Hi Jim. Are you currently having chemo or due to start? I had chemo from May 2022 through to the following September for advanced prostate cancer. The first side effect I experienced from chemo was a change of taste and also a sore mouth together with a metallic taste. I was given a specific medical mouth wash to help. I lost my sense of taste more or less completely and everything either tasted very bland or metallic, nothing tasted as it should. The mouth wash helped a bit but not much, it mainly took away the tingling sensation I had in my mouth due to the chemo. My mouth and throat were also a bit sore but again the mouth wash helped with this. I didn’t regain my sense of taste properly until a few weeks after my chemo finished. Best wishes, Dave
Hi, Dave- thanks for replying. My wife Liz is having her second course of bowel cancer treatment and recently reported symptoms such as you described, such as mouth ulcers and tonight tasteless food (my cooking!) She also sleeps more during the day and finds iit increasingly difficult to pursue her musical activities. The trouble is that the course has no defined limits so a projected CT scan will hopefully show that the treatment is causing the symptoms, not a return of the cancer. She is not in pain except for an occasional sore throat. I hope her taste will return when she gets a break from the treatment. I was pleased to receive your observations and wish you well in your progress towards better health.
Hi Jim, I’m sorry to hear of your wife’s cancer diagnosis, I hope the chemo she is currently receiving has the desired effect and cures her cancer or reduces its progress. I’m sure her loss of taste has nothing to do with your cooking!! The chemo will have many possible side effects but your wife won’t necessarily experience them all. My main side effects during chemo was a loss of taste, a sore mouth & throat and severe tiredness and fatigue. At one point during my chemo treatment I slept for a full 24 hours and found it extremely difficult to complete the simplest of daily tasks. These side effects did ease a couple of weeks after my chemo finished although I’m still receiving various other treatments to control my cancer which have some lovely side effects of their own. I’m sure that your wife will notice a difference when she finishes her chemo and she can enjoy your cooking again and the fatigue she’s experiencing should also ease when the treatment ends. I wish your wife well and best wishes to you too.
Hi Jim, My side affects from the Oral Chemo I had (in combo with radio) was a loss of taste - most particularly coffee and chocolate - about the worst two I could have! I didn't have a sore mouth but did have the metallically taste. Taste did come back a few weeks after my course ended.
When I had post-surgery 'mop up' chemo, the worst thing was tingly hands when touching anything colder - I had to wear gloves and get new knives and forks to eat food with !
I did get increasingly tired during the chemo/radio. By the last round (round 5) I was hospitalized for a few days due to the combined effects and didn't quite complete the chemo course.
Wishing you and your wife all the best. Keep focussed on the small wins and get as much rest as you need. Both of you.
