i found a flat, firm bump on the back of my tongue some few months back. i really didn't think too much about it at first. about two months ago i started smelling this awful smell that noone else smells, and my food started "tasting" like that smell. i thought it was a side effect from topamax, so i called my dr. and he told me to stop taking it. but it has been over a week now and i have had no improvement. last night the taste was in the back of my throat really bad. soft drinks taste horrible to me now. has anyone with oral cancer ever noticed these type of symptoms before they were diagnosed? also, i am having an MRI of my c-spine, shoulder, and right arm due to extreme pain in my upper right arm, chronic pain, and short knifelike pains. could the bump on my tongue be more than i thought? could it be the cause of the smell? i know the awful smell is coming from my throat. as i said, noone else smells it. sorry to be so long, but i have read many of your stories and have found noone who complained of these symptoms before thier treatment. thanks so much. and my prayers are with you all. debbie

Hi Debbie,
Before I was diagnosed I was convinced that my breath stank to high heaven and everyone could smell it. I also had a horrible taste in my mouth. I kept asking my sons to smell my breath and told them to be honest and tell me if I stank! They told me they could smell nothing. I'm not saying that you have anything to worry about BUT if you are unhappy about it, get it checked out.
SusieR