After thyroidectomy I can't stand certain food I loved before

ibeatcanser
ibeatcanser Member Posts: 47
edited March 2014 in Thyroid Cancer #1
I'm curious... I had a complete thyroidectomy on August 6th and now I find that certain foods that I used to love I can't stand the sight, smell and taste. Has this happened to anyone? I haven't had my RAI as yet though.

I loved french fries, I almost threw up when I had only a piece of one (I tried it yesterday). I don't even want to see a burger. I tried veggie chips about a week and a half ago, and I felt upset. Today I saw sushi and I almost lost dinner in the restaurant. I do crave some traditional chinese food (not panda express for sure). Had sea cucumber which I was told is very good for collagen and contains cancer fighting elements.

During the first week and a half after surgery, didn't really have much of an appetite, but as this week progressed, I just want to eat more and more... I lost almost 2 pounds from day of surgery to my first post op visit (6 days). Then I gained 4 pounds in less than 2 weeks and I normally take a long time to gain weight.

However, I'm more concerned about my aversion to certain foods and craving of others I normally don't eat.

Comments

  • emma54
    emma54 Member Posts: 59
    #2
    Foods
    You know, no one ever replied to you and I've got to tell you the same thing has been happening to me...not horribly awful, but some foods just do not taste good and some bad for me do. I had my thyroid out 17 months ago,but don't worry it's not all that bad I've just noticed since our family has been celebrating some special occasions and going out to eat a lot that restaurant food is tasting awful sometimes.

    Hope all is well with your RAI's. Let us know.
  • ibeatcanser
    ibeatcanser Member Posts: 47
    #3
    emma54 said:

    Foods
    You know, no one ever replied to you and I've got to tell you the same thing has been happening to me...not horribly awful, but some foods just do not taste good and some bad for me do. I had my thyroid out 17 months ago,but don't worry it's not all that bad I've just noticed since our family has been celebrating some special occasions and going out to eat a lot that restaurant food is tasting awful sometimes.

    Hope all is well with your RAI's. Let us know.

    FOOD
    Hi,
    I thought that I was the only one this happened to since no one else had responded. Did this also happen prior to your RAI treatment or after only? It's just strange with the food cravings and aversions. Just seeing certain foods still make me feel sick and even worse when I smell it. Our family normally does not prepare food with a lot of salt and if my mom happened to accidentally put too much, it didn't bother me at all as it used to before.

    Well right now I'm on the low iodine diet for just under one month and I can't wait to eat "regular" food again. Since I've been on the diet the cravings and aversions have changed, hard to explain, but still there.

    I guess it's something I will have to accept and adapt to. I do have one question though, can you eat soy products? I will be taking Levothroid (I think that's the correct spelling) after my treatment and I read that soy based products makes the medication more difficult to absorb.

    thank you again and take care.
  • funbeadgirl
    funbeadgirl Member Posts: 181 Member
    #4
    ibeatcanser said:

    FOOD
    Hi,
    I thought that I was the only one this happened to since no one else had responded. Did this also happen prior to your RAI treatment or after only? It's just strange with the food cravings and aversions. Just seeing certain foods still make me feel sick and even worse when I smell it. Our family normally does not prepare food with a lot of salt and if my mom happened to accidentally put too much, it didn't bother me at all as it used to before.

    Well right now I'm on the low iodine diet for just under one month and I can't wait to eat "regular" food again. Since I've been on the diet the cravings and aversions have changed, hard to explain, but still there.

    I guess it's something I will have to accept and adapt to. I do have one question though, can you eat soy products? I will be taking Levothroid (I think that's the correct spelling) after my treatment and I read that soy based products makes the medication more difficult to absorb.

    thank you again and take care.

    Change in taste after RAI
    I had my RAI treatment on Sept. 23rd, and for the first week my taste was fine, now in past week I notice that everything seems to taste the same, almost bland, like there is no seasoning. I was not aware that this could even happen, I wonder will this eventually clear up? I still eat, but it is not enjoyable, and I think why bother if you can't enjoy it.
    I started on levothyroxin last week and wonder if it is a side effect from that? Even water has a weird taste to me. Has anybody else had this reaction and has it cleared up eventually? I really haven't had any food aversions or cravings, just the weird taste thing.
  • memoryangel
    memoryangel Member Posts: 6
    #5
    funbeadgirl said:

    Change in taste after RAI
    I had my RAI treatment on Sept. 23rd, and for the first week my taste was fine, now in past week I notice that everything seems to taste the same, almost bland, like there is no seasoning. I was not aware that this could even happen, I wonder will this eventually clear up? I still eat, but it is not enjoyable, and I think why bother if you can't enjoy it.
    I started on levothyroxin last week and wonder if it is a side effect from that? Even water has a weird taste to me. Has anybody else had this reaction and has it cleared up eventually? I really haven't had any food aversions or cravings, just the weird taste thing.

    Food after RAI
    I have the same thing. I just had my RAI on October 1st and since then, everything either has no taste at all or tastes very odd. Water tastes disgusting even when filtered. And sometimes everything I eat has a sickly sweet tinge if I can taste it at all. Takes the joy out of eating anything even when it sounds good to my tummy! I'm also having severe reflux issues from being so hypo and can't wait until that goes away.
  • ibeatcanser
    ibeatcanser Member Posts: 47
    #6
    funbeadgirl said:

    Change in taste after RAI
    I had my RAI treatment on Sept. 23rd, and for the first week my taste was fine, now in past week I notice that everything seems to taste the same, almost bland, like there is no seasoning. I was not aware that this could even happen, I wonder will this eventually clear up? I still eat, but it is not enjoyable, and I think why bother if you can't enjoy it.
    I started on levothyroxin last week and wonder if it is a side effect from that? Even water has a weird taste to me. Has anybody else had this reaction and has it cleared up eventually? I really haven't had any food aversions or cravings, just the weird taste thing.

    lack of taste and loss of appetite
    Hi,

    Since I've had my RAI treatment on Oct 5th, I found that as time goes on, I'm gradually losing my sense of taste. About the 5th day after treatment, I realized that I couldn't taste anything sweet at all. I have no problems with water. Now I'm losing my appetite.

    What I have noticed is that my sense of smell has increased tremendously. It's insane. For example, I knew I was eating broccoli because I could smell it. I had a tootsie roll and I knew because I could smell it.

    For me, chicken has no taste at all and I don't want to even see it. However, I can taste potatoes and rice very well. I've been eating hash browns with eggs and vienna sausages (I broil the hash browns, since I can't stand fried foods now). The other thing for me is that my stomach can't stand alfredo sauce or much 'creamy' things, I can drink whole milk though.

    Strong herbs and seasonings I can sorta taste. Basil, celery and thyme I can distinguish. Top Ramen doesn't even taste salty anymore and that is scary.

    The sense of taste does return eventually. A coworker of mine told me his mom ate curry and extremely strong spices for one year (she didn't have thyroid cancer, it was another form of cancer on her cheek).
  • lisa 28
    lisa 28 Member Posts: 18
    #7
    funbeadgirl said:

    Change in taste after RAI
    I had my RAI treatment on Sept. 23rd, and for the first week my taste was fine, now in past week I notice that everything seems to taste the same, almost bland, like there is no seasoning. I was not aware that this could even happen, I wonder will this eventually clear up? I still eat, but it is not enjoyable, and I think why bother if you can't enjoy it.
    I started on levothyroxin last week and wonder if it is a side effect from that? Even water has a weird taste to me. Has anybody else had this reaction and has it cleared up eventually? I really haven't had any food aversions or cravings, just the weird taste thing.

    rai and weird taste of food
    I was wondering the same thing about food that it taste werid and everything taste bland.Even water has a bad taste.I have this werid tast in my mouth that won't go away.Does this go away and when? I t has almost been to weeks from my first rai.This is some weird stuff never been through nothing like this before.
  • emma54
    emma54 Member Posts: 59
    #8
    lisa 28 said:

    rai and weird taste of food
    I was wondering the same thing about food that it taste werid and everything taste bland.Even water has a bad taste.I have this werid tast in my mouth that won't go away.Does this go away and when? I t has almost been to weeks from my first rai.This is some weird stuff never been through nothing like this before.

    Yes
    It should all go away. Does your weird taste resemble the taste of metal?

    Try reike (hands on). Lay your hands on both sides of your neck on top of your salivary glands. Think gentle, healing thoughts.

    I know this may sound weird, but just try it. In any event, it may take more time.
  • amorriso
    amorriso Member Posts: 185
    #9
    Food tastes
    Hi. I just had my thyroidectomy last week and am experiencing the same aversions to food as you said. Have you gotten over yours?

    Amorrio
  • lglegl70
    lglegl70 Member Posts: 20
    #10
    No problems until about 5 days after RAI
    I didn't have any problems with taste or appetite after thyroidectomy. But after RAI is a different story. I actually posted somewhere on this site that I didn't have a problem with taste...and then day 5 came around. Everything tastes so bland. Even water tastes bad to me. Some things, mainly sweet stuff, has a wet cardboard taste. It drives me crazy because after the LID, I was REALLY looking forward to eating tasty food again!
  • LittleRhodey
    LittleRhodey Member Posts: 1
    #11
    lglegl70 said:

    No problems until about 5 days after RAI
    I didn't have any problems with taste or appetite after thyroidectomy. But after RAI is a different story. I actually posted somewhere on this site that I didn't have a problem with taste...and then day 5 came around. Everything tastes so bland. Even water tastes bad to me. Some things, mainly sweet stuff, has a wet cardboard taste. It drives me crazy because after the LID, I was REALLY looking forward to eating tasty food again!

    Loss of taste
    I was fine until about 2 weeks after my RAI. Then I lost my sense of taste. We were eating at a Mexican restaurant and all I could sense was heat, no flavor. Two days later the same happened with Buffalo chicken wings and cheese cake. No reason to eat them because the joy of tasting was missing. But this was a temporary loss. After about a month, my sense of taste slowly returned and now, a year and a half later, all is back to normal. I had 99 millicuries. The more the dosage, the greater the possibility of side effects. Time will ease the symptoms until you forget them almost completely.

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