Mouth Cancer therapy query eating query

Hi Alan.

I think the taste issue is very subjective and very much down to the individual as the treatment affects our tastebuds differently for the most part.  My advice would be to keep trying different foods while you can to see what suits you and if you get to a point where nothing really works then treat food as fuel for the time being.  Personally, the only thing I could tolerate was Ready Brek (made with full fat milk), custard and  rice pudding.  Evenutually I couln't cope with swallowing the rice pudding and had to have semolina instead, all with added cream/full fat milk.   My tastebuds were severely disrupted and these were the only foodstuffs that, although tasted of cardboard, I could actually swallow and didn't taste vile!   I know some people were able to eat eggs.

All the best with your continued treatment.

Linda x

Hi. Linda us right. Just keep trying different foods. We are all different here regarding taste. Some lost little and others had a bit of a struggle. I think I would go with what the dieticians will tell you. Eat and swallow as long as you can, even though taste is rotten. If you can get it down eat it. You’ll need your feeding tube when you can’t swallow. Bland soft foods were better for me. I didn’t have chemo so avoided the metallic bit but I’ve been told that using plastic cutlery helps. 
Keeo going. A day at a time and you’ll get there. 

Hi Alan can’t add much tinehatbLinda and Daninhave said. I was lucky in a way u never lost taste but i went the  way I had heightened taste. I did get metallic plastic spoons knife and fork helped a big. I could do poached eggs uo to end of week 3 ,it’s really a case of forget any enjoyment you might have had from food and take the mantra food is fuel while ever you can  swallow it safely. You can also drink the high calorie ensure or fortisip drinks .keep hydrated as well .Just keep in ploughing through  

goof luck with week 3

Hazel

Thanks Linda, that is so very helpful. Sounds like I just need to brave the storm and get my head around it all x

Thanks Dani,  extremely helpful. It's all about getting my head around it all and soldiering on. Very grateful for your advice x

You’re very welcome. A day at a time is best too and it does fly by. 
Edit. Oooops I said that already

Thanks Hazel, once again brilliant advice. I just need to keep telling myself this is all just temporary. Very grateful,  thanks x

Hi Alan  Yes this time  next year it will be a blip in your life. It’s babybsteps and some days 2 forward and one back, one day at a time.

We are lucky in one  respect our tumours are very responsive to treatment ok the treatment can be pretty brutal but the rewards are worth it. 
Hazel

Hi all

I thought taste buds were affected after radiotherapy or chemotherapy, can anyone advise me why mine are affected , even though after surgery I didn’t need treatment. My mouth constantly tastes metallic, food tastes the same I can distinguish what I am eating, but any fizzy type of liquids tastes revolting, and I cannot tell what I am drinking. Will this improve, or is it something I just have to learn to live with. Alan I found milky pudding with cream added worked really well for me, or smoothies, I was advised by all these marvellous people that eating would get easier and it has 

Hi Debbie. That is indeed strange. I would run that past your surgeon because it is the RT that does the damage. Chemotherapy taste side effects tend to wear off fairly quickly once the infusions stop. There are three main nerves that supply the tongue. I suppose it’s possible that there was damage to one during your surgery. Do let us know what you find out. 
EDIT. I just looked up your profile. It does sound like nerve damage so maybe it’s a question of wait and see.