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EVERYTHING tastes horrible to my father...

CliffsDaughters
0 Recommendations

Everything my father eats TASTES horrible. He literally forces food down. He says it tastes like a combination of motor oil/vinegar/hot sauce. He gags and is contantly complaining about it. He has lost about 30lbs since April 15th. (He has adv. SCLC and just finished 2nd Line clinical trial chemo - we can scans today)

Has anyone gone through this and if so....what would you recommend. My father LOVES to eat but he can't get the food down. WE have tried ALL of his favorites too....nothing tastes good. Does this horrible taste ever end.

Thank you in advance.
Melissa

Explore topics in this discussion:

Pneumonia Pain Biaxin Thrush

20 replies

CKP

I had the horrible taste during chemo, but it started when I started pain pills. I ate things I didn't normally like. The only thing I liked that tasted good was vegetable soup.

If he is on pain pills you may want to try a different one. Taste was a lot worse on percoset than it was on darvoset.

But, to answer your question, yes, it does end. I lost 30 pounds and have put it all back, even though I would have liked to have kept a few off!

Best of luck to you and your dad,
Cindy

fulham

Protein drinks may be the way forward and if you use a straw he could swallow it straight down without the flavor lingering too long. We were told that mum would probably go off her food so I bought some build up drinks ready, but touch wood she has kept her appetite thru the first cycle. Next cycle of carbo/epit starts next Weds so we'll have to wait and see how that pans out.

pattyp1

hey Melissa,
you need to start charting what tastes good - lemon, cinnamon, and vanilla worked for my daddy and seem to be fairly chemo-proof. if you find the families of stuff that tastes good, then just make sure he eats out of those families - e.g., cinnamon rolls, milk shakes, etc. my daddy also found that almost anything from MacDonalds was tasty - I spent a lot of time in the drive-through lane! the important thing now is to find what he can eat, and then give it to him in whatever volume he can hold.

wishing you lots of luck

hugs
Pat

debra1

Melissa- I too had a hard time eating and drinking at first. It did get better. I had what I call a metallic taste. I did not want the normal things, I found that Cold, Soft and a few other things I could eat. My friends and family just kept trying and I liked pudding, sherbert, ice cream, stouffer's mac and cheese, icees-Dr. Pepper and I never liked DP. A couple of kinds of soup I could eat.........just keep trying. It is funny I have not eaten much of any of that since treatment but I have changed from Diet Coke to Diet DP. Chemo treatment and taste is just a weird thing for many.

sharpie

When I developed "post-obstructive pneumonia" (the tumor was blocking my breathing) prior to my lc dx, I was given Biaxin, a very strong antibiotic that made EVERYTHING taste like horrible metal. After losing twenty pounds I discovered mashed potatoes, scalloped potatoes, au gratin, etc., mostly freshly made mashed potatoes with butter and milk was the ONLY thing I could tolerate and swallow.

Hope this helps. I agree you may find a certain food group that works! Good luck!

Marylou1

Melissa,
It's just like everyone else says. Give him anything he thinks would taste good and has calories.

When my dad would not eat much, he would always go for a milkshake made with FLAT root beer soda. Weird but true. Happy meals just might do it as Patti said. ANYTHING at all.

Don't stop believing,
Marylou

cuddles53

He will just have to keep trying different things. i know for me I hated just about everything too. I even hated my regular brand of ice cream, and had to check every kind out until I found one I liked. for some reason a boiled egg with salt on it, and a piece of toast tasted okay, but everything else was like sardine cans. it is the oddest sensation and it just could not be helped. I would go to a restaurant, and be ashamed of myself, I had to push everything away. I also lost 40 pounds but I needed it.
The taste does eventually come back, at least it did for me, and now I am the opposite again, overweight. I think it took a few months after chemo was finished.

Take care, and Good luck. Sandy

CliffsDaughters

THank you everyone! I read him your posts...he really forces himself to eat/drink. Nothing tastes good. I MADE him drink two ensures today while I was with him....(not at the same time).

I know he needs his energy to get better and fight and without fuel it is next to impossible. It is such a continuous spiral....food tastes bad so he doesn't eat...he loses weight and has no energy...then the breathing gets weak....

I was almost in tears when I told him that he needed to eat and keep fighting. He said, "Don't worry, I still have my fight...but the food is horrible"!

Please GOD - make it get better! :)

Thank you everyone.

pattyp1

hey Melissa,
have you ever REALLY tasted Ensure? yeah, it's got vitamins....and nutrients......but drive to your favorite place and get a big milkshake - the temperature will also help out the taste buds and settle his tummy - it might really help him - also get a few of those adorable little apple pies
and get some for yourself!!!
hugs
Pat

CliffsDaughters

PattyP1 - OMG...no I haven't tasted ENSURE. Is it Nasty??? Now I feel horrible!!

I will make sure we get him a milkshake form Steak and Shake...he used to like those the best.

Thank you for the feedback.

dusteerose

Hi Melissa,

I was never a big meat eater but I lost my taste for meat not from the chemo but thrush!!! Every time I ate meat it tasted like I was downing tons of salt. Onc gave me medicine for it and the medicine helped. I still eat mostly vegtables, salads etc. Still don't care for meat as much but can eat chicken (boneless, skinless) with no problem.

Have him checked for thrush!

Jen

kardiack

hi, I ate cold cold pudding and store bought chicken noodle soup. Hate the stuff usually and now but then I could get that down.

fl48382

Dear Melissa,
You might want to ask your doctor about an appetite stimulant such as Megace. It worked wonders for my father who couldn't eat anything and lost weight. It also helped with his naseau too. I hope your father will be better.

AngelBoBaby

My mom has the same problem. She can't eat meat, she can't swallow it. What she found helps the bad taste is lemonhead candy, ensure (vanilla, she said the chocolate is terrible) lipton chicken noodle soup, she does force most foods down when she really can't eat, and most of the time it makes her gag. For her it's just try everything and find out what tasted the best and what she was able to get down. My dad's radiation therapist told him to eat a few Hershey kisses right before he ate anything and it would take the bad taste out of his mouth long enough to eat. It did work for him, for my mom it doesn't. For her it seems that 3 days out from chemo for about 5 days is the worst, after that she can eat normally, except for meat.
Dina

Wallsy57

Try chicken noodle soup, scrambled eggs, peanut butter and jelly on toast, tuna on toast, just about anything on toast. These things tasted best to me. Even cereal like special k with almonds, with or without milk. Best of luck, Bill

MaryRVF

Hi Melissa!

I am taking a chance--but it looks like you are "the Melissa" I know from the horse forum as well?? This a wonderful, very informative site--i am glad to found your way here! I want you to know that I am here for you! (((HUGS))))

Mary
(Me'N'Chic)

CliffsDaughters

Thank you Mary....I feel like you are my guardian Angel! :)

1hardbody

Hi Melissa,
So sorry to hear about your father. My mother experienced the very same thing. We asked the doctor about it and he prescibed this mouth rinse 4x's a day. My mom said the rinse was worse than the bad taste of everything and stopped doing it. Once thing we did try were plastic serveware. The metal or silverware gave her a metallic taste and the plastic spoons and forks took that away. Foods such as jello, pudding, Dannon la creme yogurt was ok for her. Its very difficult and my heart goes out to you and your father. My mom had no appetite, unfortunately I lost her July 1st.

Waterspirit

I also have sclc and have experienced several different eating problems, one where nothing tasted good anymore and one where I couldn't stand the taste of sweets. These side effects passed with time and with changes in my meds, or both for all I know. I would assure him it will pass. Anyway, it is always helpful to think positive. I have always told my kids, when you don't know the answer to something, choose to believe the outcome you'd like. He is so lucky to have y'all. Bless you for being there for him.

grammyinphoenix

Tell his oncologist -- they can prescribe an appetite stimulant. I had the same problem -- lost about 25 pounds -- finally, once I got under 100# I became a little scared and started eating jars of peanut butter, etc. Anything high fat or high caloric worked for me. I think Ensure is ok -- didn't taste bad to me. Anything that tastes good to him he should eat. Again, let his oncologist know so they can prescribe something for him. My oncologist prescribed marinol and it worked!

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