Appetite Post Radiation

georgiasurfer

Hi everyone,

My husband is 3 1/2 weeks post radiation. His sores are gone and dry mouth isn't terrible. However, he has near zero appetite and taste buds. He is barely eating any solids and still relying almost exclusively on liquid nutrition thru shakes and smoothies. He does not have a tube. When might his appetite pick up a little?  I've asked him to keep trying. 

CivilMatt

what is normal???

georgiasurfer,

Yes, try anything and everything.

I had an aversion to taste and feel which lasted 7 months, but not everything was a “no go”, I had many successes.

I was constantly sampling, but carried around an igloo cooler with various drinks (life goes on even with funky taste buds).

The definitive time line is “whatever it takes”.  MOST, find food and eating back to an acceptable new normal in weeks, months, years, decades, centuries (sorry I got carried away, some call if rad brain).

Matt

yensid683

It takes a while

I had no interest in eating in the 5 weeks after rads ended, mostly because my throat hurt so much when I swallowed, but more because there was absolutely no taste to anything.

Things gradually - and I do mean 'gggraadduuuaalllyyy' got better, I found that stronger salty tasting foods would work, but just for a bite or two and then the taste would fade, leaving a wad of disgusting feeling !@%$ in my mouth.  It made even trying to eat solid food almost impossible to bear. 

It was almost three months after rads before I was actually able to eat real food.  It took a mechanically modified diet (chopped up really fine) with lots of sips of water.  The balance is a challenge at first, too much water and I'd get disgusted with the texture of food, too little and I couldn't really swallow what I was trying to eat.

Experiment, encourage and understand that it will take time so patience as well

Nanabeck

Thank you for asking what I wanted to know also

Its been 4 weeks since his treatments stopped. He doesnt have a feeding tube either and hes not eating hardly anything either. He is eating slightly more than he was but I was wondering also when will he want to eat again? 

Hondo

That is hard to say

 

Some of us get out taste back in a few weeks while others may take months or even a year or two. Just keep trying, feed him anything that helps stimulate the appetite and hopefully you will find something that he can taste.

 

 

 

Tim

 

georgiasurfer

5 1/2 weeks post radiation

My husband is slowly getting taste back but his appetite is still not there.  He is still relying mostly on liquid nourishment. I'm trying to convince him to use the shakes to supplement calories from regular food and not the other way around. He has lost another 10 lbs since end of treatment. He also has terrible trismus and that is adding to his problem eating regular food.   Hoping for continued improvement. I am already getting nervous for his scan results mid December.  I don't know how some of you do it when needing a 2nd round. Amazing warriors!

Raddude

georgiasurfer said:

5 1/2 weeks post radiation

My husband is slowly getting taste back but his appetite is still not there.  He is still relying mostly on liquid nourishment. I'm trying to convince him to use the shakes to supplement calories from regular food and not the other way around. He has lost another 10 lbs since end of treatment. He also has terrible trismus and that is adding to his problem eating regular food.   Hoping for continued improvement. I am already getting nervous for his scan results mid December.  I don't know how some of you do it when needing a 2nd round. Amazing warriors!

What helped me

I did acupuncture after treatment and it really helped. I also took Zinc Sulfate pills, which my doctor although legally could not recommend to me but smiled a knowing look when I told him. I also took Liu Wei and Parotid PMG; both are Chinese herbs that helped accelerate the process. In the meantime I suggest oatmeal, soups, stews, eggs, etc.

 

rsp

eating post radiation

Hi,

My husband is 8 weeks post radiation today and he is still not eating.  He is limited to milkshakes... I am also worried because he has lost 65 pounds so far.  He says his throat and tongue are really killing him, so I don't know when he will be able to eat.  I am going to ask about a peg tube if he loses any more weight.  He is getting mad at me for constantly telling him he should eat... it is frustrating for him and me too!

georgiasurfer

Get the tube

We finally broke down and got a feeding tube late December, 3 months post treatment. My husband lost 30 pounds after treatment.  BEST DECISION EVER!!!!  He is doing much much better since getting the tube. His energy is improving, he's gaining weight.  His appetite is still not great but I heard him say he was hungry the other day 1st time in 8 months. Mentally he's better and i am so relieved. He is having surgery to release his jaw and repair his defect mid April. As soon as he can open his jaw we hope to pull the feeding tube. 

 

i can't recommend getting the tube enough. I so wish we'd gotten it earlier. Keep us posted. 

AnotherSurvivor

I'm finishing week 7 post

I'm finishing week 7 post-treatment and getting disturbed by my lack of variety.  Routine is Chicken soup with benecals and boost VHC.  But, I rationaize my lack of effort to expand by noting that everything else seems to have sorted itself out in its own time, and lack of patience is not going to improve my body's rate of recovery.  I also seem to be somewhat fortunate, my weight loss stopped at end of treatment.  Last day was the lowest, I gained 5 pounds in the next week, and not an ounce since.  

I make sure that I get a minimum of 2,000 calories a day, which the shakes are good at.  I target 200-300% recommended daily Protein, which the shakes are also good at.  Something improves every day, although not nearly as dramatically as a few weeks ago (I was getting daily saline infusions and on oxygen, and ALL of that is way better now).  So, I read csn posts, take comfort in observations by people here that I will eventually taste and eat again and try to find small improvements.  I was doing better, eating canned peaches, etc. Banana shakes and I will probably get around to it again.  Ruts happen, and I'm in one, but it's a comfortable rut, and sooooo much better than last month.

 

georgiasurfer

AnotherSurvivor said:

I'm finishing week 7 post

I'm finishing week 7 post-treatment and getting disturbed by my lack of variety.  Routine is Chicken soup with benecals and boost VHC.  But, I rationaize my lack of effort to expand by noting that everything else seems to have sorted itself out in its own time, and lack of patience is not going to improve my body's rate of recovery.  I also seem to be somewhat fortunate, my weight loss stopped at end of treatment.  Last day was the lowest, I gained 5 pounds in the next week, and not an ounce since.  

I make sure that I get a minimum of 2,000 calories a day, which the shakes are good at.  I target 200-300% recommended daily Protein, which the shakes are also good at.  Something improves every day, although not nearly as dramatically as a few weeks ago (I was getting daily saline infusions and on oxygen, and ALL of that is way better now).  So, I read csn posts, take comfort in observations by people here that I will eventually taste and eat again and try to find small improvements.  I was doing better, eating canned peaches, etc. Banana shakes and I will probably get around to it again.  Ruts happen, and I'm in one, but it's a comfortable rut, and sooooo much better than last month.

 

Not enough calories

I think post treatment everyone's metabolism is in overdrive. I'm getting 3000+ a day now in my husband and he's  not gaining much. He lost the majority of his weight post treatment. He tried to get by with shakes but couldnt.  He put all kinds of things in his shakes though. Avocad, peanut butter, fruit, malted milk powder, ice cream, whole milk and the Boost VHC. He ate the benecalorie in a cup of apple sauce.  One thing I made for him went over well was tortilla soup. Went to local Mexican restaurant and got some chicken soup. Put it in a blender (not lime, chips) added more chicken broth and blended it to a pulp. Then heated it and he drank it. Was very tasty.  Keep trying. Salty came back first. Nothing spicy unfortunately.   Oh and Popeyes red beans and rice was a hit  He was a very healthy eater pre cancer but likes a few French fries now  

Good luck. Keep fighting the good fight.  Will be sending positive thoughts your way. Keep us posted.