Cant TASTE anything!

kjhbrteam
kjhbrteam Member Posts: 10
does anyone have any good suggestions on getting rid of that horrible taste? I feel hungry but just the thought of putting anything in my mouth makes my tummy turn. I can't taste anything and nothing seems to statisfy my taste buds! Gotta love the chemo side effects!
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Comments

  • linpsu
    linpsu Member Posts: 747
    me too
    I had that the entire time I did chemo (4 A/c every 2 weeks, the 4 Taxol every two weeks) which was a total of 4 months. I lost about 30-40 pounds, which was a good side effect of that. It's pretty common to have that awful taste. I remember being so hungry, but not being able to eat because everything would taste so horrible. There are special mouthwashes you can get from your oncologist to relieve the pain and burning, but it doesn't really help with your appetite. Good luck, Linda
  • RE
    RE Member Posts: 4,591 Member
    No fun!
    If you are referring to the "metal taste" that sometimes occur when having chemo I found that replacing metal utensils with sturdy plastic utensils did help some, I hope this works for you.

    RE
  • jo jo
    jo jo Member Posts: 1,175
    I found that experimenting
    I found that experimenting with different foods till you found one that didnt taste bad worked for me...unfortunately it was things like jello or bannanas and thats all i would eat during that time and dont eat things from a can and i think RE already suggested using plastic instead of silverware.
    Just do the taste test till you find something that works...i wasted alot of food doing that but man i was hungry and i wanted to taste my food!!!!!
    Happy tasting!
  • Hippiechick58
    Hippiechick58 Member Posts: 320
    jo jo said:

    I found that experimenting
    I found that experimenting with different foods till you found one that didnt taste bad worked for me...unfortunately it was things like jello or bannanas and thats all i would eat during that time and dont eat things from a can and i think RE already suggested using plastic instead of silverware.
    Just do the taste test till you find something that works...i wasted alot of food doing that but man i was hungry and i wanted to taste my food!!!!!
    Happy tasting!

    My husband made the most
    My husband made the most delicious meals-all of my favorites during my 5 months of Chemo. He is a gourmet cook, but guess what? I could not eat a single one!! I would get so siiked to eat but while it was cooking I began to feel nauseated! I would sit down and try to eat, but to no avail. Everything tasted metallic or something like that. As a result, we have a freezer full of awesome food that I will begin to eat as the effects of the chemo wane.

    So hang in there. The only tip I can offer you is to have lots of bland-type foods on hand. Cup o Noodles worked for me.

    Good Luck and God Bless,
    Dianne
  • tommaseena
    tommaseena Member Posts: 1,769

    My husband made the most
    My husband made the most delicious meals-all of my favorites during my 5 months of Chemo. He is a gourmet cook, but guess what? I could not eat a single one!! I would get so siiked to eat but while it was cooking I began to feel nauseated! I would sit down and try to eat, but to no avail. Everything tasted metallic or something like that. As a result, we have a freezer full of awesome food that I will begin to eat as the effects of the chemo wane.

    So hang in there. The only tip I can offer you is to have lots of bland-type foods on hand. Cup o Noodles worked for me.

    Good Luck and God Bless,
    Dianne

    metalic taste
    I also had the metallic taste so I used plastic ware and always had some in my purse as well never knowing if I went to a restaurant if they would have plastic ware. I also tried to use glass ware when I cooked instead of metal pans.

    I loved spicy food when I was on chemo so I could taste the food.

    Margo
  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member

    metalic taste
    I also had the metallic taste so I used plastic ware and always had some in my purse as well never knowing if I went to a restaurant if they would have plastic ware. I also tried to use glass ware when I cooked instead of metal pans.

    I loved spicy food when I was on chemo so I could taste the food.

    Margo

    baked potatoes worked for me .. Plasticware helped,
    but could not tolerate the texture of many foods. I lost weight, HOWEVER, once chemo finished and my calorie intake exceed 600 per day, I gained weight (unable to exercise, due to chronic fatigue) . . . so on came the weight, and I mean fast -- In 1 week, I gained 7 pounds just by eating - 2 meals per day. Scary, right?

    Hydrate Hydrate Hydrate .. add lemonade, pink or lemon - a splash of apple juice, cranberry juice or Lipton ice tea single serving pockets. Herbal Tea helped me relax in the evenings.

    Best of luck ....

    Strength, Courage and Hope.

    Vicki Sam
  • PinkPearl
    PinkPearl Member Posts: 280
    For me
    Cinnamon Applesauce worked for me for some reason. I think other cinnamony things would be good--umm cinnamon rolls.
  • camul
    camul Member Posts: 2,537
    Fresh Pineapple is working
    Fresh Pineapple is working for me. Everything else tastes bland!
  • missrenee
    missrenee Member Posts: 2,136 Member
    camul said:

    Fresh Pineapple is working
    Fresh Pineapple is working for me. Everything else tastes bland!

    For me, I think this was the worst part
    I love my food! I tried so many different things I thought I would like--nothing, nada, zilch! The best I could do was eat bland stuff that didn't offend my taste buds. So, I lived on Cheerios with milk, peanut butter on white bread, scrambled eggs with no seasoning and potatoes. I couldn't even stand the smell of food cooking.

    Good luck--I guess my advice would be to keep trying different tastes--everyone is different and you may find a few things you can handle.

    Hugs, Renee
  • LadyParvati
    LadyParvati Member Posts: 328
    I found that anything canned
    I found that anything canned was awful, too, and I still can't stand canned soups, etc. even though I finished chemo nearly a year ago! One thing I could eat was macaroni & cheese--I used the Kraft box mixes and added more grated cheddar cheese to get my protein intake up. I also found myself craving red meat and other iron-rich foods, especially as the nausea from the chemo wore off.

    Re regaining weight--I read an interesting study just yesterday that discussed a correlation between the number of meals per day and weight gain. Turns out that eating five meals per day is associated with the *least* weight gain, while eating only 2-3 meals per day is associated with *more* weight gain. I guess that when we go longer between meals, we are more likely to overeat because we get so hungry; maybe we also tell ourselves we can eat more because we haven't had very much food all day. Whatever the reason, eating five smaller meals throughout the day helps us keep the weight down, and it also helps with cholesterol levels. Interesting, isn't it?

    I lost 25 pounds during chemo, and I've been trying to be careful about exercise so I don't regain it. I'm now walking 3 miles a day and doing yoga 2-3 times a week, and I started bicycling a little bit every day last week. I started with the yoga, because it was easiest to do even despite my fatigue as the nausea levels decreased. Then I started walking. If I started feeling nauseated, I slowed down, took deeper breathes, and drank some ice-cold water (which I always carry with me). That seemed to help a lot, and I was able to get faster and walk longer distances as the weeks went on.

    Good luck!
  • Angie2U
    Angie2U Member Posts: 2,991
    VickiSam said:

    baked potatoes worked for me .. Plasticware helped,
    but could not tolerate the texture of many foods. I lost weight, HOWEVER, once chemo finished and my calorie intake exceed 600 per day, I gained weight (unable to exercise, due to chronic fatigue) . . . so on came the weight, and I mean fast -- In 1 week, I gained 7 pounds just by eating - 2 meals per day. Scary, right?

    Hydrate Hydrate Hydrate .. add lemonade, pink or lemon - a splash of apple juice, cranberry juice or Lipton ice tea single serving pockets. Herbal Tea helped me relax in the evenings.

    Best of luck ....

    Strength, Courage and Hope.

    Vicki Sam

    No chemo for me, but, from
    No chemo for me, but, from what I have read, do try using only plastic ware, as, the others will leave a metal taste in your mouth.


    Good luck,

    Angie
  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member

    I found that anything canned
    I found that anything canned was awful, too, and I still can't stand canned soups, etc. even though I finished chemo nearly a year ago! One thing I could eat was macaroni & cheese--I used the Kraft box mixes and added more grated cheddar cheese to get my protein intake up. I also found myself craving red meat and other iron-rich foods, especially as the nausea from the chemo wore off.

    Re regaining weight--I read an interesting study just yesterday that discussed a correlation between the number of meals per day and weight gain. Turns out that eating five meals per day is associated with the *least* weight gain, while eating only 2-3 meals per day is associated with *more* weight gain. I guess that when we go longer between meals, we are more likely to overeat because we get so hungry; maybe we also tell ourselves we can eat more because we haven't had very much food all day. Whatever the reason, eating five smaller meals throughout the day helps us keep the weight down, and it also helps with cholesterol levels. Interesting, isn't it?

    I lost 25 pounds during chemo, and I've been trying to be careful about exercise so I don't regain it. I'm now walking 3 miles a day and doing yoga 2-3 times a week, and I started bicycling a little bit every day last week. I started with the yoga, because it was easiest to do even despite my fatigue as the nausea levels decreased. Then I started walking. If I started feeling nauseated, I slowed down, took deeper breathes, and drank some ice-cold water (which I always carry with me). That seemed to help a lot, and I was able to get faster and walk longer distances as the weeks went on.

    Good luck!

    Lady Parvati .. Excellent advice regarding the
    5 meals .. I am more amazed that your pushed thru fatigue and nausea. Sound advice.

    Thank you so much for sharing, your experience is invaluable!


    Vicki Sam
  • BMS
    BMS Member Posts: 127
    VickiSam said:

    Lady Parvati .. Excellent advice regarding the
    5 meals .. I am more amazed that your pushed thru fatigue and nausea. Sound advice.

    Thank you so much for sharing, your experience is invaluable!


    Vicki Sam

    Plastic ware
    I used plastic ware and had milkshakes and protein shakes. Lost 33 pounds because everything tasted so terrible. It's an awful side effect but it seems like we all experience it.
  • yv1214
    yv1214 Member Posts: 72
    BMS said:

    Plastic ware
    I used plastic ware and had milkshakes and protein shakes. Lost 33 pounds because everything tasted so terrible. It's an awful side effect but it seems like we all experience it.

    Sour Gummie Bears and Sour Patch Kids....
    My mom swears by them. She says it is the only thing that tastes remotely good to her these days.

    Yessy
  • Rague
    Rague Member Posts: 3,653 Member
    No Taste or Appetite
    Nothing tasted good or bad - it just didn't taste at all. Also lost all appetite. Hubby had to call me several times a day to remind me to eat anything - still even after over a year - don't have a good appetite back yet.
  • survivorbc09
    survivorbc09 Member Posts: 4,374 Member

    metalic taste
    I also had the metallic taste so I used plastic ware and always had some in my purse as well never knowing if I went to a restaurant if they would have plastic ware. I also tried to use glass ware when I cooked instead of metal pans.

    I loved spicy food when I was on chemo so I could taste the food.

    Margo

    Someone on here asked about
    Someone on here asked about what is good to eat if you have blisters. Anyone know?


    Thanks Jan
  • LoveBabyJesus
    LoveBabyJesus Member Posts: 1,679 Member
    It would be difficult for me
    It would be difficult for me not to eat as I love food. Haven't started Chemo yet. Are you drinking a lot? I wonder if that would help a little? Good luck.
  • Rague
    Rague Member Posts: 3,653 Member

    I found that anything canned
    I found that anything canned was awful, too, and I still can't stand canned soups, etc. even though I finished chemo nearly a year ago! One thing I could eat was macaroni & cheese--I used the Kraft box mixes and added more grated cheddar cheese to get my protein intake up. I also found myself craving red meat and other iron-rich foods, especially as the nausea from the chemo wore off.

    Re regaining weight--I read an interesting study just yesterday that discussed a correlation between the number of meals per day and weight gain. Turns out that eating five meals per day is associated with the *least* weight gain, while eating only 2-3 meals per day is associated with *more* weight gain. I guess that when we go longer between meals, we are more likely to overeat because we get so hungry; maybe we also tell ourselves we can eat more because we haven't had very much food all day. Whatever the reason, eating five smaller meals throughout the day helps us keep the weight down, and it also helps with cholesterol levels. Interesting, isn't it?

    I lost 25 pounds during chemo, and I've been trying to be careful about exercise so I don't regain it. I'm now walking 3 miles a day and doing yoga 2-3 times a week, and I started bicycling a little bit every day last week. I started with the yoga, because it was easiest to do even despite my fatigue as the nausea levels decreased. Then I started walking. If I started feeling nauseated, I slowed down, took deeper breathes, and drank some ice-cold water (which I always carry with me). That seemed to help a lot, and I was able to get faster and walk longer distances as the weeks went on.

    Good luck!

    Canned food YUCK!
    I've always HATED canned foods and basically only have some in my 'survival pantry'. Well, I will use store bought canned tomato paste/puree/sauce but that's it - other than home jarred veggie (they aren't in cans so no tinny taste).

    I've read several things over the years about several small meals being better for loosing weight and keeping it off. I lost 45 lbs between Chemo and Rads and have gained back about 5 in the year since - last time I saw Chemo Dr he was happy that I had. Once winter is finally over and I can get out and do 'stuff' (mowing, bicycling and riding) it should be gone again.

    Susan
  • cabbott
    cabbott Member Posts: 1,039 Member
    The bad taste problem
    While I haven't had chemo, the last time I came home from surgery I had the same problem from the meds they used on me. Nasty metallic taste and stomach turning flips every time I smelled or tasted food that I knew was good. I couldn't eat it.

    My oncologist gives away hard candies-mostly fruit flavors that his nurses said helps. I was at home and stuck with all my favorite bland foods that were sweet or salty. Stuff like mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, frozen popsicles, or slushies worked loads better than meat or fancy caseroles. I couldn't handle fried chicken and barely dealt with roasted chicken. Custard sounded okay in small cups. I didn't want to look at a whole plate of food despite knowing that I hadn't really eaten in a few days. IV doesn't count as eating. Cream of wheat with plenty of brown sugar was okay. I've read that french toast with maple syrup works for some people. Some folks hid veggies in custards. Corn custard, sweet potatoes custard or carrot custard are some of the possibilities. Keep portions small and try eating more often rather than more at once. What you drink counts as well as what you eat. If all you can do is drink ensure, do that. Frozen fruit or juice is nutritious too. If you like eggs, they have lots of nutrition in them. But your doctor will probably ask you to cook them since you don't want any chance of problems that could potentially happen with raw eggs. Good luck!
  • PrettyBald49
    PrettyBald49 Member Posts: 21
    Pickles worked for me
    The foods that I could tolerate were dilled pickles, cream of crab soup, and yogurts. It appeared to be foods that were somewhat sour that I could tolerate. Try them and see what you can taste. The pickles seemed to remove the bad taste I had and it helped me to attempt to eat something else. I hope something helps.