Hi, after 6 months of chemo (only 1 more to go), my taste buds are non existing. Nothing tastes the way they used to, I only eat so to keep my energy levels up.,How long does it take for our taste buds to come alive again....for now all food is bland and tasteless .

Couple of weeks and you'll start enjoying foods again. X

Thank you primek, i might organise a dinner night out to eat only :)

Do you ladies have any tips for the foul taste chemo gives. Like you Hulos I only eat coz I have to. Sometimes like tonight the taste makes me feel a bit sick. I'm only halfway with chemo and honestly don't know how I'm going to do it. My whole mouth feels burnt and tender from taxol and I'm about to start ac in another week or so. Chemo sucks.

@LMK74 I found chewing gum helped. I remember being advised to have icy poles . I had fruit sorbet or gelato and that helped soothe my mouth. There are products the breast care nurses gave me for mouth care. Also I remember the oncologist recommending gels. In my case I did have severe mouth ulcers. If it gets severe there is a product that numbs the mouth so you can eat and swallow. As to that horrible metallic taste yes it eventually goes. It took me several weeks.

fairydust, thanks for the tips. I cannot wait for chemo to be done.

Lost taste buds | BCNA Online Network

11 Replies

Brenda5
Member
9 years ago
The burps were terrible. It was like I ate something dead so I really didn't want to eat at all and I couldn't taste it anyway. I settled on things like rolled oats with honey, honey and bananas, custard, yakult and cupasoups. It was like I had gone back to being a baby which with lots of cells being destroyed and brand new ones growing I guess I was. Rinsing with salt water or bicarb and water did help a lot. I couldn't even use ordinary tooth paste and had to get a special one from the chemist so it wouldn't burn my mouth. It comes good eventually, its just something you have to endure. <3
melclarity
Member
9 years ago
Good old salt water rinse morning and night does the trick LOL. The taste buds absolutely come back thank goodness!!! so dont stress! but I can say it really was a few months after chemo before I felt that things like that were really settling down. I didnt eat alot through Chemo was too ill but put on weight grrrr! so lots of factors. So hang in there, it gets better! xoxo Melinda
Zoffiel
Member
9 years ago
On reflection, I think the weight gain might be due to eating stuff you don't enjoy, so you don't know when to stop and keep looking for something that hits the spot. It wasn't a problem for me with AC as I had a normal appetite and could taste my food.
Towards the end of TC I started to put on weight. I had terrible trouble with my small intestine and couldn't absorb some important nutrients so felt like I was actually starving. My blood work was terrible, low protein, low red cells and iron. The only things I could tolerate were sugar and basic starch, which I stuffed into my head all day. Add to that myalgia which made exercise painful and I added about 4 kgs in the last month. I'd also had my ovaries removed so that would contribute to packing on the fat. I'm now trying to unpack it, with limited success. At least it isn't getting worse so there is hope once I get the muscle and joint pain under control.
LMK74
Member
9 years ago
Zoffiel and glemmis, I don't even have much appetite so not eating much but am maintaining my weight. Everyone says you'll pile on the kilos. Is this from chemo itself or steroids. I do rinse with bi carb and salt but everything tastes vile.
Zoffiel
Member
9 years ago
Lemon sorbet. Straight out of the freezer. You can taste the sweetness and the texture is soothing.

The lost taste buds thing is miserable, though they come back quite quickly. Sort of. I've lost the liking for coffee and olives this time. AC isn't as bad for the taste buds as Taxol. Though I remember smelling absolutely disgusting for a day or so after each treatment.
Glemmis
Member
9 years ago
Gargling bicarbonate soda a couple of times a day will help with ulcers & soreness. I drank a lot of mineral water to help with metallic taste & gum also. I still can't taste food properly & I finished chemo 2 months ago.
LMK74
Member
9 years ago
fairydust, thanks for the tips. I cannot wait for chemo to be done.
fairydust
Member
9 years ago
@LMK74 I found chewing gum helped. I remember being advised to have icy poles . I had fruit sorbet or gelato and that helped soothe my mouth. There are products the breast care nurses gave me for mouth care. Also I remember the oncologist recommending gels. In my case I did have severe mouth ulcers. If it gets severe there is a product that numbs the mouth so you can eat and swallow. As to that horrible metallic taste yes it eventually goes. It took me several weeks.
LMK74
Member
9 years ago
Do you ladies have any tips for the foul taste chemo gives. Like you Hulos I only eat coz I have to. Sometimes like tonight the taste makes me feel a bit sick. I'm only halfway with chemo and honestly don't know how I'm going to do it. My whole mouth feels burnt and tender from taxol and I'm about to start ac in another week or so. Chemo sucks.
Hulos
Member
9 years ago
Thank you primek, i might organise a dinner night out to eat only
:)