How to get your taste buds back
![how to get your taste buds back how to get your taste buds back](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/766/articles/2015/09/taste-1492374961.jpg)
These flavors can help mask a bitter or metallic taste in the mouth.Īvoid red meats if they do not taste good. Try sugar-free gum or hard candies with flavors such as mint, lemon, or orange. Use plastic utensils and glass cookware to lessen a metallic taste. This drug can make you sensitive to cold. However, avoid cold foods if you are receiving chemotherapy with oxaliplatin (Eloxatin). Cold or room-temperature foods smell less.Įat cold or frozen foods, which may taste better than hot foods. Use an exhaust fan, cooking on an outdoor grill, or buy precooked foods. If you are sensitive to smells, get rid of cooking odors. If this is true for you, talk with your doctor or a dietitian.Ĭonsider the following tips to cope with taste changes:Ĭhoose foods that smell and taste good, even if the food is not familiar. Taste changes can make it hard for some people to eat healthy foods and maintain their weight. For example, treating causes such as mouth infections, dry mouth, or dental or gum problems can improve taste changes. Sometimes treating the cause of the taste changes can help. Often, there are no specific treatments for taste problems. Other causes of taste changes can include: If salivary glands are harmed, then the sense of taste may not fully return to the way it was before treatment. Taste changes may continue to improve for about a year. Taste changes caused by radiation treatment usually start to improve 3 weeks to 2 months after treatment ends. Changes to the sense of smell may affect how foods taste. It may also cause changes to the sense of smell. Radiation therapy to the neck or head can harm the taste buds and salivary glands, causing taste changes. Some opioids used to relieve pain, such as morphine Medicines used to treat side effects can cause taste changes, including: Immunotherapy, also called biologic therapy, can also cause taste changes, including interleukin-2 (IL-2, Aldesleukin, Proleukin.) The following types of chemotherapy are commonly known to cause taste changes: This usually stops about 3 to 4 weeks after treatment ends. About half of people receiving chemotherapy have taste changes. Taste changes are a common side effect of chemotherapy. Understanding the cause can help you and your health care team better relieve or manage these changes. There are several possible causes of taste changes related to cancer and its treatment. What causes taste changes during cancer treatment? This is called palliative care or supportive care. Relieving such side effects is an important part of cancer care and treatment. Tell your health care team if you have any taste changes, especially if they are affecting your ability to eat. It can cause a strong dislike of certain foods, also called food aversions. Taste changes can lead to loss of appetite and weight loss. You may have a metallic or chemical taste in your mouth, especially after eating meat or other high-protein foods. Here are some common taste changes:įoods may taste differently than before, especially bitter, sweet, and/or salty foods. Some people have taste changes during or after cancer treatment.