When having cancer treatments, it’s common to experience a bad taste in your mouth. Chemotherapy is known for causing a bitter, metallic, or chemical taste in the mouth (‘chemo mouth’), with around half of people treated reporting taste changes.
Dysgeusia (impairment of the sense of taste) is commonly caused by chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and other cancer treatments. Chemotherapy drugs are thought to damage the delicate cells in the mouth lining, while others can change the balance of bacteria in the mouth, leading to taste changes. Talk to your medical team to determine whether your chemo treatment will likely have this side effect.
It’s important to remember that taste changes don’t affect everyone with cancer treatments; they usually wear off around 3-6 weeks after your treatment has stopped.
Sense of smell – You may find your sense of smell changes in these ways:
• Food or drinks, such as tea, coffee, beer, or wine, taste too bitter
• Foods, such as chocolate or sweetened breakfast cereals, may taste too sweet
• You find it difficult to smell food, which may make it harder to taste
• You are more sensitive to smells
Tips for mealtimes:
• Eat room-temperature foods
• Avoid fried foods, roasted meats, onions, garlic, eggs, coffee, and chocolate – often trigger foods for parosmics
• Try bland foods like rice, noodles, and untoasted bread. Steamed vegetables and plain yogurt are palatable to many
• If you really can’t keep food down, consider unflavoured protein shakes
• If it is available in your area, order your groceries online to avoid going to the supermarket
You may also have problems with fragrances from perfumes, and soaps may bother you too.
Follow up with your doctor or dietitian if:
• You have persistent taste changes that prevent you from being able to eat
adequate amounts
• You have other side effects, such as nausea and vomiting, that prevent you
from eating and drinking
• If you are losing weight without trying, you may need to take a multivitamin/mineral supplement
Eating might be more challenging if you have trouble tasting or smelling food. But you’ll still need to eat well to maintain your strength.
REFERENCES
*ABSCENT
*HEALTHLINE
*NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE
*LIVING BETTER
