Loss of taste

Workerbee

Has anyone experienced a loss or alteration in their taste buds after surgery? I quit smoking after 39 years of 1 PPD since my VATS lobectomy. So far lost 12 pounds. About 1 per day. Please comment if you have some suggestion or experience.

viatamea

I will try to find some information.

Workerbee

Thank you! I read something online that 2-3% of patients had loss supposedly due to propofol (anesthesia frequently used) and that it took weeks, up to a month to return. Before my post, my doctor 's office had responded on their app that they had no experience of patients with that complication (the PA or physician's assistant did). Since my post I've had my 2 week check-up and my doctor said he had experienced patients with this complication and I should expect many weeks past the month mark to recover but that it should happen. So I get it happens and it's rare.

I might benefit from the experiences of others as to how to cope or what to try if anyone has ideas on that. We are 3 weeks out at this point. Sweet tastes, no problem. Everything else is still onions! Ha ha!

Suzanne24

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1699651#Comment_1699651

I lost my sense of taste after having general anesthesia in May and it has taken me 3 full months to get it back. I too heard that it was due to propofol. Sugar was all I could taste in the beginning and tastes came back gradually and in an unusual way. I graduated to hot dogs and ham. I couldn’t taste ketchup but I could taste pasta sauce so I ate a lot of spaghetti. Last to come back was hard cheese. (In the beginning hard cheese tasted like spoiled milk.) But my sense of taste did come back! I am having a biopsy in 2 weeks with general anesthesia and I am so worried I’ll lose it again and it won’t come back. I have an appointment with an anesthesia nurse so I’m hoping there is something they can do for me.

Workerbee

Suzanne, thanks for your comment. I pray all goes well for your biopsy and that your taste remains intact. I've found plain yogurt with fruit is a good staple for my post-op diet too! I'm surprised more don't have this affect. So odd!

Suzanne24

My biopsy went well. It was a bronchial biopsy with general anesthesia. The anesthesiologist hadn’t heard of a loss of taste but my taste buds weren’t affected. It was an Adenocarcinoma and I had RATS surgery again 3 weeks ago. This anesthesiologist said the lack of taste was caused by the position of my head with the tube they put down my throat. He said he’d make sure my head was pulled back. And, no loss of taste and no more surgery please! I hope you’ve gotten your taste buds back! And, I hope there is no surgery in your future.

Workerbee

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1701027#Comment_1701027

Suzanne, so sorry about the adenocarcinoma. I hope you caught it early! Glad no more taste issues for you. I say my taste buds are back because I hate to keep sounding like I'm complaining to family. They're mostly back to normal. How interesting to hear that head placement might play a part. Thanks for sharing.