Fruit sensitivity

lornal
lornal Member Posts: 428
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

Back in 2007, I started having issues with orange juice and other citrus. I didn't think anything of it because I had just changed allergy meds. Later that year, I was diagnosed with tonsil cancer. After surgery and treatment, I could have citrus again. I read online somewhere (although I can't find it now) that citrus sensitivity is a symptom of tonsil cancer

 

Jump to summer of 2012. This is when I started having a sore throat and swallowing issues due to radiation scar tissue.Eventually, I couldn't handle fruit anymore, because it hurt my mouth too much. 

 

December 2013, by this time, even ranch dressing and Greek yogurt is painful. And, I was diagnosed with cancer again. (wasn't radiation scar tissue after all)

 

Today, I had my first soft food after surgery and my rebuilt esophagus - Greek yogurt. Yesterday, I had cranberry juice. No pain whatsoever. 

 

Did any of you experience this kind of sensitivity before diagnosis?  If it happens to me again, I am going to insist on a PET. 

Comments

  • KTeacher
    KTeacher Member Posts: 1,103 Member
    #2
    Sensitivity

    My problems with fresh fruit came after treatment.  My doctors listen to me now as I seem to find the cancer before them.  Frequently didn't show (or poorly read locally) on scans.

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,724 Member
    #3
    be careful what you drink

    Lorna,

    I never had any sensitivity to drinks until after rads.  Now, soda and fruit juice give me a thrill.  Even when I had a cancer ulcer on my tongue (before I knew) nothing bothered me.  I do not know anything about the correlation between tonsil cancer and orange juice.

    I think it was just our misfortune to get cancer, why any of us.

    Bless you,

    Matt

  • ratface
    ratface Member Posts: 1,337 Member
    #4
    I don't see a correlation

    Citrus, hot peppers, cognac, etc., I don't see a difffernce. They can all contribute to the same condition, that is eroding the tissue lining which makes fertile ground for cancer to begin. Add a carcinogen and the seed is planted. If you were HPV positive it didn't matter in your case? For the record I enjoyed citrus prior to cancer and cannot really tolerate citrus anymore post treatment as it burns slightly. I attribute the burning to the radiation damge. I'm in full agreement that we can be our own best diagnosticians. 

  • hwt
    hwt Member Posts: 2,328 Member
    #5
    ratface said:

    I don't see a correlation

    Citrus, hot peppers, cognac, etc., I don't see a difffernce. They can all contribute to the same condition, that is eroding the tissue lining which makes fertile ground for cancer to begin. Add a carcinogen and the seed is planted. If you were HPV positive it didn't matter in your case? For the record I enjoyed citrus prior to cancer and cannot really tolerate citrus anymore post treatment as it burns slightly. I attribute the burning to the radiation damge. I'm in full agreement that we can be our own best diagnosticians. 

    Lorna

    Congrats on getting soft food down! I still have trouble with most fruits but have found that I can do melons without any trouble, might want to try them. 

  • lornal
    lornal Member Posts: 428
    #6
    hwt said:

    Lorna

    Congrats on getting soft food down! I still have trouble with most fruits but have found that I can do melons without any trouble, might want to try them. 

    Any food

    Went to the doctor today - He gave me the go-ahead to eat anything I want.

    So - microwave popcorn this afternoon.

    A (1) ravioli with tomato sauce, and fresh green beans (which I never would have eaten before).

    So much better than tube feeding.  I had been on continuous feed in the hospital and at home.  I'll keep all the supplies though, because if I need radiation, I'm sure I'll be back on tube feedings.

    So excited though - it was actually easier to get the food down than the milk and water.

     

  • debbiejeanne
    debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member
    #7
    lornal said:

    Any food

    Went to the doctor today - He gave me the go-ahead to eat anything I want.

    So - microwave popcorn this afternoon.

    A (1) ravioli with tomato sauce, and fresh green beans (which I never would have eaten before).

    So much better than tube feeding.  I had been on continuous feed in the hospital and at home.  I'll keep all the supplies though, because if I need radiation, I'm sure I'll be back on tube feedings.

    So excited though - it was actually easier to get the food down than the milk and water.

     

    so happy you got the "go

    so happy you got the "go ahead"!  now eat until your little belly is full.  a good place to go now is a buffet, u can try many foods and if you don't like one, go to the next.  enjoy!!

    God bless you,

    dj

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