Metal taste, sore throat, mouth sores - what helps?

donnare
donnare Member Posts: 266
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Hi everyone!
Hope you are all well today and are enjoying the weekend. Lots of rain here, but weekends are always good for me - no work!

I know I have seen posts about alleviating these side affects. Anyone have any suggestions for the metal taste? My husband, Brian, said the roof of his mouth feels and tastes like metal, he has cracks in the corners of his mouth too, and said his mouth just hurts. They gave him the baking soda/salt/water mixutre to use and he uses it every morning.

Thanks for any info, home remedies, food suggestions, etc.

Be well,
Donna

Comments

  • pluckey
    pluckey Member Posts: 484 Member
    #2
    Mouth sores
    My metal taste has gone to NO tastebuds.

    Swish and Spit- Have hubby keep water and a "spitoon" (or drink as desired) rinse and spit all day long. will help with sores.

    Biotene toothepaste and mouth wash- no alcahol, easier on gums and mouth.

    Yes, do the salt/baking soda rinse several times a day.

    Magic Mouthwash- get RX and pharmacy will mix malox and lydecaine- numbs the mouth a bit to relieve pain. Not a long lasting effect. Helpul if he wants to eat with less feeling of the textured foods against his sore mouth lining.

    Metal taste may not go away. Soft slippery foods best with a sore mouth- soups, buttered or gravied noodles and mash potatoes, cottage cheese etc. I eat this way because I lost 40 lbs and need to gain weight, total non-cancer fighting foods, but eases mouth sores.

    Stay away from pretles and hard crackers and anything "abrasive" like triscuits!

    Good luck

    Peggy
  • PamPam2
    PamPam2 Member Posts: 370 Member
    #3
    mouth sores
    Hi Donna
    The magic mouthwash has a few more ingredients than 2. It worked magic for me, anytime I had mouth/lip sores it healed them almost overnight. I know they're not too good for you, but sweets were one thing that still tasted good to me when on chemo.
    Hope Brian gets some relief.
    Pam
  • Patteee
    Patteee Member Posts: 945
    #4
    definitely do the
    definitely do the salt/baking soda rinses, many times a day

    magic mouthwash/morphine rinses- I was hospitalized after treatment number 5 (or was it four?) due to sore mouth and sores. My mouth was so swollen I couldn't talk, could't even get my teeth apart. I think if they had started me on mouthwashes BEFORE it got to this point I could have gotten a better control of it. Magic mouthwash, actually the morphine rinse would totally numb my mouth, rightt over the taste buds. I would then have about a 10 min window where I could eat. Even then it wasn't perfect, but at least I could eat something.
  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member
    #5
    lysine
    Also have your hubby take lysine 2x a day, in addition to the mouthwashes. You can get them anywhere, including wal-mart. My onc also said it's good to take.
    I have always used lysine for canker sores and cold sores. The sooner you start using it once the sores appear, the better. I swear by it!

    Lisa
  • Mike49
    Mike49 Member Posts: 261
    #6
    mouthwash
    I mix my own Lidocaine, benedryl liquid, Maalox. I use equal amounts of the benedryl and maalox, swish it as long as I can stand it and spit, Something about the maalox and benedryl speeds the healing. Lycine as helps too and you will find it in the vitamin section of almost any supermarket or Walmart.

    Taste buds take a thrashing on chemo, some of my taste returned when off chemo, but I am on again and I can relate.

    Mike
  • dianetavegia
    dianetavegia Member Posts: 1,942 Member
    #7
    Donna
    The steroids cause a metallic taste, stomach upsets, anger and bad dreams or restless sleep. Hubby used to take it daily for his lung concerns til a 'drug trial' medication turned his serious condition into an annoyance instead. He hated the metallic taste.

    Sorry hubby is having such problems. Is he only steroids other than pre chemo?
  • Shayenne
    Shayenne Member Posts: 2,342
    #8
    dianetavegia said:

    Donna
    The steroids cause a metallic taste, stomach upsets, anger and bad dreams or restless sleep. Hubby used to take it daily for his lung concerns til a 'drug trial' medication turned his serious condition into an annoyance instead. He hated the metallic taste.

    Sorry hubby is having such problems. Is he only steroids other than pre chemo?

    Don't.....
    ...eat with regular silverware, use plastic forks and spoons, which seem to take the metal taste away as well.
  • Hatshepsut
    Hatshepsut Member Posts: 336 Member
    #9
    Shayenne said:

    Don't.....
    ...eat with regular silverware, use plastic forks and spoons, which seem to take the metal taste away as well.

    Soup!

    Donna:

    My husband only had medium-grade mouth problems, but he enjoyed creamed soups and lentil soups throughout his treatment.

    I would be happy to send you some recipes.

    Hatshepsut
  • donnare
    donnare Member Posts: 266
    #10
    dianetavegia said:

    Donna
    The steroids cause a metallic taste, stomach upsets, anger and bad dreams or restless sleep. Hubby used to take it daily for his lung concerns til a 'drug trial' medication turned his serious condition into an annoyance instead. He hated the metallic taste.

    Sorry hubby is having such problems. Is he only steroids other than pre chemo?

    Hi Diane - re steroids
    Just what they give him with the folfox.

    Donna
  • donnare
    donnare Member Posts: 266
    #11
    Patteee said:

    definitely do the
    definitely do the salt/baking soda rinses, many times a day

    magic mouthwash/morphine rinses- I was hospitalized after treatment number 5 (or was it four?) due to sore mouth and sores. My mouth was so swollen I couldn't talk, could't even get my teeth apart. I think if they had started me on mouthwashes BEFORE it got to this point I could have gotten a better control of it. Magic mouthwash, actually the morphine rinse would totally numb my mouth, rightt over the taste buds. I would then have about a 10 min window where I could eat. Even then it wasn't perfect, but at least I could eat something.

    wow
    Pattee,

    Sorry you had such trouble. He is more uncomfortable than in pain and hates the metallic taste. They gave him the baking soda/salt rinse, but I am also going to ask for the rx for the mouthwash in the event he needs it.

    Love the new pic!
    Donna
  • donnare
    donnare Member Posts: 266
    #12
    Hatshepsut said:

    Soup!

    Donna:

    My husband only had medium-grade mouth problems, but he enjoyed creamed soups and lentil soups throughout his treatment.

    I would be happy to send you some recipes.

    Hatshepsut

    Thanks everyone!!
    Thanks guys for all the suggestions - got the Biotene, lysine, plastic cutlery and have him using that rinse constantly. Going to ask for a rx for the mouthwash too.

    Hatshepsut, my husband symptoms aren't too bad - from what I have read here they can get pretty bad. He is more uncomfortable than in pain, and hates the metallic taste. Made him some soup this weekend, but would love more recipes - thank you!

    Be well all, and thanks again for your reponses!
    Donna

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