ANA Discussion Forum
Archive => Archives => Topic started by: marcy on December 30, 2005, 06:33:26 pm
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Hi,
Can anyone tell me how long the awful taste lasts.  It has been 7 months since my Translab
surgery.
Thanks,
Marcy
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Hi Marcy - I am 7 years post-op and I had the "taste" for probably 7-9 months the first year. I will still get it occasionally, once or twice a month for a 1day. I really don't know what brings it on and have tried to keep a journal of what I did or ate that might trigger it. Still a mystery!
have a great day!
matti
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Mine lasted about4 months or so. 8)
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Mine was continuous until about the 4 month mark. I find that certain foods still taste bad though, especially salty foods.
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Thanks for all you input. I cannot drink carbonated drinks and popcorn has an awful taste.
Marcy
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I started having a metallic taste in my mouth about 8 months before the tumor was discovered. I was also in my 2nd trimester of pregnancy, so I figured it was 'part of the package'.
The metallic taste isn't as prevalent now, 11 months post-op. However, it does flare up sometimes and I don't know why either. Brushing my teeth several times per day and gargling do help mask the problem but not get rid of it.
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Hi Marcy
I had metallic taste in my mouth after surgery. Eating chocolate with metallic taste that's quite awful! Doctor told me that it is just because of the nerve getting sensitive... Anyway after I had my second surgery for CSF leak it just dissapeared, on my second surgery they removed all the stuff from my ear and they closed the canal towards to the nose... Anyway I hope you get rid of it soon and for sure not to need any extra surgery!!! Try to eat some lemon maybe it will dissapear it.... ???
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I hear so much about a bad taste in the mouth. Is that because you have no sulivia? I have no sulivia and I am dry 24-7. Its been3 years and I'm still waiting for this to go away.
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Somewhere, and my memory fails me :PI read that that metal taste is a sign the facial nerve is healing. My last doctor visit, I mentioned that metallic taste and he just looked at me.ÂÂ
The taste comes/goes has no rhyme or reason. Food tastes better than it did a month ago, and I actually have saliva, and before it seemed my mouth was continuosly dry and sticky on the right (surgery) side.ÂÂ
Honestly, though after the 3 months prior to surgery when the whole right side was numb, and I couldn't taste ANYthing, I'll opt for this any day.
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Radiant Star, It sounds like you and I are in the same place post-op. I had late onset facial weakness, not paralysis. I am in week 12 and still have the metallic taste. It is a wee bit better this week than last. The numbness comes and goes on the tip of my tongue now as opposed to big time numbness along the whole side and middle. Sometimes I ask myself if it is salty or metallic, but who cares. It is there and hopefully diminshing.
In the beginning I asked my doctor about the taste and his response was "Facial weakness and odd tastes are from the same source, and are temporary...This will go away in time." So I am hanging on with my appetite and water bottle, and good teeth cleaning. I have noticed since week 9 my mouth is not dry in the morning. Saliva production has something to do with the improvement. Can you smell most things? I haven't had trouble with the smell sense, thank goodness!
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At least I am at the point where I just go ahead and eat whatever I want and ignore the metallic tastes in between. I find that after a few minutes into a meal, the good tastes flatten out and I get the numb or stinging sensation back. So my husband says eat often and fast. There is always a way to engineer things. ::)
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Hey Boppie
You and I must be eatin' the same nails....that's what I imagine nails taste like :D
It's 3 months, well almost 3 1/2 now. Food, ummmmmmm yum. I bet you're numbness will get better in no time. As for the numbness, I'm happy just to brush my teeth and actually feel the inside of my mouth. Back before surgery, I couldn't even feel the inside of my nose, I think it dried up too....yucky feeling, but it's fully functional and even runs sometimes. Sorry to be so graphic.
Hang in there Boppie, when food starts tasting good to you, I'll take you out to lunch sometime....well cyber-lunch at the very least. How does icecream taste to you?
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Actually chocolate and milk and ice cream and mexican food all taste normal but the buds only work well for about 10 minutes, then I get numb again. Same old story the nerves are weak and they get tired quickly. If this is the way recovery goes, then I can't gripe. I'd sure like to read some detailed descriptions of tongue nerve recoveries. Heck, who worries about graphic. When you are in this AN world you just have to "deal".
My own brother, who has a colostomy, tells me that all of the time. He says I'd give up both my ears to not have to live with this colostomy in my abdomen. So how to complain? Only brothers can say things like that, huh? Life is good. :)
I will think of you every morning, and we should write from time to time.
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Does salt bother anyone? Since my surgery (almost 8 years) I can not tolerate salt, even in the slightest amounts. :P
Radiantstar - Thats it! you hit the nail on the head (sorry I couldn't resist) the taste of nails, seriously that's what I've been tasting all these years and I couldn't put my finger on it.
matti
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How different yet alike we are! I still have metallic taste(10 mo post-op) and eat anyways. But I have always been a confirmed ice cream nut! and I rarely eat it anymore because it just doesn't taste that good.Yet..unlike Mattie, I crave salt. In all my 48 years I have really never been a "chip" eater, now I crave salt and vinegar kettle cooked chips. I have ate two bags in the last few months! More that I have eaten probaly in my whole life! Go figure!luv2teachsped
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Boppie, Goooooood Morning to you! Yeah, I'll take my deafness over the colostomy ANY day. ugh
Yes, it would be interesting to see/hear about the tongue/nerve healing study. We could be the "study" group!!!! Ya' know that your sense of taste is connected to the sense of smell...thank goodness that has/still works great...
Early in recovery, I remember that hot sauce, soda, and my favorite junk food tasted like cardboard, burned the heck out of my mouth, soda tasted worse than Alka Seltzer and Perrier Water mixed together.....not now though.
I also had to eat/chew really slow, which is actually better for digestion, wish that would have stuck around longer...now I have to "think" slow down more. I eat slow anyway, but my husband eats like a pirrhana (sp) ;D
Matti, I've never had issues with salt, so don't put salt on the nails we're eating! ::)
luv2teach, my old cravings Cheetos, Oreos, and Chunky Monkey, I just give in and have some. Just not often. I can't even be in the same room with that stuff, so I keep it out of the house. Otherwise, I'd swell up like a balloon. Guess, what I'm saying, yeah cravings are usually a sign of something missing in you're diet somewhere...I wonder about the nutritional value of Cheetos ? LOL Ya' know my motto is "anything in moderation is alright"
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I will think of you every morning, and we should write from time to time
Boppie, I would love for you to write to me, that would be awesome!!!!
E-mail me offlist, I will look forward to hearing from you ;D
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Do you remember the teasing eye/head exercises? I decided to do the same with my taste problems.ÂÂ
I worked on identifying smells and testing myself on intensity. I started testing pinches of sugar, salt, all sorts of foods but nothing too acidic that might harm weak tissue. I took mental notes on "Can I feel hot"?, "Can I feel cold"? Where on my tongue is the bud map numb? I discovered my tongue had a mid line curl that was straight before surgery. As my taste sense improves this curve changes. I realized just lately that the numb side is laying down flat at night when at first it was pulled up. As the tongue relaxes the saliva improves. Who'da thunk that this organ is so smart? All of this stuff sounds nuts and obsessive, but it is my way of dealing with a hoped for recovery. The very reason to writing to this nuts place is to find other nuts anyway! ;D
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I remember the eye/head exercises, how creative of you to hook that into the taste buds. I would'nt have even thought about that...wow.
As for nuts, would you like some Planters???? lol,
It's great to be able to talk to other "nuts" who understand us isn't it?!
I agree our body is an amazing machine, and tries it's best to keep up with us messing around with it. It's natural wish is to be happy and healthy no matter what we do, it has wisdom of it's own.ÂÂ
Boppie I got your e-mail, yes, it worked :o
See ya' soon, have a great Friday, and "taste" all life has to offer today, that's my motto for the day. ;) ;) ;) ;)