Extreme Salty Taste in Mouth

keep_the_faith
keep_the_faith Member Posts: 49
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
After jaw cancer surgery 20 months ago and radiation and chemo 11 months ago, my mouth has become extremely salty. The salty taste is all day long. I drink water all day long but nothing helps. Has anyone else experienced this problem?

Comments

  • NJR
    NJR Member Posts: 82
    #2
    Almost
    everyone here but me had that problem but I had no sense of taste at all. I could however smell saline solution in a sealed bag or syringe if a nurse brought one into the room. The only other way I could identify salt for the longest time is that it set my mouth on fire just as any other spice or seasoning would.
    You are definitely not alone with that one.
  • Hal61
    Hal61 Member Posts: 655
    #3
    Hi Keep
    This was recently discussed a bit. Just look down the page for "salty taste" I believe. Do you have ohter tastes? If not, it may not be that everything is salty, only that your taste buds for salt are the only ones working. It should pass as other buds kick in.



    best, Hal
  • longtermsurvivor
    longtermsurvivor Member Posts: 1,842 Member
    #4
    I've had the problem since my surgery last year
    Which paralyzed half my tongue, but left me with a salt taste on the numb side. Go figure. This has gotten worse since startingg chemotherapy. Especially drinking water is annoying, because it tastes like saltwater.

    Nothing for it. I simply have to ignore the problem.

    best
  • keep_the_faith
    keep_the_faith Member Posts: 49
    #5
    Hal61 said:

    Hi Keep
    This was recently discussed a bit. Just look down the page for "salty taste" I believe. Do you have ohter tastes? If not, it may not be that everything is salty, only that your taste buds for salt are the only ones working. It should pass as other buds kick in.



    best, Hal

    Hi Hal
    Yes, I can taste other food but things sweet don't taste that sweet to me anymore. How many months does it take for the saltiness to go away. It seems like I have had it forever. I began tasting salt in my mouth eight years ago...this is when they took the biopsy for cancer under my tongue.
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #6
    Salty taste
    Yes, it was just awful and that salty taste lasted a very long time for me. It's still there to some degree, because I do not eat any processed foods, or any salt on my food, because most anything savory, still taste like it has salt in it. When I first started to eat again, which was not for nine months after radiation, savory foods were pretty much inedible for me, because they just tasted like pure salt. I drank a lot of ice cream mixed with BoltHouse Farms drinks for a very longtime.
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #7
    Hi Anne
    Wish I could tell you what it is but I just don’t know. Sometimes when my Wife juices for me I ask her please don’t use any salts. She looks and says I don’t put salts in juice, oh I say then why does it taste so salty. Then she will try some and say it don’t taste salty to me it taste like juice.

    Just another side affect oh well.

    Hondo
  • keep_the_faith
    keep_the_faith Member Posts: 49
    #8
    sweetblood22 said:

    Salty taste
    Yes, it was just awful and that salty taste lasted a very long time for me. It's still there to some degree, because I do not eat any processed foods, or any salt on my food, because most anything savory, still taste like it has salt in it. When I first started to eat again, which was not for nine months after radiation, savory foods were pretty much inedible for me, because they just tasted like pure salt. I drank a lot of ice cream mixed with BoltHouse Farms drinks for a very longtime.

    Sweet
    It looks like I'm just going to have to live with this. Milk does help for awhile, but then the saltiness comes back.
  • keep_the_faith
    keep_the_faith Member Posts: 49
    #9
    Hondo said:

    Hi Anne
    Wish I could tell you what it is but I just don’t know. Sometimes when my Wife juices for me I ask her please don’t use any salts. She looks and says I don’t put salts in juice, oh I say then why does it taste so salty. Then she will try some and say it don’t taste salty to me it taste like juice.

    Just another side affect oh well.

    Hondo

    Hi Hondo
    Like I told Sweet, it looks like I'm going to have to live with the saltiness. I did call my doctor today but he's in surgery all day. He's suppose to get back to me tomorrow afternoon. I hope he can give me some suggestions to counteract this taste. It's really bad.

    P.S. I am starting to eat pureed food now and am cutting up canned peaches which slide down my throat. I did read an article that Medicare will pay for the Dynasplint. When I see my doctor in January I will ask him about this device and see if I can get a prescription.

    Anne
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #10
    keep_the_faith said:

    Hi Hondo
    Like I told Sweet, it looks like I'm going to have to live with the saltiness. I did call my doctor today but he's in surgery all day. He's suppose to get back to me tomorrow afternoon. I hope he can give me some suggestions to counteract this taste. It's really bad.

    P.S. I am starting to eat pureed food now and am cutting up canned peaches which slide down my throat. I did read an article that Medicare will pay for the Dynasplint. When I see my doctor in January I will ask him about this device and see if I can get a prescription.

    Anne

    Hi Anne
    I am glad to see something working for you and that you are able to get some food in your mouth. I do like the Dynasplint a lot better then the Threabite so hope they will prescribe it for you.

    Wishing you the best
    Hondo
  • emily1956
    emily1956 Member Posts: 1
    edited August 2020 #11
    salty taste in mouth after radiation treatment to neck

    Hi Everyone,

    I am new to this site and I was surfing to find out the reasons for a salty taste in my mouth from neck radiation.  One article does confirm taste buds, and it also sad to be sure to visit your dentist becuase it could mean you are starting to experience dental problems such as cavities , etc from the radiation.  I was told to go every 2 months for cleanings.   

  • debbiel0
    debbiel0 Member Posts: 134 Member
    #12
    Hey Emily, yes, salty taste

    Hey Emily, yes, salty taste is one of the things that may become your new normal. My husband has that side effect ( one year out from treatment) I have an extreme sensitivity to any thing spicey( I am three years out ) everyone is so different, nothing is normal.  You are who you are, and your results/ side effects could be so much different then others. I see my dentist every three months, just to stay on top of things. I go to my ENT every 6 months  and oncologist every 6 months.  everyone gets a look!

    Hope you are doing well! 

    D

Discussion Boards