Stage 4 Lung Cancer

terry258
terry258 Member Posts: 2
edited March 2014 in Lung Cancer #1
Would like to know if someone can answer something for me. My Dad is in stage 4 and they have stopped all treatment. He had thrush last couple of weeks and they said that's why he couldn't taste anything plus it was from one of the medicines he had been on. He still can't taste anything & he asked to see if this is normal, is there anything we can do to help him. He can only taste sweet things at this time. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Comments

  • cher8871
    cher8871 Member Posts: 64
    #2
    did they give him something
    did they give him something for thrush? my dad has this also and they gave him some sort of meds he has to let disolve under his tongue....he says nothing tastes right but he sure shovels the sweets in....i also read that cancer thrives on sweets....sorry, my dad was dx in april with NSCLC with mets to the brain.
  • pamness
    pamness Member Posts: 524 Member
    #3
    Thrush
    I had Stage III colon cancer - but Thrush yes - I have had it a number of times. A results of chemo, radiation, etc. Nystatin is the drug of choice, my form was liquid - depending on how far the Thrush has spread - you either swish and spit, or swish and swallow.

    Tastes icky, but works in a day or two. It might be worth asking about.
  • nancycauston
    nancycauston Member Posts: 9
    #4
    Food
    Give the meds time to leave his system and the taste thing should return. There is a build up in his system.
  • NayPaul
    NayPaul Member Posts: 230 Member
    #5
    cher8871 said:

    did they give him something
    did they give him something for thrush? my dad has this also and they gave him some sort of meds he has to let disolve under his tongue....he says nothing tastes right but he sure shovels the sweets in....i also read that cancer thrives on sweets....sorry, my dad was dx in april with NSCLC with mets to the brain.

    "Cancer thrives on sweets"
    This is one of the most common things I hear people say. I am NOT a doctor, but I think think the cancer sugar relationship is misunderstood.

    ALL of the tissues in the body feed off of glucose (essentially sugar). This does not mean we should eat candy bars to supply our GOOD cells with the sugar it needs. So why do people continually assume that eating candy bars will feed the BAD cells?

    Cancer is highly metabolic. That just means it uses a lot of energy. We would expect that. Cancer is after all fast growing, and not very efficient with energy. It's kind of like my wife is with money. SHe can spend a LOT and get the same results at the grocery store as I can with coupons and shopping sales. I am much more efficient with money. Cancer is that way. It blows through energy. It gets the energy from glucose. Remember, glucose is produced/converted by the body. It uses the foods we eat (this includes the sugar(carbohydrates) protein and fats), the fat we store etc. Except for diabetic, for the most part our body regulates the glucose in the blood stream. Again, this glucose DOES NOT come directly from eating candy bars nor is it increased by eating candy bars.

    All this does not mean I am not advocating a healthy diet. Sugar, over time can wreak havoc on the body and a well balanced diet is the way to go. But that is not the same thing as thinking that a cancer patient who is not hungry for much is making their cancer worse by drinking a malt. They're not.
  • stayingcalm
    stayingcalm Member Posts: 650 Member
    #6
    Did he have Cisplatin?
    Ageusia is one of the side effects, a lack of taste. Dysgeusia can be caused by chemo too - distortion of taste. I had that for a little bit - what helped me was going in to the oncologist and getting hydration, just a couple of bags of water and within a day I was much recovered and eating everything again. Never really knew what caused it, but someone suggested it may have been the anaesthesia I had for an endoscopy.
    My best to your dad, and to you,
    stayingcalm
  • legendsdaughter
    legendsdaughter Member Posts: 30
    #7
    thrush & stage IV
    My dad was diagnosed in Nov'09,w/stage IV adenocarcinoma and died Oct 5th. He was 70. He was originally told he would have about 1 1/2yrs. We were only blessed with 10 mths. He was diagnosed on 10/1 with thrush & some neuropathy in hands & feet, all attributed Taxotere. He was given a prescription for Nystatin which he only took one dose as he was tired of taking soooo many meds for every different side effect, pain or anxiety/depression. It is true that cancer cells love sugar as you can see on PET scans. It is almost a cruel joke that with thrush you can taste sweet things.

    On Monday 10/4 he decided to give chemo a break . He was getting so weak & was having a hard time getting up to the bathroom. That Monday he was in no pain, had bareley any trouble breathing & was actually very calm. He spoke to some friends on the phone, which he was too depressed to do before and seemed to be resigned to maybe trying hospice while on his chemo break. He was at PEACE for a change. Dad collapsed in the bathroom at 5:30 am Tuesday & died in the hospital @7:39am. We now know that Monday was his last good bye.

    All my prayers to your dad & your family. Enjoy every moment with your dad as if it was the last.
  • NayPaul
    NayPaul Member Posts: 230 Member
    #8
    legendsdaughter said:

    thrush & stage IV
    My dad was diagnosed in Nov'09,w/stage IV adenocarcinoma and died Oct 5th. He was 70. He was originally told he would have about 1 1/2yrs. We were only blessed with 10 mths. He was diagnosed on 10/1 with thrush & some neuropathy in hands & feet, all attributed Taxotere. He was given a prescription for Nystatin which he only took one dose as he was tired of taking soooo many meds for every different side effect, pain or anxiety/depression. It is true that cancer cells love sugar as you can see on PET scans. It is almost a cruel joke that with thrush you can taste sweet things.

    On Monday 10/4 he decided to give chemo a break . He was getting so weak & was having a hard time getting up to the bathroom. That Monday he was in no pain, had bareley any trouble breathing & was actually very calm. He spoke to some friends on the phone, which he was too depressed to do before and seemed to be resigned to maybe trying hospice while on his chemo break. He was at PEACE for a change. Dad collapsed in the bathroom at 5:30 am Tuesday & died in the hospital @7:39am. We now know that Monday was his last good bye.

    All my prayers to your dad & your family. Enjoy every moment with your dad as if it was the last.

    Sorry to hear about your
    Sorry to hear about your father.


    The below was taken from the cancer.org website.

    Sugar
    Does sugar "feed" cancer?No. Sugar intake has not been shown to directly increase the risk of getting cancer or having it progress. But sugars and sugar-sweetened drinks add large amounts of calories to the diet and can cause weight gain, which can affect cancer outcomes. There are many kinds of sugars, including honey, raw sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, and molasses. Many drinks contain sugar, such as soft drinks and fruit-flavored beverages. Most foods and drinks that are high in sugar do not offer many nutrients and may replace more nutritious food choices. For this reason, limiting sugar intake is recommended.

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