I have 8 more radiation treatments to go and then I am done. On an average, how long does it take before you can taste food again? 2-3 months, 6 m0nths????

John

John:

Everybody is different. For me, it took til about 4 months after I finished radiation to start to taste. Im now 8 months out and my taste is about 75% back and still improving. From what my doctors and people here have said that your taste continues to improve thru the year and a half point.

Best of luck with your treatments.

I would echo what Christine said. My taste really started coming back about 90 days out, and has progressed bit by bit. I am 11 months out now, and would put my taste at about 85%. Dark chocolate is still a bit iffy, and certain other foods, but for the most part I can taste pretty well. I would say that the intensity of the tastes I experience is less than prior to treatment, though.

John,

Here is what I posted 4 and 5 months out:

Today marks the end of the 4th month after completeing my Tx and I thought it would be useful to others to post my progress.

Taste-I have almost all my taste back. I would rate it 7 out of 10.

Hair on the back of my head-Beginning to grow back.

Weight-Lost 35 pounds and have regained 5. Not sure I want much more back.

High frequency hearing loss-Was tested at Moffitt and they confirmed permanent HF hearing loss caused by Cisplatium. MO wasn't so sure and said to wait. Either I am getting use to it or it has slightly improved.

Mental capacity-Fully recovered or I'm worse off than I think. LOL

Physical-Muscle strenght 7 out of my 10. Haven't exercised like I use to due to dry mouth.

Stamina-Am able to almost work as much as I use to. Work 9am to 7:30pm. Use to work till 9pm but I am pretty tired by 7:30. Can't keep my eyes open by 10 to 11pm.

Turkey chin-Gobble, gobble, still have it.

Dry mouth-This has been the worst side effect to deal with by far. Not in pain but in affecting quality of life. Just in the last 2 weeks I have noticed a slight change for the better. It's hard to describe but it has improved. I would rate this 9 out of 10 being the worst.

All the other side effects I was dealing with at the end of Tx went away around the 3rd week post TX. Those being: nausea, throat pain, constipation, and maybe a few that I can't even remember now.

All in all I am very pleased with my progress especially considering the way I felt at the end of my Tx and I hope that others who are currently in or recently completed Tx will find this useful.

That was one month ago.

As I said I wasn't planning to followup so soon but just in the past 2 weeks something has improved with my dry mouth. I say something because it's hard to define BUT it has made a great improvement in my eating. I still sip water throughout the day but I don't wake up during the night with mouth related problems any more and my eating has taken a hugh turn for the better. I even look forward to meals now as I am beginning to try some of my old favorites that I had given up on. For instance, I ate a small thin crust pizza by myself the other day (well not all the crust) and I even ate a whole slice without having to swallow liquid. I find myself eating almost like normal, I mean taking 2 or 3 fork fulls before I feel the urge to drink. I don't think my taste has improved but that dry mouth crap has.

It's really hard to describe but something has happened and I wanted to share this improvement so that others may be on the lookout.

I then had really slow taste improvements until I was 16 months post Tx and it was like a sudden burst of improvement in my saliva and a corresponding improvement in my taste so much so that at the time I said I really didn't care if I improved anymore. Good thing because I'm now almost 22 months post Tx and no more improvements.

thanks for the reply. I hope the sense of taste for steak or pizza comes back first. LOL

Steak was one of the last things to come back from an enjoyment stand point unless I tried a Delmonico (sp?) or another fatty steak. Ditto for white chicken and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches but in my case I can now enjoy everything again. I found I could taste pizza fairly soon but it was a long time before I had the spit to enjoy a slice without gulping liquid.

Much like David above I have also noted a recent burst of change on both the saliva and taste bud scene after 23 months. I will be 2 years post-tx on 12 July and up until about 2 months ago my taste was back, maybe, 75%. I had given up on some things such as chocolate which was actually the first thing that lost taste after starting Tx as I recall. There are some other things as well I had given up on months ago that I am now trying again and am mildly surprised. I have also noted improvement with the saliva issue as well and it along with taste seemed to make a big jump in improvement together a few weeks ago.

I have been amazed over the months to read how so many others reported great strides in taste return within months that I was really getting depressed. I have noted however that it seems as if the younger folks recover their taste quicker for the most part as opposed to an old guy such as me at 61.

Bill D.

Regardless of your very old age, the important thing is that your happy with increased saliva and new found taste and perhaps your like me in that, even if there are no more improvements, you will be satisfied with what you have. Man I hope I have one more burst coming as I'm a few months behind you recovery length wise. That would be nice.