my last radiation treatment for squamous cell cancer , head and neck .
I have no taste except for the fact that everything tastes awful , abundance of phlegm, throat pain, dry mouth they tell me may never go away . I did not have Cisplatin.
I have to be on a feeding tube as a result . My taste buds were destroyed by 35 radiation treatments .
Now they tell me it may take another year !!!!
I don’t understand that while these doctors know about the long term side effects why they don’t offer a comprehensive modality for all of these debilitating side effects.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionOh my , I completely understand. I am going to through everything you mentioned in your post .
I have had chemo and 35 radiation treatments one year ago and am still struggling with EXACTLY the same side effects.
I have had a feeding tube for almost a year now , I can’t eat .
When I visit the head and neck surgeon all he says is that it will get better .
What I don’t understand is that knowing how terrible the side effects are, they really don’t know, why I am not offered something to help me or any other patient medication to at least feel a little better! After all a year and no relief in sight!
God bless you !
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionI am seven months out of chemo. I had my right lobes two out of three removed and Tagrisso. I had gained 30 pounds while I was on Kimo because I was eating bakery and candy stuff and now they no longer agree with me. My diarrhea is better since I started taking Metamucil and I take an electrolytes cause of my kidney functions so it’s been a long road.