| | Joined: Jul 2014 Posts: 42 Contributing Member (25+ posts) | OP  Contributing Member (25+ posts)
Joined: Jul 2014 Posts: 42 | 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
| | | | | Joined: Jan 2013 Posts: 1,293 Likes: 1 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Jan 2013 Posts: 1,293 Likes: 1 | 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 All the details, join at http://beatdown.cognacom.com | | | | | Joined: Jul 2012 Posts: 3,267 Likes: 4 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Jul 2012 Posts: 3,267 Likes: 4 | 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.
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| | | | | Joined: Jul 2014 Posts: 42 Contributing Member (25+ posts) | | OP Contributing Member (25+ posts)
Joined: Jul 2014 Posts: 42 | 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 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Nov 2006 Posts: 2,671 | 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.)
| | | | | Joined: Jul 2014 Posts: 42 Contributing Member (25+ posts) | | OP Contributing Member (25+ posts)
Joined: Jul 2014 Posts: 42 | 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: 5,264 Likes: 5 "OCF Canuck" Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | "OCF Canuck" Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 5,264 Likes: 5 | 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
| | | | | Joined: Jul 2014 Posts: 42 Contributing Member (25+ posts) | | OP Contributing Member (25+ posts)
Joined: Jul 2014 Posts: 42 | 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: 1,293 Likes: 1 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Jan 2013 Posts: 1,293 Likes: 1 | 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 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,606 Likes: 2 | 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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