Appetite and taste changes

Hi PhtllisF

It would help if you could post what treatment you are having, as different treatments can have different side effects including changes to taste. 

The key aspect is that you need to keep your calory intake up to try to avoid weight loss.

Kegsy x

Thanks Kegsy, this weight loss and taste change happened before i started treatment so I presume it has something to do with the cancer. I’ve had only  one treatment of chemotherapy and immunotherapy so far. 

Hi, I also have stage 4 lung cancer, also diagnosed sept, I start treatment 12th Nov and I have noticed same taste issues, esp sweet, now tasting bitter, I tend to to have to suck on alot of mints to get nasty taste out of my mouth, but also eat a lot of cold smoothies, made with fruit and ice-cream, my mouth always seems hot inside after I've eaten.. we all seem to be not only fighting the cancer but everything else besides.. I wish all of you well, no matter what cancer your all fighting, it's cruel and we all have a long battle ahead of us all...

Hi Catreena

So very true as sometimes as you say it’s a battle not just the Cancer but all that goes with it,I’ve put Fight into the gym at the moment I want my fitness back and also spending as much love and time with my Rock off a wife and kids and 6 grandkids,because I know when the time comes it’s going to be very hard to let go Robert

My husband started immunotherapy in August and his problem is that he eats nothing, he is gagging on everything. He will drink a latte but won’t have soup. He doesn’t drink the energy milk or juice drinks now. And yet after the last scan the doc was very positive that treatment was helping. He was prescribed an anti psychotic drug that has a side effect of improving appetite but after 3/4 weeks it has not helped.  His BP is now low and variable. I’m at the end of my tether re what to do to get him to eat.  They seem reluctant to try steroids and I don’t know if they will help.  He is becoming very depressed now and says he is not going to get through this.

Im so sorry, I can really understand how worried you must be, your husband is in real need of some help with this- is a dietitian supporting him? I’m not going to be much help I’m afraid, other than to empathise. The dietitian supporting me gave me a protein drink called actagain. I hated the milk based supplements but found this fruit- gel like substance cut through the bad tase in my mouth and they are small bottles so not daunting. I also eat lots of hard boiled eggs- anything that tastes of nothing basically. Wishing you all the best. 

Good evening everyone 

I can sympathise with all of you regarding the food taste issues you are experiencing, I completed 2 years of treatment in March this year, I had chemotherapy/ Immunotherapy for 4 months ten continued with Immunotherapy, my taste was all over the place nothing tasted as it should and did loose a lot of weight at my lowest I was 44 kilos. 

I coped with it by eating little and often, and I ate foods with high calorie value. I had things like full fat milk, and cream on my breakfast porridge,I had rice pud made with full fat milk and cream,  I tried as best I could to eat a balanced diet but at times I have to admit I just ate what I felt I could cope with so if that was breakfast cereal ate teatime that's what I had, I also had things like lasagna and Cannelloni ready meals. I also ate a fair bit of ice cream and magnums.

My best advise is don't be to strict with yourself about what you eat or when you eat it,it's better to eat something in just a small amount than to not have anything to eat.

If you have any questions or want to chat further please feel free to contact me, you can read a little about my treatment and medication by tapping on my avatar that will take you to my profile,  I hope all this makes so e sense and helps a bit.

Donna

Warm wishes to you all. I totally sympathise with you all on the taste and eating habits. I’m on my 4th chemo cycle and my mouth and taste has not been the same, everything tastes bitter and I find I’m not enjoying food or eating. It’s finding things that you can handle. My diet isn’t great as I’m down to soup, custard, jelly and protein shakes as that’s all I can stomach these days. And sucking on mints inbetween to stimulate the siliva glands. I’ve tried stews and sauce but I can’t get over the bitterness. Anyone had any suggestions in reducing this bitter taste?