Hi from Aotearoa New Zealand.

Taste in my experience (4 years after radiotherapy & chemo) comes and goes.

Sometimes there's almost nothing, other times there's more. Icecream tends to lose its flavor after the second spoonful. Salt is very variable. It#s tied up with the sense of smell, which is also variable.

It's not as good as I wish but it's better than I feared.

quote:

...Taste in my experience (4 years after radiotherapy & chemo) comes and goes. Sometimes there's almost nothing, other times there's more. Icecream tends to lose its flavor after the second spoonful. Salt is very variable. It#s tied up with the sense of smell, which is also variable.
....

It's two and half years since my treatment and I agree with you totally. Taste PALL IS A PROBLEM.

On Friday I met my sister and we ate a great lunch at a two star Michelin restaurant and I do believe that top qulity food can help ON A GOOD DAY. What thrill it is to do something like eat out and enjoy about 70% of the meal. People do this everyday yet have no idea what a joy it is for those of us who have developed poor taste. The nice thing about eating out ina good place is being brought little courses that tempt the palate. The taste pall thing is much improved if you only have small amounts of lots of different foods.

You mention ice cream losing taste. Yes I've had that too. I find I no longer like very cold foods and don't like ice in drinks anymore either.

Some days I also find taste is just not there. I find my taste can go off for a week or even 2 weeks at a time then come back. It can be fine in the morning and by mid afternoon just develops what I can only describe as an odd tang. And day or two later my husband says he notices I'm not eating much. Then I realise it's because things taste nondescript or grim again.

Still who cares though - we are alive and for me I'll trade taste buds anyday for life. I'm far too busy to be preoccupied with food other than when I get a hunger pang. And I do now have to watch my weight again, so I know some things must taste ok!!

http://www.fashion-era.com/Radiotherapy_3.htm
http://www.fashion-era.com/Radiotherapy_4.htm

Hi all, I haven't had that problem. I do have
sinus problem. Ice cream is wonderful especially sherbet as in Lime sherbet. I'm
16 years out so that may be the difference.
Cathy

Phillip, Pauline, Cat and all,

Is it known whether anyone, but anyone, has ever fully recovered their taste buds after radiotherapy/chemotherapy treatment?

Recent post: Limited taste 4 years after completion of treatment!

I recognise all the taste effects listed (ice cream limitations/small portions delightful etc), but until reading these posts I naively thought that I could reasonably expect the return of my taste buds after about a year. Ho, ho, ho!

I agree overall though, that the lack of full taste buds in the grand scale of our condition, is not the highest recovery priority.

Regards, Fridge

Pauline,

How do you insert your quote in your post?

Regards, Fridge

Hi I read that with age your taste buds are not as keen as when you are young, I am still having trouble, chocolate hurts like hell, and cannot eat anything sweet, so still on the boring dull bland food; I used to love all the strong cheeses, Munster, strong goats cheese, game well hung, curries, and spicy food. now its really boring fare.

quote:

Hi I read that with age your taste buds are not as keen as when you are young, .... I used to love all the strong cheeses, ..... game well hung, curries, and spicy food..

Hi presuming you are logged in you just highlight the section of the post you want and right click the mouse and copy or use control and C. Then click reply and it takes a bit longer, but up comes the quote without needing to paste it.

I think there is also a quotation mark button you can use too - but you get the whole lot - you could zap parts as it can make post look very heavy.

Hope this helps