Can't taste sweetness

FormerMember
FormerMember
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Good evening fellow community friends,

I completed my radiotherapy and chemo a few weeks ago now, and although still predominantly using my PEG for both good and water, I have started to try eating through my mouth now. 

I suffered terribly with intense salt and metal taste in my mouth during therapy,  and still to some extent now.

I'm finding that I'm beginning to gradually taste things again, not everything,  but there is absolutely zero taste of anything sweet.

Has anyone else suffered the same thing, and how long after therapy was it that this improved?

I look forward to your responses.

Thanks 

Alan

  • Hi Alan

    I had robotic surgery for my cancer, and I was lucky enough not to have needed Chemotherapy or Radiotherapy, but still have metallic and salty taste in my mouth. I have found that potato’s of any sort makes it worse. Anything fizzy or alcohol tastes rancid. I am hoping it will improve in time. I had my operation in August 2021. My consultant said it may do, so hoping it will.

    Others on here who have had therapy may be able to give you the right advice. :) Hope your taste returns soon 

  • Hi Alan. My taste went completely screwy for months. I started eating food at six weeks and at 12 weeks I managed a steak but couldn’t taste it. I could tell you what I was eating because I could smell it but taste was practically non existent. Things improved over the months and by six months my taste was vastly better. It took me two years to be happy with what I could taste. 
    Potato is still a problem. It’s just too grainy but anything else I can manage, even a sandwich without a drink. I’m now three years out of six weeks RT and pretty normal 

    Dani 

    Base of tongue cancer. T2N0M0 6 weeks Radiotherapy finished January 2019

    I BLOGGED MY TREATMENT 

    Macmillan Support Line -  0808 808 00 00 7 days a week between 8am-8pm

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  • Hi Alan, welcome to our small community and well done in completing treatment. As far as food goes best advise I can pass on is forget about deriving  any pleasure from food for a while. I found the attitude food is fuel the best mantra for the next few months. We are all different in my case I never lost taste but went the other way and have an heightened sense of taste and smell.,Am now 3.5 years post treatment there’s very little i can’t eat, spicy and most currys are beyond my taste buds. But life’s  good.

    Its early days for you , if you can’t manage something leave it a month and try again. At yiur stage in as mostly poached eggs and orally 5  ensures a day which gave me calories and left me free to experiment with small bits of food. Try white bread lashings if lurpack and poached. Egg bread toasted is easier than sandwiches for a good while. Yes potatoes can be difficult when time comes try sweet potato mash or sweet potato chips 
    Any questions just ask 

    Hazel 

    Hazel aka RadioactiveRaz 

    My blog is www.radioactiveraz.wordpress.com  HPV 16+ tonsil cancer Now  6 years  post treatment. 35 radiotherapy 2 chemo T2N2NM.Happily getting on with living always happy to help

    2 videos I’ve been involved with raising awareness of HNC and HPV cancers 

    https://www.instagram.com/merckhealthcare/reel/DBs8Y0niJ8N/

  • Hi Alan

    I do know other people who found it a long time before they could taste anything sweet again.

    It's difficult to say how long it will take for your taste to improve as it can be different for everyone.  The positive thing is that you have started to taste again and you'll find that it will continue to improve over time.  Some people find little improvements 3 years plus down the line so never give up hope!

    Linda x