Taste Buds ?

JR
JR Member Posts: 139 Member
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Does anyone have this problem or is it just me ? My taste buds are, for the most part, shot. Foods don't taste bad, they just don't taste at all. It seems to come and go but mostly gone. Sweets come through pretty good but nothing else. It doesn't seem to effect my appetite because I keep gaining weight. I'm interested what the rest of you are experiencing. My treatment is Folfox + Avastin, 12 infusions in 24 weeks. I've had 6 treatments so far.

Thanks,

John

Comments

  • kimby
    kimby Member Posts: 797
    #2
    taste
    John,

    When I was on folfox the only thing that tasted at all was chocolate. Add that to the steroids that made me want to eat the doors off the cabinets and I gain 25 lbs in 6 months! I hated it but not bad enough to lay off the chocolate. :P

    Now my appetite is down. My taste buds are worse. I ADORE spicy foods or anything with FLAVOR. Now, anything with hot peppers is too much. I need mild salsa when I go to my favorite Mexican joint. They make all homemade style dishes and haven't had the INS in there in awhile, so the food is spectacular right now. :) But, I can't eat my favs...sigh. I have trouble with anything high in flavor: lemon, pepper, very dill pickles - favs again. And sweet? Sweet is more intense too. Not eating much of that these days either. sigh.

    I find that I crave salt now but my sodium is showing up low. I don't know if there is a correlation or not.

    Kimby
  • PhillieG
    PhillieG Member Posts: 4,866 Member
    #3
    Not just you
    I had the same thing happen. Food was just bland and nothing I did helped it. Don't worry, it should go away when you get off that mix. Mine did. don't quite remember how long it took though. I can remember the strangest things and forget the easiest ones.
    -p
  • maglets
    maglets Member Posts: 2,576 Member
    #4
    PhillieG said:

    Not just you
    I had the same thing happen. Food was just bland and nothing I did helped it. Don't worry, it should go away when you get off that mix. Mine did. don't quite remember how long it took though. I can remember the strangest things and forget the easiest ones.
    -p

    taste
    No John you are not alone.....my taste buds are all but gone and I am with Kimby....I crave salt...maybe this is just because you can taste it but honestly I love a potato chip something I would normally not crave. I have munched my way through the oxy and I think the steroids do help with apetite and weight gain....I have an extra 20 pounds to show...

    in the early rounds i craved sugar and chocolate but now salt and then when I get it in my mounth it's like the whole mouth is numb....mmmmmmm good stuff this chemo:)

    I am just finsihing up so can't say how long it lasts....

    best regards,
    mags
  • luv3jay
    luv3jay Member Posts: 533 Member
    #5
    Mouth sores
    My mouth just hurts constantly. It feels like I drank hot tea and burned my tongue or something like that. I can't drink soda's...can't eat spicy food...I can barely close my mouth without my tongue stinging like the dickens! I can still taste food, but it has to be bland in order for my tongue not to burn. I was on Avastin + FOLFOX but had a really bad allergic reaction to the Oxi on cycle 7, so now I'm on Avastin and Xeloda, which is the pill form of 5FU. The IV 5FU was just causing too many negative side effects. Anyway, that has been my experience.
  • Shayenne
    Shayenne Member Posts: 2,342
    #6
    luv3jay said:

    Mouth sores
    My mouth just hurts constantly. It feels like I drank hot tea and burned my tongue or something like that. I can't drink soda's...can't eat spicy food...I can barely close my mouth without my tongue stinging like the dickens! I can still taste food, but it has to be bland in order for my tongue not to burn. I was on Avastin + FOLFOX but had a really bad allergic reaction to the Oxi on cycle 7, so now I'm on Avastin and Xeloda, which is the pill form of 5FU. The IV 5FU was just causing too many negative side effects. Anyway, that has been my experience.

    I'm....
    ....on the Folfiri with Avastin, and my foods also don't taste too good for the 4 days after I get unhooked, but my doctor also told me to eat with plastic utensils, since the metal utensils will make the taste bad also. Even bottled water tastes funky to me sometimes, but pink lemonade is tasting good, and apples and bananas with peanut butter I been craving and eating alot, also Lucky Charms cereal! I don't usually eat cereal, but that stuff if gooood! lol...

    So, don't worry, it's just not you out there with the funky buds.

    Hugsss!
    ~Donna
  • bdee
    bdee Member Posts: 304
    #7
    Taste buds
    My onc doctor told me my taste buds were gone for good. Not to worry about it, just force yourself to eat. I can't eat much. Sometimes eggs, sometimes not. Believe it or not, terriyaki chicken wings are okay. I'm going to try BBQ ribs this weekend. I try something every day, but usually end up with drinking smoothies and eating soup.

    Good luck, I went 5 months without eating any solid food. I don't want that to happen to anyone.

    Debbie
  • daydreamer110761
    daydreamer110761 Member Posts: 487 Member
    #8
    bdee said:

    Taste buds
    My onc doctor told me my taste buds were gone for good. Not to worry about it, just force yourself to eat. I can't eat much. Sometimes eggs, sometimes not. Believe it or not, terriyaki chicken wings are okay. I'm going to try BBQ ribs this weekend. I try something every day, but usually end up with drinking smoothies and eating soup.

    Good luck, I went 5 months without eating any solid food. I don't want that to happen to anyone.

    Debbie

    sweets
    I lived off of them. Nestle crunch bar for breakfast (rice crispies and chocolate milk anyone?)and pancakes became by best friend. I found out that fresh pineapple was really good, as were sweet potatoes (just baked with some butter and brown sugar). chicken soup was ok, guess that was the salt. I also leaned toward mexican food with some spice to it (medium also, not too hot). I still have trouble tasting things, but am slowly getting them back, except for the very tip of my tongue.
  • VickiCO
    VickiCO Member Posts: 917
    #9
    daydreamer110761 said:

    sweets
    I lived off of them. Nestle crunch bar for breakfast (rice crispies and chocolate milk anyone?)and pancakes became by best friend. I found out that fresh pineapple was really good, as were sweet potatoes (just baked with some butter and brown sugar). chicken soup was ok, guess that was the salt. I also leaned toward mexican food with some spice to it (medium also, not too hot). I still have trouble tasting things, but am slowly getting them back, except for the very tip of my tongue.

    Sweets
    Mine is cereal...the sweet bad-for-you kinds, especially chocolate. And the cravings are specific. One day I'll want Trix, another Cocoa Pebbles (NOT Cocoa Krispies...hubby had to go back to the store!)and of course, Count Chocula. I was on lots of cantaloupe for a long time, but after last month's nausea/vomiting marathon, I can't face it anymore. Too many bad memories! LOL! I can taste things, but some things taste different now. This week I seem to need salty things...

    Vicki

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