Nasopharyngeal

Hi MPF, well done on getting this far. Not long to go

I'm afraid the treatment alters your taste and it's just a case of getting through. For me a lot of food just tasted of nothing which I guess is a blessing. I'm presuming you don't have a feeding tube, Is that right? Has your team suggested a liquid replacement food to keep your protein up for healing and calories for weight? The usual two are Fortisips and Ensures. At least you should be able to swallow those. They are two calories per ml so pretty concentrated.

Are you on painkillers that might be making you feel nauseous as well. I was on morphine and felt permanently sick. There are anisickness meds to help and I was on metclopramide.

If you really can't manage anything orally because of the taste do tell your team. They might be able to offer you a nasogastric tube to take the pressure off? I had an NG tube in place from the end of week three and it saved my life.

Hope you get something sorted.

Hi 

weightwise I’ve only lost 5 kilos and have been lucky I can eat. It’s just the taste puts me off. I’m going to persevere. The hospital have given me the shakes which I haven’t tried yet. But I think I’m going to have to. I’ve now been given great antisickness meds which would have helped in the beginning with chemo. As I feel every time I’m sick my throat gets more sore and inflamed which doesn’t make you want to eat. Can’t weight for this to be over.  From diagnosis on October 5th 2021 to date where I have 7  sessions of radiotherapy left feels like a lifetime but really it’s not. It’s just a very hard treatment to endure where a few times I have requested to stop and didn’t want to carry on. But there is light at the end of the tunnel and you do need a lot of support from friends and family. Thanks for your reply x

You’re very welcome. We each of us are all alone with this cancer but yet not alone. This forum is one of the reasons we are not alone.

As I said. It’s nearly done. A few weeks and you’ll be out in the sunshine again. 

Hi. Best advise I can give food is fuel became my mantra for a good 6 month. The salty metallic taste does go but coujd take a whije. I never lost taxes but had salty metallic and heightened sense of taste. As Dani says ask if need be fir high calorie giid supplements to be prescribed. I had n g tube fitted week 3 and had it in for 6 eeejs it was my lifesaver. Remember fir a giid few weeks after treatment finished it doesn’t get better it can get worse 

my n g tube was my lifesaver 

Hazel 

Hi MPF

As if the treatment isn't punishing enough, for some people it severely alters their taste too.

I completely understand your frustration.  Everything I ate tasted either vile or like eating a pocket full of coins.  I counted my blessings for the very few food items that tasted of absolutely nothing.  Like you it was custard.  I couldn't manage porridge but found Ready Brek easier and semolina.  I was prescribed Scandishakes so I existed on those with my tasteless morsels.  As Hazel says, treat food like fuel for the time being.

Glad you've been given some antisickness meds and that they're helping.

Well done for persevering with your treatment - you're near the end now.

Linda x