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Talim75 Offline OP
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I was wondering if anyone else has experienced a sensitivity to or an increased sensitivity to food preservatives/additives prior to or after their Dx?

For over 10 years I have had mild adverse effects to food additives/preservatives. The most common is store bought hummus (like Sabra) would leave my tongue feeling numb. Over the past year it has increased to ketchup and salad dressings (any foods that are more liquid or creamy). Earlier this year, just a month or so before I noticed any problems with my tongue I had a pretty strong reaction to some tartar sauce in which my entire throat, tongue, lips, and chin became numb and itchy. I mentioned this to my normal doctor and he laughed and told me not to eat it then.

I was just curious to see if anyone else has noticed an increase in sensitivity to certain foods.


Female, Age 38, healthy non-smoker, rarely drank, regularly workout
May 2014 noticed irritation on tongue
6/18 saw doctor
6/25 saw ENT specialist got biopsy
6/30 Dx HPV P16+ ve SCC tongue cancer
7/9 CT scans, no visible spread
8/20 partial glossectomy with radial forearm flap, neck dissection 26 nodes sampled - results T2 N0 with mild dysplasia
4/2015 start to have ear pain
5/2015 recurrence
6/4/2015 surgery 29 nodes samples pN 2c
7/13/2015 7 wks of Chemo & Radiation start

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Nearly all of us experiences with changed palette senses. Most lose sense of taste for awhile. Most have a hard time with spicy and hot food for awhile. Being more sensitive to artificial additives is news to me and I can not remember any posts of similar concerns.

I go with the doc - just don't eat the stuff that gives you any weird sensations. :-)


Don
Male, 57 - Great health except C
Dec '12
DX: BOT SCC T2N2bMx, Stage 4a, HPV+, multiple nodes
1 tooth out
Jan '13
2nd tooth out
Tumor Board -induction TPF (3 cycles), seq CRT
4-6/2013
CRT 70gr 2x35, weekly carbo150
ended 5/29,6/4
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I have experienced food sensitivities after chemo for quite a while. I could not eat pickles, cold cuts, and woud break out in a sweat. Milk irritated the roof of my mouth, made it itchy. I didn't like the taste of most things with artificial flavoring or coloring. It has changed over the years back, somewhat, and able to tolerate more now.


10/09 T1N2bM0 Tonsil
11/09 Taxo Cisp 5-FU, 6 Months Hosp
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Talim75 Offline OP
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Thanks for your input. As for avoiding it, that is easier said than done as I am never quite sure which ones will cause a reaction until I've eaten them. And with how bad the last reaction was I would prefer to not have it happen again. I've just switched to eating more foods without preservatives and making my own dressings and condiments. I need to get better with making salad dressings that don't have vinegar or lemon juice in them as they tend to irritate my mouth right now.


Female, Age 38, healthy non-smoker, rarely drank, regularly workout
May 2014 noticed irritation on tongue
6/18 saw doctor
6/25 saw ENT specialist got biopsy
6/30 Dx HPV P16+ ve SCC tongue cancer
7/9 CT scans, no visible spread
8/20 partial glossectomy with radial forearm flap, neck dissection 26 nodes sampled - results T2 N0 with mild dysplasia
4/2015 start to have ear pain
5/2015 recurrence
6/4/2015 surgery 29 nodes samples pN 2c
7/13/2015 7 wks of Chemo & Radiation start

Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 2,671
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Talim - It is really difficult to predict which tastes will be irritating and reactions can change from day to day. I have two recipes for dressings on my web site that do not contain lemon juice nor vinegar. One is a Blue Cheese Dressing and the other is a Ranch Dressing. If you care to check it out, just go here: http://webpages.charter.net/xila/recipelist.html




Anne-Marie
CG to son, Paul (age 33, non-smoker) SCC Stage 2, Surgery 9/21/06, 1/6 tongue Rt.side removed, +48 lymph nodes neck. IMRTx28 completed 12/19/06. CT scan 7/8/10 Cancer-free! ("spot" on lung from scar tissue related to Pneumonia.)



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Talim75 Offline OP
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Anne-Marie, Thank you so much for the recipes!


Female, Age 38, healthy non-smoker, rarely drank, regularly workout
May 2014 noticed irritation on tongue
6/18 saw doctor
6/25 saw ENT specialist got biopsy
6/30 Dx HPV P16+ ve SCC tongue cancer
7/9 CT scans, no visible spread
8/20 partial glossectomy with radial forearm flap, neck dissection 26 nodes sampled - results T2 N0 with mild dysplasia
4/2015 start to have ear pain
5/2015 recurrence
6/4/2015 surgery 29 nodes samples pN 2c
7/13/2015 7 wks of Chemo & Radiation start

Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 5,260
Likes: 3
"OCF Canuck"
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Yes - my mouth is now like a junk - detector. If it has chemicals or additives that aren't natural, it tastes awful. Hugs!


Cheryl : Irritation - 2004 BX: 6/2008 : Inflam. BX: 12/10, DX: 12/10 : SCC - LS tongue well dif. T2N1M0. 2/11 hemigloss + recon. : PND - 40 nodes - 39 clear. 3/11 - 5/11 IMRT 33 + cis x2, PEG 3/28/11 - 5/19/11 3 head, 2 chest scans - clear(fingers crossed) HPV-, No smoke, drink, or drugs, Vegan
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Talim75 Offline OP
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Thank you, my taste has definitely evolved.


Female, Age 38, healthy non-smoker, rarely drank, regularly workout
May 2014 noticed irritation on tongue
6/18 saw doctor
6/25 saw ENT specialist got biopsy
6/30 Dx HPV P16+ ve SCC tongue cancer
7/9 CT scans, no visible spread
8/20 partial glossectomy with radial forearm flap, neck dissection 26 nodes sampled - results T2 N0 with mild dysplasia
4/2015 start to have ear pain
5/2015 recurrence
6/4/2015 surgery 29 nodes samples pN 2c
7/13/2015 7 wks of Chemo & Radiation start

Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,291
Likes: 1
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Too bad about the new junk detector sensor, Cheryl. My taste is good as it was so all my junk food tastes just as good as before. LOL

Only thing I have not fully regained tast ewise it the very hot stuff. I have a bottle of hot sauce called Spontaneous Combustion made from habanero pepper and capsicum extract and it really HURTS. Before it was just smoking hot but now has a physically reaction that just is not endurable.

Last edited by donfoo; 08-14-2014 09:07 PM.

Don
Male, 57 - Great health except C
Dec '12
DX: BOT SCC T2N2bMx, Stage 4a, HPV+, multiple nodes
1 tooth out
Jan '13
2nd tooth out
Tumor Board -induction TPF (3 cycles), seq CRT
4-6/2013
CRT 70gr 2x35, weekly carbo150
ended 5/29,6/4
All the details, join at http://beatdown.cognacom.com
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 2,606
Likes: 2
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It sounds like your common sense detector repaired itself, Don! LOL


SCC Stage IV, BOT, T2N2bM0
Cisplatin/5FU x 3, 40 days radiation
Diagnosis 07/21/03 tx completed 10/08/03
Post Radiation Lower Motor Neuron Syndrome 3/08.
Cervical Spinal Stenosis 01/11
Cervical Myelitis 09/12
Thoracic Paraplegia 10/12
Dysautonomia 11/12
Hospice care 09/12-01/13.
COPD 01/14
Intermittent CHF 6/15
Feeding tube NPO 03/16
VFI 12/2016
ORN 12/2017
Cardiac Event 06/2018
Bilateral VFI 01/2021
Thoracotomy Bilobectomy 01/2022
Bilateral VFI 05/2022
Total Laryngectomy 01/2023
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Right. It's like touch the frying pan - you get common sense. Touch the iron - you get common sense. Taste that lethal sauce - you feel like charcoal brickettes stuck to the tongue in the mouth and nothing is putting the fire out gets common sense.

It sits on the shelf in my office; so far zero temptation to see if I am still 99% taste recovered or that last 100%. Going to be a few months before I try again before I'' check the CSD again. LOL


Don
Male, 57 - Great health except C
Dec '12
DX: BOT SCC T2N2bMx, Stage 4a, HPV+, multiple nodes
1 tooth out
Jan '13
2nd tooth out
Tumor Board -induction TPF (3 cycles), seq CRT
4-6/2013
CRT 70gr 2x35, weekly carbo150
ended 5/29,6/4
All the details, join at http://beatdown.cognacom.com
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 2,671
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Don - it was interesting to learn of your reaction to the hot stuff. It sure can affect individuals differently. My son (7 yrs out from end of Tx) has had the opposite reaction to the hot stuff. He does have about 90% of his taste back, but he always had to add extra of the hot stuff when he makes his famous hot wing sauce because for him it always tastes like it doesn't have enough. So he always checks with his family re the taste when making it for others and then modifies the ingredients to make it less "hot" for them.


Anne-Marie
CG to son, Paul (age 33, non-smoker) SCC Stage 2, Surgery 9/21/06, 1/6 tongue Rt.side removed, +48 lymph nodes neck. IMRTx28 completed 12/19/06. CT scan 7/8/10 Cancer-free! ("spot" on lung from scar tissue related to Pneumonia.)



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During treatment I grew the hottest jalape�os I ever tasted in my life. My youngest just moved here and we decided to can them together since we had talked about it for years. A few weeks out I decided we would check them out. They were beyond hot! I went to eat lunch with him at school and found out he was selling them to Hispanics in a dare. He had a pocket full of quarters and a few new friends. I gave most away and just asked for the jars back.

I'm thinking if you eat a lot of hot stuff before treatment, it doesn't bother as much.


SCC Stage IV, BOT, T2N2bM0
Cisplatin/5FU x 3, 40 days radiation
Diagnosis 07/21/03 tx completed 10/08/03
Post Radiation Lower Motor Neuron Syndrome 3/08.
Cervical Spinal Stenosis 01/11
Cervical Myelitis 09/12
Thoracic Paraplegia 10/12
Dysautonomia 11/12
Hospice care 09/12-01/13.
COPD 01/14
Intermittent CHF 6/15
Feeding tube NPO 03/16
VFI 12/2016
ORN 12/2017
Cardiac Event 06/2018
Bilateral VFI 01/2021
Thoracotomy Bilobectomy 01/2022
Bilateral VFI 05/2022
Total Laryngectomy 01/2023
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 8,311
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I became so spicy sensitive post Tx that I couldn't even add pepper to anything. It soon returned to "normal" but I was never a real fan of spicy to begin with.


David

Age 58 at Dx, HPV16+ SCC, Stage IV BOT+2 nodes, non smoker, casual drinker, exercise nut, Cisplatin x 3 & concurrent IMRT x 35,(70 Gy), no surgery, no Peg, Tx at Moffitt over Aug 06. Jun 07, back to riding my bike 100 miles a wk. Now doing 12 Spin classes and 60 outdoor miles per wk. Nov 13 completed Hilly Century ride for Cancer, 104 miles, 1st Place in my age group. Apr 2014 & 15, Spun for 9 straight hrs to raise $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.
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