I have just now completed my 30 radiation treatments, and appear to be plagued with a consistent "salty" taste. I had radiation 4 years ago and didn't experience this taste change, but now even bottled water tastes salty!!

Has anyone else experienced this, did it improve and if so, when?
Thanks.

Donna

I too have the salty taste in my mouth constantly. My nutritionalist told me to put a dab of sugar on and in what I eat of drink. Doesn't help me. It seems as though the only things I have found that doesn't taste salty is ensure and boost. It does improve though it seems as if it is getting less and less every day.keep useing your salt and soda mouth wash-gargle I have found just a little more soda helps somewhat. Not too much because it burns. If you find anything that really helps let me know ok. Brenda

Actually, the taste I had in my mouth was 'burnt salt'. That is truly what it tasted like. I think it lasted 3-4 weeks post TX, slowly dimishing. I put lemon and lime in my water, and rinsed a lot with baking soda. When I couldn't taste anything good, I would try to force my tastebuds to remember what certain things tasted like as I ate them. At 7 months out most of my taste is back, except ice cream, any flavor, still tastes bad.

hi pandora,
i too have a bad taste but mine is more metallic kind of taste sweet things are great for me but savoury is a struggle to eat i have to get past the taste. mine is getting better i hope yours does soon.

Debz

I first went thru the burnt stage where everything tasted burnt like charcoal, even water. That lasted for about 6 weeks. Sometime during the 6 weeks everything started to also taste extra salty. The salt taste stayed with me for at least another month maybe two. Im 5 months post treatment and have aprox. 75% of my taste back.

Hi all,

Martin still now complains that things taste salty (5 month after treatment, but i am still hopeful everyone heals differently). Strangely, haggis tastes ok, some desserts with no cream, and custard tarts are nice, and frosties for breakfast. That is a huge improvement, over Christmas he couldn't eat anything that didn't taste salty.
Otherwise, this might sound stupid, but martin's brother asked why Martin didn't get hypnotised to make him think all food tasted nice. I hadn't thought of that and it seems like it would be worth a try. Has anyone thought of this or is it just a mad idea?
C

Hey try it and if it works let us know. Novel idea but I was told years ago that I'm not a candidate for hypnosis.