| | Joined: Jul 2010 Posts: 60 Supporting Member (50+ posts) | OP  Supporting Member (50+ posts)
Joined: Jul 2010 Posts: 60 | Hello all! I finished my treatment 2 months ago and have had good recovery in many areas--I'm not as tired, I can eat way more, and I have no pain. What I do have is this nasty taste in my mouth--all the time. Does this go away? What kind of time frame am I looking at? Thanks for your help.
Susan/59/nonsmoker /tonsil cancer spread to tongue,stage III diagnosed 6/10, HPV+ T3,N1 Finished 35 radiation and 7 cisplatin 9/7/10.
| | | | | Joined: Feb 2007 Posts: 176 Senior Member (100+ posts) | | Senior Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Feb 2007 Posts: 176 | Susan,
My taste came back slow, but did come back completely. My RO at Beth Israel suggested that I take 150mg of zinc. Studies have shown that zinc will help in the repair of taste buds. It probably took me about 6 months for complete recovery. Hot and spicy took longer.
Regards,
Rob Jaffe
6-05, Left Tonsil-T1N2bM0 stageIVA, chemo(Cisplatin), radiation(6660cGy), neck disection, no PEG. HPV negative. (Doc suspects posit)
3-9-09 last of 30 HBO treatments.
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2008 Posts: 3,082 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Mar 2008 Posts: 3,082 | Susan
My RO said that Zinc works for about 50% of his patients but that he had not seen any bad effects so that it was worth trying for a month. They didn't do anything for me, but my taste came back anyway right along Rob's timeframe.
Charm
65 yr Old Frack
Stage IV BOT T3N2M0 HPV 16+
2007:72GY IMRT(40) 8 ERBITUX No PEG
2008:CANCER BACK Salvage Surgery
25GY-CyberKnife(5) 3 Carboplatin
Apaghia /G button
2012: CANCER BACK -left tonsilar fossa
40GY-CyberKnife(5) 3 Carboplatin
Passed away 4-29-13
| | | | | Joined: May 2002 Posts: 2,152 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: May 2002 Posts: 2,152 | Susan,
I too was told that Zinc helps improve taste. I took 220mg a day for years. My taste came back fairly quickly so I assume it helped. Give it a try.
Take care,
Eileen
----------------------
Aug 1997 unknown primary, Stage III
mets to 1 lymph node in neck; rt ND, 36 XRT rad
Aug 2001 tiny tumor on larynx, Stage I total laryngectomy; left ND
June 5, 2010 dx early stage breast cancer
June 9, 2011 SCC 1.5 cm hypo pharynx, 70% P-16 positive, no mets, Stage I
| | | | | Joined: Oct 2010 Posts: 7 Member | | Member
Joined: Oct 2010 Posts: 7 | Is your mouth dry? You could try rinsing with a salt water rinse. quart jar, water, tsp salt and tsp of baking soda. Rinse after meals 4-5 times day. I did this every day of my rad tx and still do. It helps stimulate and heal the mouth. Good Luck
Carrie smoker 20 years-quit at 32 Dx at 41 stage 2 SSC tongue-free flap and neck dissection 25 nodes all neg. in May. bottom teeth pulled June. 35 rad tx ended in Aug.
NEVER would have made it. If it weren't for my loving wife!
| | | | | Joined: Oct 2010 Posts: 7 Member | | Member
Joined: Oct 2010 Posts: 7 | I have a question. I had a free flap surg. 35% of tongue. Does the tongue ever look normal? I mean not so big. and what about the white stuff does it eventually go all back to red again?
Carrie smoker 20 years-quit at 32 Dx at 41 stage 2 SSC tongue-free flap and neck dissection 25 nodes all neg. in May. bottom teeth pulled June. 35 rad tx ended in Aug.
NEVER would have made it. If it weren't for my loving wife!
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 179 "OCF Down Under" Senior Member (100+ posts) | | "OCF Down Under" Senior Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 179 | You learn something new everyday on this website!! I'm going to give zinc a try!!
Minh
35 Yrs old
03/10 SCC T1-T2
Partial Glossectemy end March - margins not clear enough.
While waiting for resection - cancer returned,2 new cancerous lumps
Re-section End May & flap from cheek attatched. Margins clear.
Mid June - 4 teeth out
Mid July -32 Rads and 3 Cisplatin
6th Sept 10 Finished Treatment!!
| | | | | Joined: Jul 2010 Posts: 531 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: Jul 2010 Posts: 531 | ya sure do! gonna go buy Ron some Zinc!
CG to Ron
Out of Pain 4/3/13
4/12-lung and under chin growth no treatment
1/13/12 lung biopsy
6/11 recur 6/30 resection #2 Clear margins
Clear 12/10
Surg 5/13/10 neck dis/nodes part gloss/flap R thigh all teeth out
RAD 30 8/10
DX 4/2/10 "Oral Cavity" T3NOMO
12/28/07 Non Hodg Lymph remission 7/08
passed away 4.3.15, RIP Ron, you are greatly missed
| | | | | Joined: Apr 2010 Posts: 201 Gold Member (200+ posts) | | Gold Member (200+ posts)
Joined: Apr 2010 Posts: 201 | My sister bought Zinc today. Lol!!
CG to Sister (42). Smoker quit @ diagnosis Dx 4/20/10 SCC T2N0M0, Rside of tongue Hemigloss R neck dis, all nodes removed 6/2/10, Trach and NG in, home 6/8/10,8/18/2010 start erbitux x6, 30 IMRT end 10/11/10 with only 3x erbitux due to reaction and one week off of rads
1/10/2011 Clear PET!!!
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