Foody coping with taste changes

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bmpntherd
bmpntherd Member Posts: 31
edited January 2015 in Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After

Hi all, this will be my first post but I've have been incredibly grateful for the opportunity to read up on everyone's experience. I was diagnosed with Stage 2a (size) IDC in october and down the rabbit hole I went. I started my 4 rounds of T/C on January 2nd. Thanks to this site, I was prepared for the side effects- fatigue, muscle aches, bone/joint pain primarily. Now 8 days later I've been hit by a side effect I just wasn't prepared for- loss of taste.

Prior to this, I would consider myself a foodie- loved to cook, go out and enjoy red wine. NOW- everything tastes like cardboard. I got my favorite sandwich the other day and had to have another person try it- I thought it was bad. Wine- FORGET IT. Tastes like battery acid. Not even going to give it a try- I don't want to ruin this experience for the future.

?how have you all coped with this?

?how long will this last - for the next 3 months of chemo? ?how long after chemo ends?

Thank god eating is NOT all about taste for me - so I'm going with the healthy frequent small meal plan and weight is stable. I'm grateful for having caught this cancer when I did (picked up on annual mammogram after 2 normal physical exams and a normal US 2 weeks prior to mammogram). I'm grateful for only needing CHEMO LITE. I have a friend battling stage IV and this experience has given me a glimpse into her courage- 24 hours of bone pain left me behaving like a big baby.

BUT any thoughts would be appreciated.

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  • tangandchris
    tangandchris Member Posts: 1,855
    edited January 2015

    My experience with food during chemo was not pleasant. I lost about 25lbs during chemo because of taste issues, but also just not feeling hungry. I will say this, certain foods that I liked before chemo, I can't eat now. I was either sick after eating them or somehow I mentally associate with my chemo experience.

    I found that I could only tolerate cereal, applesauce and occasional mac n cheese. Not the healthiest, but it was all I could stand.

    ((hugs))

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  • AmyQ
    AmyQ Member Posts: 2,182
    edited January 2015

    It's been 18 months since I finished chemo and my taste buds and appetite is not back to normal. The plus side is I am down over 35 pounds and continue to lose (need about 10 more) but the negative is I don't know if I will ever get my appetite back. I am not much of a wine drinker anymore either as it doesn't taste like it used to, so I don't know what to say.

    Another very odd side-effect I continue to experience, the loss of toes nails. I keep losing the same three nails over and over again. Two on one foot, one on the other. I know these are very minor issues but all I can say is chemo is the gift that keeps on giving.

    I am grateful the hair I lost grew back. Some have permanent hair loss, which makes me so very sad for them.

    I hope food gets better for you.

    Amy

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  • ElaineTherese
    ElaineTherese Member Posts: 3,328
    edited January 2015

    My last chemo was on December 3, but my taste buds are still not quite back to normal. Also, I still have mild gastro issues -- I still have diarrhea about every other morning. As the other ladies have noted, this is a mixed blessing. I did lose 10 pounds during chemo (and could probably stand to lose 15 pounds more), but I'm still a very tentative eater. I used to eat lots of items with tomato-based sauces and loved tomato-basil soup, but those tasted horrible during chemo and still don't seem appealing to me. During Taxol, only bland, salty, or sweet foods tasted good to me. Even now, a cookie, chicken nuggets, or French fries taste good to me, but healthier stuff like salads do not. (For salads, the main culprit seems to be the dressings -- I can't east ranch, Italian, vinaigrette or other dressings -- I guess I could eat them naked.) Because sweet tastes good, I've taken to eating lots of fresh fruit or vegetables like corn and carrots that have a sweet side to them. I also drink a lot of diet hot chocolate and "Just 15" fruit punch. (Got really sick of water during AC.) Tea -- which I used to drink by the gallons -- seems to exacerbate the diarrhea, so I stay away from that.

    Good luck! Hope your taste buds recover faster than mine.

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited January 2015

    Bmpntherd, welcome to Breastcancer.org!

    As you can already see, our Community is made up of wonderful, supportive, and knowledgeable members, always happy to help.

    In addition to the great advice above, you may want to check out the main Breastcancer.org site's pages on Taste and Smell Changes and Eating When You Have Changes in Your Sense of Taste and Smell.

    We hope this helps!

    --The Mods

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  • Holeinone
    Holeinone Member Posts: 2,478
    edited January 2015

    Bmp, my story is the same as the above. I lost 25 lbs. no appetite, food was impossible. I had the 8 rounds of aggressive chemo ( stage 3 ). I also love red wine. Was too sick, but when I tried a taste, YUCK !

    The taste buds do come back, slowly. My appetite has not. Now, I buy better wine. I drink less but go for quality.

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  • Melrosemelrose
    Melrosemelrose Member Posts: 3,018
    edited January 2015

    Bmpntherd- Hang in there !!!! I fortunately was given two cook books that helped me through the 6 rounds of Cytoxan/Taxotere. The first book is Eating Well through Cancer by Gerald Miletello, MD and Holly Clegg and the second book is The Cancer Fighting Kitchen by Rebecca Katz. The first book has meal plans, recipes, shopping lists and helpful tips as to how to handle certain side effects; the second book had great pictures and recipes and helpful tips. I ate 5-6 small meals and tried to eat for nutritional purposes rather than for comfort. I ate rather bland meals the first two weeks after chemo. A few days after chemo, my taste buds would go on vacation and thankfully returned the beginning of week 3. I kept a food diary which helped keep me on track and also record what foods I handled the best when. I also found out that I could not tolerate butter and salt during chemo. Just didn't like the taste or feel in my mouth. I hope your favorite foods remain your favorite foods once you finish chemo. I am lucky that I gained very little weight during chemo and my taste buds returned with no problem. Wishing you the best!!!!!

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  • bmpntherd
    bmpntherd Member Posts: 31
    edited January 2015

    Thanks for the thoughts! Found that cosmopolitan martinis still taste great!

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