RAI and loss of taste

bkane101
bkane101 Member Posts: 35
in Thyroid Cancer #1
I had my RAI pill on April 18th and I'm experiencing a loss of taste. What's funny is I think it hit me a week later and not so much during the week of my radiation. I can only barely taste something...everything is pretty much flavorless, even water tastes funny. Just wondering if anyone experienced the same thing and how long you had it for. It's hard when I get hungry and then I bite into something and then can't taste it. Very disappointing!

Comments

  • Baldy
    Baldy Member Posts: 243
    #2
    Loss of taste
    Yes, mine was more like two weeks post-RAI. It wasn't as severe as yours and there was also a metallic taste in my mouth as well. Mine only lasted about a week. I immeadiately upped my water intake again and that may have been why it went away.

    Alan
  • bkane101
    bkane101 Member Posts: 35
    #3
    Baldy said:

    Loss of taste
    Yes, mine was more like two weeks post-RAI. It wasn't as severe as yours and there was also a metallic taste in my mouth as well. Mine only lasted about a week. I immeadiately upped my water intake again and that may have been why it went away.

    Alan

    I'm thinking of just
    I'm thinking of just drinking Slim Fast or protein drinks for awhile and then maybe that will help lose some of this weight that the medication has put on me. Why bother putting foods that I love in my mouth and extra calories when I can't taste it? I normally drink a ton of water each day but because it doesn't taste good it's hard for me to drink so much. It's funny because the surgery itself and recovery were so easy for me but it's the after affects of all this stuff from radiation and medication, etc....that's causing me such grief!

    Barbara
  • sunnyaz
    sunnyaz Member Posts: 582
    #4
    bkane101 said:

    I'm thinking of just
    I'm thinking of just drinking Slim Fast or protein drinks for awhile and then maybe that will help lose some of this weight that the medication has put on me. Why bother putting foods that I love in my mouth and extra calories when I can't taste it? I normally drink a ton of water each day but because it doesn't taste good it's hard for me to drink so much. It's funny because the surgery itself and recovery were so easy for me but it's the after affects of all this stuff from radiation and medication, etc....that's causing me such grief!

    Barbara

    Loss of Taste
    Hi Barbara,

    I had this after my higher dose of RAI this past February (178.3 mCi's). Everything tasted funny and even spicy foods were hard to find flavor. My husband was astonished when I took a very hot pepper, chewed it and swallowed it without even flinching or breaking a sweat. It only lasted about two weeks. I was given steroids during the first three days of my treatment to help counteract the loss of taste buds and damage to the salivary glands. Might as well take advantage of the fact that you can't taste right now, but don't worry it will come back in about two weeks. The water will help too. I kept sucking on hard candies to keep my salivary glands producing even two to three weeks after my RAI. Hang in there, things are going to get better for you.
    Blessings,
    Julie-SunnyAZ
  • nasher
    nasher Member Posts: 505 Member
    #5
    most the time
    Well Most the time you will get most the taste back

    Myself I had 1 dose of 175 mCi of I-131. May 5 2010

    Since then I have had a "Metallic taste" in my mouth and i have been told since it hasn’t gone away by now it’s probably permeate but it does not happen that often from 1 dose of RAI

    I have also noticed I handle spicy foods better than I used to.

    But Most of the taste should come back

    Good luck

    Craig
  • ruthcoop
    ruthcoop Member Posts: 2
    #6
    Baldy said:

    Loss of taste
    Yes, mine was more like two weeks post-RAI. It wasn't as severe as yours and there was also a metallic taste in my mouth as well. Mine only lasted about a week. I immeadiately upped my water intake again and that may have been why it went away.

    Alan

    Loss of taste
    It's encouraging to hear that the loss of taste isn't permanent. I had not heard of that as a possible side effect, but about four days after 175m RAI I realized that I couldn't taste much at all, even water tastes strange unless it is ice water. It's strange to have a craving for some type of food (chocolate, ice cream, etc.) then to eat it and find that the craving is still there because I couldn't taste the food! But I'm counting my blessings because I realize that some side effects could be worse. Thanks for the post.
  • amorriso
    amorriso Member Posts: 185
    #7
    ruthcoop said:

    Loss of taste
    It's encouraging to hear that the loss of taste isn't permanent. I had not heard of that as a possible side effect, but about four days after 175m RAI I realized that I couldn't taste much at all, even water tastes strange unless it is ice water. It's strange to have a craving for some type of food (chocolate, ice cream, etc.) then to eat it and find that the craving is still there because I couldn't taste the food! But I'm counting my blessings because I realize that some side effects could be worse. Thanks for the post.

    Taste returning
    Hi. I had my RAI about a month ago.( Round 2) Today I can actually taste my chocolate chip cookie. Yay. It takes my taste buds about 3 weeks to get back to normal. For me its bread and potato chips that taste like cardboard. Meat and vegies aren't too bad. Spicy and really sweet stuff was ok too.

    Yours hopefully will return soon. I cant wait to taste a pizza properly again.

    Take care

    Andree
  • bkane101
    bkane101 Member Posts: 35
    #8
    amorriso said:

    Taste returning
    Hi. I had my RAI about a month ago.( Round 2) Today I can actually taste my chocolate chip cookie. Yay. It takes my taste buds about 3 weeks to get back to normal. For me its bread and potato chips that taste like cardboard. Meat and vegies aren't too bad. Spicy and really sweet stuff was ok too.

    Yours hopefully will return soon. I cant wait to taste a pizza properly again.

    Take care

    Andree

    I did get my taste back
    I did get my taste back finally 4 weeks later! I was so excited to yes finally taste pizza again! And every Thursday we eat this delicious kettle corn in our office and it's a sweet and salty mix and for 3 weeks I couldn't taste it and last week was the first week I could and it was the best! Now it's on to deal with all the other problems! :)

    Barbara
  • sunnyaz
    sunnyaz Member Posts: 582
    #9
    bkane101 said:

    I did get my taste back
    I did get my taste back finally 4 weeks later! I was so excited to yes finally taste pizza again! And every Thursday we eat this delicious kettle corn in our office and it's a sweet and salty mix and for 3 weeks I couldn't taste it and last week was the first week I could and it was the best! Now it's on to deal with all the other problems! :)

    Barbara

    That's great news!
    Barbara,
    I am so glad you got your taster back. Yahoo! Keep up the positive attitude and just chip away one problem at a time.
    Blessings,
    Julie
  • ruthcoop
    ruthcoop Member Posts: 2
    #10
    taste coming back
    Yes, it is disappointing! My sense of taste is slowly starting to return after two weeks. My doctor said that RAI can concentrate in the salivary glands and that's what sometimes affects taste. She said that taste buds renew themselves, so the sense of taste should return soon.

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