Appetite

tasha_111
tasha_111 Member Posts: 2,072
edited March 2014 in Long-Term Effects of Treatment #1
I made a wonderful christmas Dinner for the whole family (and the dog and cat) then couldn't even face one forkfull...sigh! I nearly burst into tears thinking that I had just done an awful job of cooking (not unheard of). But apparently it was good, I just couldn't taste it. 5 months past chemo now, when will the end of my tongue stop feeling like it's on fire and I be able to eat again? The big christmas dinner was my first eating attempt in 5 days. Any help/ sympathy/ kick up the backside and told to stop whinging ??? Thanks Julia

Comments

  • Pnktopaz10
    Pnktopaz10 Member Posts: 56
    #2
    Appetite
    I too have the same problem but it has been only two months since I finished radiation. I also was frustrated at Christmas but now that it is over, it was not that big a deal~or at least that is what I tell myself. Hang in there and know that others care about what you are going through. Have a Happy New Year Julia!
  • slickwilly
    slickwilly Member Posts: 334 Member
    #3
    Appetite
    Hi again Julia. I lost about half my taste buds, saliva glands and mucus membraines. I can't say I have all my taste back and proubly never will. But the good news is many things can recover and we learn to eat other things that we can taste. During chemo and radiation I pretty well survived on Kentucky fried chicken as the spices were the only thing I could taste. Pizza with yellow peppers, chicken with BBQ sauce ect are ok. Lemon peppered chicken off the Foreman grill is ok. On holiday meals I tend to use a lot of pepper. Stir fries are ok with lots of soy sauce. On the tongue issue I don't have an answer. I use biotene mouthwash and toothpaste as you don't want to put anything with alcohol in your mouth and dry things out worse than they are. Since using the mouthwash I sleep better and wake up with my mouth feeling much better. A friend with breast cancer uses pepsodent and gargles with salt water 3 times daily and that helps her mouth. She is on her second fight with breast cancer so she knows what works for her. For dry skin Jergens Ultra Healing lotion or Cocoa Butter helps but sometimes there is no perfect solution for cracking hands. For finger and toe nails that crack I found Sally Hanson get healthy nails and cuticles creme with vitamins helped. Anyway I hope this gives you some things to try. Later Slickwilly
  • tasha_111
    tasha_111 Member Posts: 2,072
    #4
    slickwilly said:

    Appetite
    Hi again Julia. I lost about half my taste buds, saliva glands and mucus membraines. I can't say I have all my taste back and proubly never will. But the good news is many things can recover and we learn to eat other things that we can taste. During chemo and radiation I pretty well survived on Kentucky fried chicken as the spices were the only thing I could taste. Pizza with yellow peppers, chicken with BBQ sauce ect are ok. Lemon peppered chicken off the Foreman grill is ok. On holiday meals I tend to use a lot of pepper. Stir fries are ok with lots of soy sauce. On the tongue issue I don't have an answer. I use biotene mouthwash and toothpaste as you don't want to put anything with alcohol in your mouth and dry things out worse than they are. Since using the mouthwash I sleep better and wake up with my mouth feeling much better. A friend with breast cancer uses pepsodent and gargles with salt water 3 times daily and that helps her mouth. She is on her second fight with breast cancer so she knows what works for her. For dry skin Jergens Ultra Healing lotion or Cocoa Butter helps but sometimes there is no perfect solution for cracking hands. For finger and toe nails that crack I found Sally Hanson get healthy nails and cuticles creme with vitamins helped. Anyway I hope this gives you some things to try. Later Slickwilly

    Appetite
    Thank you all for your help...Slickwilly, I will try everything you said EXCEPT...the alcohol thing. Certain infusions help. lol Thanks Julia
  • slickwilly
    slickwilly Member Posts: 334 Member
    #5
    tasha_111 said:

    Appetite
    Thank you all for your help...Slickwilly, I will try everything you said EXCEPT...the alcohol thing. Certain infusions help. lol Thanks Julia

    Infusion
    Julia. I would be the first one to admit that I have enjoyed an infusion by the campfire. Take care of yourself and live life. Slickwilly
  • BrittaA
    BrittaA Member Posts: 19
    #6
    Getting taste back
    Hi everyone – I thought I would chime in here as well on the whole loss of taste problem. My father had the same loss of taste/confused sense of taste while he was undergoing treatments. He even resorted to using plastic forks to avoid everything tasting metallic. At the time, I couldn’t find much information or help for him, but I started a blog, Cinco Vidas, as a resource for cancer patients and did a recent post on a fruit that can help revive taste buds for cancer patients (http://blog.cincovidas.com/could-this-tiny-red-miracle-fruit-revive-taste-buds-for-cancer-patients), and one on dealing with a common side effect of treatments – canker sores and mouth fissures (http://blog.cincovidas.com/suffering-from-mouth-fissures-or-canker-sores-try-some-of-our-natural-remedies). Hope this helps! Love, strength and survival, Britta

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