Burning & Stinging when Eating

Lisa, I am amazed by your fortitude!  But I think you are moving way too fast.  I didn't even attempt bites of solid food until my second month and could only eat those with lots of liquids to wash it down.  This is a very slow process...be kind to yourself.  Stick with power shakes and try melon (watermelon especially). Melons are mostly liquid so you can mush them into tiny amounts of tuna salad, even egg salad.  Everything tasted like crap to me for months so it really made no difference.  Also, melon will not cause burning and stinging, unlike citrus fruits.   I also found chickn liver quite doable...I would mix it in with soup to add bulk and collagen.  Just be sure to mash it well while warming the soup.

Sadly, I did not have success with Gabapentin so I used the Liquid Oxy exclusively.  Hang in, girl...this will all be a bad memory soon! 

...it's too early.  Everybody has a timeline, some shorter....some longer.  I remember thinking "if only I could eat what I choose and have it not sting"....once the stinging was done, I thought "if only I could taste something".....Eat what you can for now, knowing that every week, it will improve a little on certain things and other things will have to wait.  I remember being SO hungry, and watching the Food Channel every night....saying over and over....I'm going to make that.....I'm going to try that.....LOL.  The one thing I did keep in mind tho, was that is was going to get better at it's own speed....and I would eventually be able to eat what I want. 

And here's another thing....last spring at this time, my taster was at about 50%-60%....I could eat Mexican food, but Italian food burned.  Salads were so so since I don't have a whole lot in saliva, and most dressings burned.  Now it is May of the following year....my taster has hit 95%....this is my 4th year out of treatment and I can finally taste food the way it's supposed to be tasted. 

Every week experiment with what you couldn't do last week....you can pretty much expect something on that list will finally be ok....and it just goes that way for pretty much the first year.

p

Drivingdaisy,

Try everything (in little bites) but be happy you are here.

I struggled to eat normally for 7 months, I tried all the H&N suggestions, but frankly could not stand the feel and taste of most foods.  I mainly drank smoothies and traveled around with an igloo cooler full of protein drinks.

I had dinner with my parents every Sunday, a dinner which consisted of about 3 bites total.  My favorite 1^st food after treatments was tomatoes, cucumbers and olive oil, go figure.  Point being, you pretty much must find your own way.

At month 7 I was out on a job and had no smoothies or protein drinks and I ordered a turkey sandwich that turned out to taste great.  Just like that my “new normal” returned me to the eating world and it continues to improve.

Good luck,

Matt

Drivingdaisy said:

Burning seems to be getting worse....possible scatter burns ?

Starting Month 2: Recovery.

Since I last posted, it seems as if the stinging/discomfort in the mouth and now especially the tongue is getting worse.  In an attempt to have the feeding tube taken out, I have been just eating/drinking through my mouth for the last week and 1/2.  Listening to the above posts, I did slow down and went back to just thin protein shakes and cream soups, cottage cheese, and a little yogurt.  Yesterday the burning was actually painful just drinking shakes and few bites of cottage cheese.  It mostly effects the tongue (top, sides, base) and by dinner the back sides of the throat especially the more radiated side (left).  Thinking nerves/ muscles as PT mentioned but after reading about "scattered burns" on this forum, I am wondering if that could also be a cause.  I had no protection during treatment.  My Rad Onocologist didn't believe fluoride or trays did anything to help during treatment. During treatment my tongue and cheeks were so swollen, filled with sores and raw areas (probably burns).  

Feeling sore, hungry, and frustrated.  May have to use "The Tube" again since I have lost some more weight, along with feeling tired and fatigued.  Will be seeing my 2 Onocologists and PT this week. Questions I should be asking?

I have the same problem and Magic Mouthwash was a game changer for me.  I would swish with it before a meal and it gives me relief enough to eat. It is not 100%, but does help. With the saliva still not back fully some foods like bread, chips, peanuts are a big problem to eat. I cannot eat anything spicy or acidy. The Magic Mouthwash numbs the mouth and I alwaysme eat more solid foods. It is trial and error on what I can eat. I get it from the pharmacy at my cancer center. Hope this helps.

Hope today is a little better  you.