24/7 taste of burnt metal in mouth after radiation

stout
stout Member Posts: 2 Member
edited July 2022 in Head and Neck Cancer #1

I quit treatment after 21 sessions and was told taste would return in about 2 weeks. It's almost 5 and though I can taste a bit, I have this terrible taste in my mouth all the time and it seriously taints anything. My tongue feels pickled and dry and mouth very sensitive and dry. Has anyone else had this constant bad taste sensation?

Comments

  • motorcycleguy
    motorcycleguy Member Posts: 483 Member
    #2

    Your body doesn't like radiation, for sure. I recall all sorts of weird sensations (weird smells and taste, loss of taste, dry mouth (less saliva) etc.)

    But, if it knocks out your cancer, it seems like a small price to pay.

    Most of the issues I experienced were temporary. Loss of taste was tough, but it started to come back in about 3 months - and I could taste quite well in maybe 6 months.

    I don't know if you checked out of treatment early - but regardless I hope your cancer got knocked out, and you end up OK.

    I wish you the best of luck!

  • wbcgaruss
    wbcgaruss Member Posts: 2,482 Member
    #3

    Like MG says radiation can do many things as far as taste from just plain having no taste to metallic and others. It is recommended to use plastic utensils to eat if you aren't already doing that, seems to help a lot. Radiation is very hard on us but it does get rid of the cancer and can affect the tongue, salivary glands, etc. There is no set time for your taste to get back to normal or as close to normal as it is going to be. Some people's taste never does return 100 percent. And there is no set time for exactly how soon because everybody's cancer, involvement, and treatment effects are different so it could be weeks or could take several months, or more. I am hoping yours straightens out quickly for you.

    As far as quitting your treatment regimen was that a decision between you and your treatment team? Usually, the doctors are very strong about completing the full run of radiation because there is much more risk of not getting all the cancer cells killed. Was it adversely affecting you, and did you get some kind of alternative treatment like immunotherapy maybe?

    Wishing You the Best

    Take care, God Bless-Russ

  • stout
    stout Member Posts: 2 Member
    #4

    thanks for your kind responses

  • Remington25
    Remington25 Member Posts: 93 Member
    #5

    There are many different reactions and recovery times from the radiation. My tongue had sores all over it for 2 weeks. I was also told my taste would return about 2-3 weeks after treatment but it was 6-8 weeks after. I tried everything. I also developed "yellow-tongue" and that lasted for 6+months. I completed treatment January of 2021 and currently, I feel like I am 95% of what I was before taste wise and about 80% saliva wise and if the docs would have told me I'd be this lucky I would have signed up immediately.

    Another gentlemen that went through treatment the same time as me still has zero taste so again, it is different for everyone.

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