Side Effects – Chemo and My Morning Coffee

Hi Nancy.

I've been on chemotherapy for several years now and it's ongoing. Mine started at the base of the tongue so I got radiation treatment for that. Four months later it metastasized into my liver. Now it is also on my hip bone. They can't cure it just try to keep it at bay.

But that's not why I'm writing. I was a computer programmer before all that happened. Before I touched the computer in the morning I'd wash my cup out and pour some fresh brewed coffee. I couldn't start my day without it. I'd drink it throughout the day.

When my taste changed I no longer liked coffee. The aroma was great but the taste was terrible. One of my family members bought me a Keurig coffee maker (the type where it makes a single cup) and a bunch of different flavors including the Krispy Creme Classic which is not a flavor per se rather another type of coffee blend.

So far I've tried several flavors and I can't seem to enjoy any of them save one: Caramel Cappuccino. The only problem with that is the sweetness becomes overpowering for me after about half a cup. I normally don't put sugar in my coffee but then it tastes worse. So I've started experimenting with different measurements. I still don't have it down right.

I won't be stopping chemotherapy until I'm ready for hospice so until then coffee may be something I simply can't enjoy. Now, it's funny. I enjoy the Starbucks Frappuccino in the bottle. Maybe I need to start drinking iced coffee. It won't be the same though.

Randy

I lost my husband to throat cancer 2 years ago, and this past June I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I started chemo treatments on the 14th of August this year. I’ve been so sick and tired for the past 2 weeks I’ve hardly been able to get out of bed. I’ve lost 7 lbs in a week, fluid. Dr has me on 6 kinds of medication to stop it, I’ve tried eating a bland diet, my mouth is raw and that makes it harder to eat. I have no taste buds, no appetite, and I’m sick of drinking water to keep hydrated. I have no desire to drink any thing. I have another chemo treatment coming up next week. I’m not interested in going through this again for another 2 weeks. I’m not the type of person that can lay around all day and night. I usually bounce right back from any kind of situation. I knew my husband was going through a lot but I didn’t realize how much he had to endure. Cancer is the worst disease anyone can have.

Loss of taste can be really upsetting, Nancy - it’s just one more “normal” thing that gets lost. As I’m living with mets, ‪I’m still on chemo, albeit mild, so my taste changes all the time. I can still enjoy sweet flavours, but savoury food tastes awful. I miss curries most!‬

Hello, I've just come across this blog, thanks for starting it! I'm on a chemo protocol of Docetaxel & Cyclophosphamide for bc recurrence......4 sessions 3 weeks apart. The first week or two the taste in my mouth resembles salty rusty nails. By week 3 the taste isn't so bad but not near normal. Tomorrow is my last infusion and hoping in a couple of months that things taste normal again! In the meantime I've given up faves like coffee and most vegetables although corn on the cob is good. Not a big fruit eater but have found bananas, plums and green apples are edible as well as applesauce and lemonade. Potatoes are good as well. Funny that berries taste like salt whereas the apples, bananas and plums do not. So no strawberries for awhile. Scrambled eggs are ok. I'm not losing weight which is good, but the first 2 weeks after chemo I am constantly eating things that don't taste great just to get relief from the ugly taste in my mouth. I've found that drinking cold water from the frig helps with the aftertaste as I can't taste it as I'm drinking it, and important to keep hydrated especially cleansing the cyclophosphamide from the system. I tried the Miracle Pill with my oncologist's ok, it's a plant based supplement that customer reviews say has helped them with tasting food normally.....it seemed to work better for those with no taste at all, but a couple of cancer patients said it helped them. I paid $20 for the jar of 12.....it did not work for me nor my friend with Burning Mouth Syndrome, but might work for others. The reviews were on Amazon. I wish recovery in all aspects to all of you brave souls going through treatments that are so unpleasant. My thought is that it's temporary and if it allows me to live to a ripe age I'll do whatever it takes. Best wishes to all!

Just finished chemo a couple weeks ago. Have such horrible taste. I've had it for months. Even water. Have to force everything down. Nothin tasts good.Im so hungry for a good steak dinner. It's been for ever since I've had a good meal.my dr said it could be 2 mo to get taste back. I sure hope so. I was on taxol An carboplaton for uterin cancer.had my last chemo a couple weeks ago.So want my taste back.