Hi All,

I am 4 months out of radiation therapy (for tonsil cancer with 2 lymph nodes), and my taste buds have come back quite a bit.

Due to dry mouth, however, I usually drink lots of water when eating - unfortunately a rather poor saliva substitute. And for many food items water seriously degrades the flavor and texture.

Does anyone have any suggestions for other liquids to take with food which would be better than water?

Thanks in advance,

Chris

I am 4 years out and still have to drink water with food sometimes, especially breads, etc. There may be some other solutions for saliva, but in my experience, they are extremely expensive for the benefit you get which is equal to using water in my case. Water, and therefore cheap wins. I have not noticed any flavor change though, so can't help you there.

It took 14 months for everything to taste the same as it did post-surgery and pre-radiation for me.

Hi Chris,
I was not completely without saliva, but I drank lots of milk, apple juice, flat frasca, flat ginger ale, beer and some white wine. Also drank lots of water ice cold. I still drink lots of water with meals when I also have wine. Experiment with things you like. Hope that helps.

Take care,
Eileen

Chris,

I drink milk with every meal but I was a big milk drinker before Tx. I drink water the rest of the day so I treat myself at meals. I used to enjoy an occasional beer or a glass of wine before Tx but now it just doesn't taste the same so I don't waste my time.

Chris, while you are drinking that water, you will begin to notice some "extra" benefits--your hair and nails get healthier and your skin condition improves! If you like tea- the bottled Lipton green tea with citrus is pretty good. Amy in the Ozarks

Chris;
I don't know if you're a coffee drinker or not. While in treatment I totally lost my taste for coffee, which I was told that a lot of Chemo patients do, but it would come back. Well it did, and I drink coffee with meals just to change things up. (can't stand it hot at this point so I dilute it with ice) Also, as Amy said, tea goes down pretty well. Anything carbonated doesn't work at all for me. Water is still the first preference though because I still seem to require a lot to wash things down. This is kind of strange but milk burns, except I can tolerate it with oatmeal & cereal (which I let get soft in the milk prior to eating). After I eat the cereal I can handle drinking the milk.

Best Wishes,
Steve

Chris,
Much to my RO's consternation, I drank a lot of Coke and it worked well for me. I eventually switched to carbonated water and that works well also. I think that the carbonation helps to loosen food particles and flush them down. You just have to experiment.

Caution: Coke will rot your teeth - so if you drink that you will have to go the distance with impeccable dental hygiene.

Tea totally dries out my mouth! it doesn't do that for some of you? (maybe you have better saliva than I do to begin with).

Nelie

Hi Chris,

Well, in the beginning water is all I could stand.

As time went on I had milk, Bigelow Green tea with honey (warm) I still can not have things to hot. Coffee but with a flavored creamer. Gatorade, and juices came later.

What I really enjoyed after I was 6 months was fudge cycles. They were great. I got the sugarless kind. They felt great on my throat and added liquids to my daily intake.

The green tea is good also for antioxidants.

I am just now able to have a drink or two now and then. I can have a beer or two, or a mixed drink if it is milk based. Other wise it will sting ! I may have a White Russian, Smith & Kearns, Smith & Wesson, Bailey's with extra cream. All of these drinks are made with a milk base.

At 4 months I did a lot of oat meal to eat because it was easy to swallow. It made its own saliva. Ha ha!!

Take care,
Diane

Nelie -- I agree with you about tea drying out my mouth (but I still drink a lot of iced green tea, just because I like it).

Water is still my drink of choice with most meals. When I first finished radiation, I couldn't tell the difference between good coffee and rotten coffee, but gradually the taste buds got back to where they could distinguish between the two. I also try lots of fruit juice combinations -- usually ones that aren't too acidic.

I enjoy wine with dinner -- never liked beer, and have had no interest in mixed drinks ever since radiation (I've tried once or twice in 18 years and they burned too much).

Cathy