Hi Patricia,

No one can say for sure when your taste will return, but for everyone I've spoken with, it's been a slow process. I lost mine very suddenly, it was as if someone sneaked in and simply turned it off at the switch! I had just made myself a large bowl of Vanilla Ice cream (my favorite substance in the Universe!) and when I put the first spoonful into my mouth, I had to spit it out immediately. It tasted like cold poster-paste (that stuff made from ground-up hooves.) That was in November, '09, and I am just now able to eat and enjoy (some flavors) of ice cream.

Some flavors will be restored in a few months, some will take much longer, and I cannot say if they all will be restored. Some of mine are partially back, but with some, they are significantly different. All you can do is take small samples and see what happens.

As for the saliva, a lot depends on where (in your body) you got the radiation. In my case, the radiation burned out about half of my salivary glands permanently and dry mouth is my constant companion. I find that chewing gum that is sweetened one of the non-sucrose sugars keeps my mouth moist most of the time, except for when I'm working out hard at the gym.

The gum I chew is Trident "tropical twist," sweetened with Xylitol. I buy it by the 3-pack and keep a pack in my car and by my bedside.

Biotene products also work, but in my experience, they are somewhat over-hyped and, IMHO, not worth the expense. YMMV.

Good luck!