I am slightly over 3 mos post radiation and chemo and doing very well considering. I have gained back 15 lbs and have had feeding tube removed. Work out 3 days a week and have increased stamina and strength. All in all very lucky.
However I am having a unique reaction to spicey food I have never had before and that is excessive sweating when eating Italian, Mexican or Chinese food. I could understand the burning in the mouth but this is after I have eaten, any thoughts? My tongue is still sensitive and on occasion throat seems a little sore, is that normal? Thanks in advance for the reponses.

My thought is Don't eat the spicy stuff for a while.

I would try to hold off on spicy and hard foods, but I totally understand the craving that I had and nervousness to being able to eat again.. to be able to be normal its just all very stressfull. I didn't hold off I would just eat everything or at least taste everything, everything tastes different or like nothing...I hurt myself with hard or sharp foods and ge t blisters from spicy foods...take it slow...

My treatment ended in Aug. '08, and I still can't tolerate spicy food. I wouldn't even know if sweating afterward is normal or not!

I started sweating while eating spicy food about the time I turned 50. It was my only indicator if something would be hot to other people, but that was way before I had cancer. I have noticed several foods make me sweat now, but have not seen any pattern to it.

My worst reaction to peppers has been the side of my tongue, that the radiation burned off. That is slowly getting better, 5 months out.

And I say if you can tollerate it, eat the spicy stuff. We deserve some pleasure.

I have been out of radiation treatment since 8/3/09 and do avoid spicy foods as they cause disconfort to my still sensitive mouth. Sweating from eating spicy food is not new to me, but much more pronounced since tx. My eating is challenged by reduced saliva, and the resulting advoidance of all bread is keeping my weight down, 25 lbs since beginning radiation tx and holding steady. Alcohol intake is also reduced. All in all, its a good thing.
Bob

12 months post radiation and I still can't eat anything spicy - even tomato sauce hurts (I think you guys call it ketchup) and forget chilli and any alcohol - no way it burns! I'm about to go through it all again so if I'm lucky I'll be back to yoghurt, eggs, milk and bland, bland, bland! (I do thank God for cheesecake and icecream, though).

Sue

Take it slow, all in good time you'll be able to eat spicy foods again..I still sweat when eating it though...The back of my head gets all wet!..LOL

But nothing like those night sweats I had when I had the cancer...OH boy..memories.

It was over 2 years before I could even tolerate a jalapeno again so don't worry. Time will eventually be on your side.

Bill, you can eat jalapenos..... you are the man! I still have to be careful what sort of sub I get at Quiznos. I still have this silly trophy somewhere from a jalopeno eating contest eons ago (4 in 4.9 s). Of course they did burn like hell later on.

M

Granted I perhaps had the "baby" version of SCC and I didn't have any surgery to speak of but I am able to eat the hottest of hot sauces without any abnormal sensations.

At least in my case surgery did not cause much of a change, it clearly was the radiation. Beside individual reactions/and recovery I would expect that spicy food tolerance and taste recovery also depends where exactly you are irradiated.

M

The cause of my intollerance to some foods (spicy and acidic) is clearly the radiation. The edge of my tongue looked like overcooked bacon by the time I was done. It is that edge that causes the most pain.

Bill, I am 11 weeks out and I sweat on many foods, I think it is because it is so much work. It is funny though, I live in Southern CA and went to a great mexican hole in the wall the othe day. I had Chile colarado, I could not taste the hot but I did sweat about 5 times as usual, my hair was wet when I left!
It was pretty good!!

Steve

Just finished with a visit to my RO. She stated that when eating spicey food, stomach sends message to glands to start secreting more saliva. Saliva glands still not working so body secrets more sweat.

I wish I could still eat spicy foods I used to be able to eat red savina chillies before this crap started now one eighth of a chili burns like hell

I wish I could eat spicy foods, it has been 2.5 years since my treatment. Ketchup even burns and I miss pepper on everything. If I do mexican, the sauces on the side and ton of sour cream with my chips. It is the only way i can eat salsa, dip the chip in the salsa shake off the sauce and dunk in the sour cream.