I'm two weeks into radiation and chemotherapy and have lost my taste. Its awful. Everything is bland. Might as well eat cardboard, although that would actually have more flavor than I can taste. How long will this last?
However, I shouldn't complain.. I realize I'm very fortunate. I feel for those who can no longer eat by mouth, and I'm assuming I'll eventually be able to taste again.
The answer to your question isn’t anywhere near a one size fits all. Given where your primary tumor is, the map of radiation targeting it, all being things that the radiation oncologist and the physicist that helped map the field determined and are unique to you the answer can only be stated as a generality. How many tastebuds were in your field? Unknown….
Most patients between week four and a few weeks after treatment ends deal with this. It’s terrible. But clearly you recognize how lucky you are to still be eating anything by mouth, and swallowing somewhat normally. Far too many, myself included, no longer have that simple pleasure. I’d kill right now to eat even something as banal as a hamburger and actually taste and swallow it.
The good news is this will mostly pass. I could eat for a few years after treatments. But I no longer tasted things the same way. Strawberries tasted pretty good, but not like strawberries. The main tastes, sweet, sour, salty, bitter etc. get jumbled some. I loved chocolate before cancer. Especially chocolate ice creme. After cancer it just tasted like cold fat. I quit eating it all together. But most things came back to normal. In the meantime at only two weeks, get ready for many things to get way worse before you come out the other side of treatment. When they do, for some of those there are workarounds, or at least good meds that will lessen the impact of them on you. We will be here to help you cope. B
Thank you, Brian. I was thinking of you when I wrote that post and can't imagine a permanent loss of the ability to eat and taste. I so appreciate your input and feel fortunate. Your post really helped me.
Hi Kimmy, To add to Brian's input, I finished chemo and radiation a month ago and taste is coming back slowly (it's hard to tell if it is coming back sometimes). The doctors are not sure if I even will be able to taste given how much of my tongue was removed, but I swear it is coming back little by little! I asked at my appointment today, and my radiation oncologist said taste is the slowest to return, possibly 2 - 4 months after radiation ended. Good luck on the rest of your treatments and journey.
I had surgery on the 15th of February. It went relatively well, but I start radiation on March 23rd and I am dreading it. I am afraid about the loss of taste. Are you still experiencing this?
It will likely be a minor problem for several months after end of treatments, judging from the hundreds of people I’ve seen go through here, and my own personal experience. But it eventually does get better.
Hi all,
Sorry I'm just now responding. I'm going through some depression and some days are just lost to me. I completed seven weeks of radiation and chemo last week and yes, I still have no sense of taste. And I have the mouth sores. I have to say the loss of taste has really taken an emotional toll on me. I'm struggling. Right now I'm still tube-feeding. I'm hoping at least a little sense of taste - just basic - comes back soon.
Hello kimmy,hang in there things will get better everyday, you have finished the hard part. My taste was slow to return.I used salt and baking soda rinses upto 10 times a day and get enough sleep and eat well that helps healing I also used magic mouthwash.Good luck