The side effects from IMRT are a dynamic and constantly changing thing. Further complicating things are that we all respond differently to treatment. I could taste coffee and vanilla all throughout but many other things tasted like cardboard or worse - certainly not like they smelled. It is important to keep your fluid and nutritional needs met. You may have to force yourself to eat but it will speed the healing process. The worst part of treatment for me was not being able to enjoy food for a good chunk of a year - but it's all good now. I got all of my taste back and about 80%+ of my salivary function (that took a full 18 months).

If you are getting chemo it is especially critical to drink 2-3 liters of water every day to protect your kidneys.

I experimented constanly with different foods that I had cravings for and my dogs got very fat. You have to keep trying.

Your side effects from treatment may get much worse. Fot most of us it was a few weeks after the end of treatment that was the lowest point.