Hi my wife has terminal breast cancer and had first chemo cycle on the 29/12/22, after a couple of good days she has been a bit down today especially because everything taste metallic. Just wondering if others have similar good and bad days and does the metallic taste come and go during chemo or is it here till she has finished. Any tips to help her taste?
Thanks
Hi Red999
I finished chemo a month ago and know from experience that it can affect your taste buds.
You haven't said which chemo your wife is on but my taste buds were worst affected when I was on EC (epirubicin and cyclophosphamide) and hardly at all when I was on paclitaxel.
I found that strong tasting foods like chilli or curry were best for me while my taste buds were at their worst and that pineapple tasted like pineapple all the time!
x
"Never regret a day in your life, good days give you happiness, bad days give you experience"
Hi,
Firstly, I'm really sorry that you're here. But now you are here, I'll do my best to help if I can.
I found the taste buds issue is really annoying. On the plus, it seemed to fade as the cycle went on and by the last week I could mostly eat normally. Because of this I'd make sure to eat as much and exactly what I wanted during that week.
I found stronger tasting foods more appealing. I preferred fizzy drinks. My appetite was reduced for the first few days after chemo and I could sometimes only manage dry toast.
My poor husband tried so hard to cook healthy nutritious food for me, which I know would have been lovely, had my taste buds been working, but it all turned my stomach. I probably lived on pot noodles, cuppa soups and the dry toast for two weeks at a time. It sounds awful but if that was all I could face, that was what I was going to eat.
I was lucky not to have mouth ulcers but I know these are common. A good friend of mine who has untreatable cancer and is on ongoing treatment swears by soup.
The Macmillan support workers at the hospital will be able to give you guidance and leaflets regarding changes to taste. Penny Brohn also have a good recipe book which I got from eBay for a couple of pounds.
Hopefully some of this information might help your wife to feel more comfortable and in control. I really feel for her. Food can be such a source of comfort and pleasure and it's just rubbish when it all tastes vile.
Wishing you both all the best.
Mads
