Does anyone know why radiotherapy kills appetite for so long?

Hi yes it is my oncologist said he was looking to cure me but would also take a year from my life he did both. Treatment if you take a step back and think where the cancer was ? Our mouth snd throat then imagine what  we do every minute of the day snd night with that area. We do all the basic things that keep us alive, we eat sleep drink breath. Then the area had been blasted in my case 35 radiotherapy sessions and I had 2 x10 hour chemo. Then we have to try and resume normal living

. I'm now 5 years post treatment and still getting improvements. It all takes time he will get there. I had no appetite I took the mantra food is fuel and eat to live not live to eat. I got no pleasure from food for a long time. I just aimed for 2500 calories each snd every day. It took me 15 month to start putting weight on. I lost a lot of muscle mass. Ok I was living and we travelled to Spain but food held very little intrest . 
Dry mouth can hang around for years I always had a warm cup of tea ir coffee to aid food going down a tiny sip to moisten the mouth then a tiny sip to help it down. Home made soup every day was my go to lunch. I got all my grg in. Onky fruit I could eat was banana so banana it was. Now at 5 yesds I’ve finally had my first tangerines. We all develop in our own way. Radiotherapy is brutal I treated my mouth like a babies if a baby couldn’t eat it neither could I. It does get better. Now all I can’t eat is spicy food and I can’t tolerate alcohol but that’s only me. 

sorry for ramble. 
Hugs Hazel x

Good evening Chicadee16, i cannot add much to Hazel's lovely reply, i would say your husband is now at the period when he should start to see signs of improvement as the radiotherapy is still causing these issues, especially the dry mouth as its one of the most common side effect along with mucus build-up. I always carry a bottle of water with me and a glass of water when i go to bed, im sure in another six months your husband will be feeling a lot more comfortable. All the best, take care.

                                                                                Chris x

Hazel gave a great reply in your later post but I thought I would throw my hat in the ring to say that things do get better but it just takes a while. You and your husband have been through a hard time with the treatment and it does take its toll for a while. So sorry to hear about the loss of your lovely dog. They become so much a part of the family and it is a real wrench when they are no longer with us.

In relation to the acupuncture. I am sorry that it did not work for your husband. I gave it a go too as I was prepared to try anything to help with the dry mouth but unfortunately although many get good results it did not help me either. I would definitely encourage anyone to try though. I have had radio twice to my mouth and I figure that my taste buds were really blasted out of existence so it was rather a long shot for me.

You have to just use all the strategies there are to help with dry mouth. Initially I found Xylimelts worked well but since I have had more ops I now find that Biotene dry mouth gel helps as I can no longer use the Xylimelts. A small dab of the gel on my tongue moistens up my mouth nicely. Also sips of water help a bit. Sometimes I use Biotene dry mouth spray when I am out and this helps too. It is all only short term but helps get me over the hump. I can only eat very moist food but try and make sure that there is lots of calories in whatever I eat.

My appetite was very low for a while as well and is still quite small but I am able to maintain my weight by being mindful about what I eat and drinking a couple of Fortisips a day.

Hang in there as things do improve. The saliva does improve and your appetite does return although both might not be quite as before but are definitely manageable.For some there is a complete recovery and for others like me there is a partial recovery. It just depends on how much radio you have had. I am now back to doing most of the things I could do before with some exceptions but it is definitely not holding me back from living a great life.

Lyn

Hi Chicadee. 
I couldn’t care about eating at all at that stage. I ate to get better 

Swallowing was easier for me by six months  but I wasn’t interested in food at all. 
It all takes time. I can say by a year I was feeling ok with food. 

Hi Chicadee.  I had zero apetite for months and months and nausea.  It gradually improves.  I am 2 years plus now and like the others say, still improving.  However, I must say my apetite is not where it was.  I have to make sure I eat because I can loose weight now quite easily if I don’t eat enough.  Never had that before !!!  All best wishes.   Lizzie x

Hi Chicadee

6 months post ChemoRadio 30+4 and my appetite is slowly returning, I'm enjoying some of my food, some  enjoying not so much.

Swallowing can still be a bit challenging, I wash my food down with 0% alcohol Guinness (which I love), Diet Coke and tea.

Enjoying choccy biscuits, 2/3 months ago I could not look at them.

I still have issues with a dry mouth, manage it with sipping water ...carry a bottle at all times.

Merry Christmas and good luck

Peter

Love the last sentence of your reply Lyn, it gives a lot of inspiration. 

                                                      Chris x

Thanks Peter, it helps to know that others are also going through the same, as you do feel isolated with these symptoms and the Head &Neck team seemed to have dropped us.

Thanks so much for answering Lizzie.  Its reassuring that he isnt unusual with what he's experiencing.  Which helps so much xx

Thanks Dani, its helps me to know hes not unusual at this stage.