Eating after radiotherapy

Hi Judy

Horrid isn’t it? 
These things take their time and some days are bound to be better than others. It’s a case if trying different foods and sometimes something you enjoyed one day is not so good the next. 
if you have ulcers on your tongue then the usual meds like Difflam and Gelclair might help. 
If there is no ulceration it’s likely to be just interference with nerve impulses as a result of radio damage. 
Fifteen months on I still have a tingly side to my tongue and the same feeling inside my cheek. 
Some foods may never taste the same but you have to just keep experimenting. 
Expect improvements up to the two years oft quoted by medics and beyond 

Hope this helps. It’s just patience. 

Hi 

Thank you very much for your reply, it's good to know I'm not going mad and irs quite normal and just part of the journey.  It's all going to take time but long to enjoy a bar of chocolate and a can of diet Pepsi , 

Wishing you all the best with you journey 

J x

Hi Judy

It is now 6 years after my first radiotherapy treatment. it also really initially affected my taste so that everything tasted like sawdust. (I have had to have more radiotherapy this year for cancer on the other side of my mouth but my taste was not as badly affected that time around thank goodness and I don't know why. )

I also used to love chocolate and really missed it. Like you said it is hard to describe what the taste is like. Anything with sugar tasted really odd. It took quite a while but the taste did eventually improve although nothing was quite the same again. When I cook I have to ask my husband to check the taste for me as I am not sure if it is O.K.

However I can now eat chocolate again although it does taste just slightly different. I keep going though as I am a bit of a chocoholic.

I did find that savoury things worked the best for me taste wise although custards, yoghurt was much easier to manage. It was also weird that even when I drank my mouth felt dry. Things did improve in that area also although I still have some issues with a dry mouth but not enough to worry me too much.

Keep trying different foods and things do eventually improve but you have to give it time as the healing process can be quite lengthy.

All the best

Lyn

Hi Judy 

i am now 21 month post radiotherapy for tonsil cancer with several affected lymph nodes and to give you some hope for the last 6 months I can have a can of Diet Coke  a few pieces of chocolate and better still a packet of plain crisps .ok it's taken me a while to get to this point , I first started about 3 month into recovery took me 45 mins to  nibble one celebration malteaser chocolate.what a victory I felt I had conquered mount Everest.Crisps took longer probably over a year and the first packets I had maybe a few a night. So try and forget about the stuff you used to eat for a while and concentrate on maintain g weight via other foods. I could eat well buttered toast strange as it sounds , plus poached eggs became a regular part of my eating . I found cod an easy fish to eat  chips take a long time , but for me roast potatoes were ok . I have a blog details below it may help you 

i found  processed food easier early in un treatment is shop bought cottage pie ,shepherds pie lasagna as opposed to home made .Yorkshire pudding with gravy 

if you haven’t read it

like Dani says 2 years is what the  consultants say is the time when what we’ve got is probably as good as we will get  i am fast approaching that milestone and overall would say I am 95% back to normal .I think chicken and pork will always be difficult for me

best wishes Hazel xx  

Hi Judy

There's been a similar discussion on the forum over the last couple of days titled "Advice on Eating after Treatment" that you may find interesting.

I understand the burning tongue sensation and the awful taste as I used to get it and still do to a certain extent.  All I can suggest is to be very gentle with your food for the time being so as not to aggravate your tongue or the inside of your mouth.  The horrible taste will dissipate in time.  Until then it's just a matter of experimentation on finding what works for you.  If something doesn't taste nice or is difficult in some way give it a rest and come back to it in a couple of weeks.

It's all perfectly normal I'm afraid but it really will improve in time.

Good luck

Linda x   

Thank you Linda, 

I'm just feeling a bit down at the moment, given the current situation all I want is a little boost to morale. As it stands eating and food is just a chore, just want to enjoy food.

Thanks for the encouragement to realise its all part of the journey. 

Still looking forward to the chocolate

Thanks j x c

Hi Judy

Same here! 10 weeks after RT, food does not taste the same anymore :-( Also got burning sensations going on, pain in my throat when swallowing. Try gelclair, seems to be helping, slowly for me but helping. Been told it's still early days too and this will last a while :-( Cannot wait to enjoy food again

All the best