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Loss of taste 1 year following treatment.

Welshpony
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My husband finished treatment for stage 4 Squamous Cell Carcinoma  base of the tounge in August 21.  He had been recovering well until March this year when he developed an ulcer that would not heal.  His Consultant immediately did a biopsy removing the ulcer and a small portion of his tounge that surrounded the ulcer. Thankfully it was not Cancer. 

Since then he has experienced constant numbness of his jaw and pain which is controlled by Co-codamol.  However the thing that bothers him the most is he has completely lost his sense of taste.   When he told his Consultant he said "it is still early days yet". His next appointment with his Consultant will be in September. 

The question I wanted to ask is, is his lack of taste and numbness in his jaw  permanent or will this improve over time. Also is there anything my husband could do to improve his sense of taste?  I would be really grateful for your advice.

Thank you

Welshpony

  • Hi Welshpony,

     

    Thank you for getting in touch with us.  My name is Adrienne and I’m one of the Cancer Information Nurses at Macmillan.

    I see that you have joined our carers forum and head & neck cancer forum and really hope you have found them supportive.

    I’m sorry to hear about the constant numbness and loss of taste your husband has experienced since the procedure in March.  It sounds like there may have been some injury or irritation to one of the nerves (possibly the lingual nerve) during the procedure to remove the ulcer. 

    It can take up to 6 months for an injury to the lingual nerve to heal and for your husband to notice any improvement in the numbness/sense of taste.  This means it may not be permanent.  However, if after 6 months he doesn’t notice any improvement, it could be that the damage is permanent. 

    There are treatment options that can help such as nerve grafts and laser treatments as well as different medications such as steroids, but this is something the consultant will discuss with you both in September if there hasn’t been any improvement.

    Unfortunately, until the nerve heals there isn’t anything your husband can do to improve his sense of taste although he could try sour foods or strong flavours such as barbeque sauce, onion or garlic to see if he notices any change over time.

    It’s important to know that he can get in touch with his consultant earlier to discuss his worries again and ask if there are any medications or treatment that can help now.  Not having a sense of taste can affect his mental health as well as his physical, if he doesn’t want to eat as much so don’t hesitate to get back in touch before the appointment in September.

    I hope this was even a little helpful and do wish your husband all the best going forward.

    Take care of yourself Welshpony,

     

    Best wishes,

     

    Adrienne

    Macmillan Cancer Information Nurse Specialist

     

    You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email. 

    REF: AM/LA

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