Extended lLoss of Taste

People said to drink on here over the years but I can't remember what it is. I think it was a drink that was tart and or tangy or both. Also, I remember others said chili somewhat spicy, or spice it to suit seemed to help. I remember someone leaning towards Wendy's chili. He's just going to have to try anything and everything in small quantities to see if it helps. Take Care-God Bless-Russ

ricksmithgolfer said:

Lemonade

I'm probably the one who mentioned Lemonade most recently as something that may help stimulate taste buds. I was 6 months out from treatment and was not getting any taste back. Someone on this site suggested I try drinking lemonade. Shortly after I started drinking the lemonade I noticed some taste coming back. Was it the lemonade - who knows. To this day I continue drinking about 1/2 gallon per week. I am now 30 months out of treatment and have pretty much 100% of my taste and saliva functions back. I would say these functions were all back 100% 18 months after treatment finished. Remember, everyone is different on how long it takes. It's tough not to have any taste as we all know. Tell your friend to be patient and hang in there. It just takes time in most cases. God Bless.

Rick ~ How did you make the lemonade?  I thought we were supposed to avoid sugar as much as possible due to the low saliva.  My taste is maybe 50% but would love to try and spur it on more (and the saliva).  Thanks!

I finished my treatments in November of 2016 (right tonsil toward the base of my tongue - no surgery - just radiation and chemo) and am still, very sporatically, very slowly, regaining *some* tastes. 

Getting sugar and salt back was pretty fast, then came pepper and "spice heat" and then I could tell whether it was black pepper spice or jalapeno spice, and other things came back over longer periods of time.

But the reason I am responding is to say that even now there are things I simply cannot taste.  At all.  "Sour" isn't right and chocolate isn't right and softdrinks are badly wrong and **way** too sweet.

What I am afraid-of is that the preponderance of anecdotal evidence here says, "I'll come back soon," and the fact is that for me it hasn't and I doubt it ever will.  But that doesn't prevent my enjoying food or life; it just changes what I enjoy about it.   I just wouldn't want anyone to be shocked and angry because their tastes weren't back to normal in 90 days.

Remember that having modern medicine available to save (extend) our lives was a miracle and that there are those of us who will use a feeding tube for the rest of their lives.  Loss of taste is a minor inconvenience by comparison.

Unsolicited preachy message ends.

If he has some taste back there is a fair chance more will come.  At approaching 5 years post mine is still improving.  Others here have reported going months or years, and then one day suddenly recovering something like the taste of sour.  One thing I didn't do, but would in hindsight, is continue salt water and soda rinses.  It's just very effective stuff, cheap, and continues to promote healing.  Things got pretty beat up.

I have found the same thing to be true for dry mouth.  Things 5 years ago, and over the range since, seemed like I was at a livable but not ideal level.  I had it, but it was thick and slimy.  But now, over time I am close to normal.  Still use xylimelts, but can go most of a day without, although that's also a way to learn I still need them.  That varies day-to-day, today was pretty good..  If I would emphasize anything it's neck stretches.  The radiation left scar tissue, and scar tissue does not recover, it only gets harder.   So stretching now can be important later. 

was the staple of my diet after I took a chance with a sandwich having onion and mustard- which registered. And, that was about 4 months after my last Rads.

Towards the end of treatment, while my throat was the land of a thousand papercuts, I craved Chilli, and I mean.. CRAVED - specifically, Wendys Chilli.

Not only did I crave it, I ate it. I gargled Lidocaine, then at my chilli like it was the last chilli I'd ever see.

But, 4 ish years later, no tastebuds really - I now go for Texture over taste, and even tho, my stomach is still tiny, I'm putting on weight - possibly a dead Thyroid side effect. Just it has to come off LOL - I need a new knee... All I will say is, my dog causes 95% of my accidents