Lost most of my sense of taste last week and mouth is getting sore. Would like to find something I can eat and get some pleasure from - nearest at the moment is fish and chips.Nausea under control with meds. Pain meds (Codeine Phosphate) causing constipation which I have not yet found out how to shift!

Chris,
you will need to experiment. All of out taste buds respond differently to treatment (as well as everything else). I found that I could taste coffee the whole time so I made a lot of coffee flavored milk shakes.

Constipation is a major problem. I would start out with the over the counter stuff (laxatives - like Colace), talk to the nutritionist and have the doctors manage it if that fails. This issue caused me more misery than anything else (well the mouth sores were pretty bad).

Agree with Gary get a hold on the constipation by getting the nutritionist or Doc advice. The taste at this point is anoying but the burning and soreness will get more prominent that the taste probably won't matter much. You may also want to check with your doc to give you some mouth deadning cocktails to reduce the pain to allow easier eating.

ChrisS, the taste thing is different for all of us. Lots of folks get their taste back within weeks or months, some of us are still hoping after a year. Oh well, one day at a time.

The constipation you have to get a handle on. Writhing in pain on the bathroom floor is undignified. I found a 7 oz. can of prune juice per day via my peg did the trick for me. A couple of times I needed to use a stool softener, but that was rare. Of course, it took me a few weeks to remember prunes and other fruit juices, but once on them they pretty much took care of the problem. I eat peaches, pears, and apricots from the can now and that seems to keep me semi-regular. Good luck.

Chris
In the UK I believe the stool softener is Lactolose.
Remember, you must try to keep your weight up at the moment, eat lots of that good fresh cream . My hubby used to eat cans of Ambrosia rice pudding with heavy cream, easy to eat and lots of calories.
Where in the UK are you? I am from Scotland and my hubby Liverpool.
Good luck to you Chris.
Marica

Hello Chris,

I don't have much to offer in advice differnt than the posters above me. I can let you know there is light at the end of the tunnel. It may seem distant to you now but believe me you will get there. Wishing you the best,

Danny Boy

Chris,

Matzo Ball Soup was one of the only things I could enjoy. Give it a try. Also, Scrambled eggs with a little cheese and oatmeal.

I lived on that and Ensure. I lost 47lbs doing it but I was/am a lard ass and could stand to loose it.

Constipation was a drag but stool softeners do work. Try to drink as much water as you can.

Take it easy. Drop me a line if you have any other questions.
Robert

Give it a try

Robert,
I still live on matzo ball soup and milkshakes, along with lots of Boost, and cereal with bananas in the morning. The soup and milkshakes taste pretty darn good these days, even though I usually eat the same soup twice a day.

Danny G.

My husband completely quit eating 7 weeks ago. He has almost nothing for the last 2 weeks and finally the doc made the PEG a mandatory thing.

Please don't follow in his footsteps. He is weak and doesn't hardly get out of bed. Give it every effort you have, even when you don't feel like it.

You will be glad in the long run. Even if you just drink enough of the boost drinks a day you can keep the rest of your body as healthy as possible.

My husband is proof positive that there is nothing to be gained by being hardheaded.... but there is everything to lose. Hang in there and listen to what these guys and gals are telling you. They know and they can arm you with the best advice, It is up to you to follow it through and try everything that you can.

Good Luck.

Cindy

Cans of Ensure, yogurt, and soy milk got me through the roughest rad days.

Also oatmeal, milkshakes and ice cream and whip cream. I would thin a lot of food with a can of chicken broth - dinners like chicken and mashed potatoes. Also adding butter and whip cream, or sour cream. It adds the calories and helps the food slide down.
good luck!

Hi Chris; Dealing with side effects can be as challenging as the treatments at times. The constipation solution I was given was a daily tablet which combined Senokot (mild lax) and Colace...the stool softening component is vital because our fluid intake tends to be decreased.
Keep exploring what foods you can tolerate...plain yogourt was a life saver for me, also good for the natural flora in your innards. I lost my sweet taste and many things took on a strange taste for a while..even the ensure, it tasted like it was flavoured with iodine, ugh.
Good luck to you, and please persist, your body will thank you later.
Fran

Hi Chris,

Don't worry about the taste of stuff because that part will be quite the wild roller coaster ride for many months. At times I can eat the same stuff in the same day and it tastes different even after 17 months. Think more of the demands of the body as it is trying to heal and the nutritional requirements are key to minimizing side effects and helping the body heal. Focus on the high caloric intake items like whole milk, high calorie/protein shakes, etc.

Ed