Ugh, that sounds absolutely miserable — and you're definitely not alone in feeling that way about chemo and taste changes. Many MyLungCancerTeam members have described everything tasting awful, metallic, like chalk, or just plain wrong during treatment.
Taste changes (called dysgeusia) are a well-known side effect of chemo Show Full Answer
Ugh, that sounds absolutely miserable — and you're definitely not alone in feeling that way about chemo and taste changes. Many MyLungCancerTeam members have described everything tasting awful, metallic, like chalk, or just plain wrong during treatment.
Taste changes (called dysgeusia) are a well-known side effect of chemotherapy. It can make eating feel like a chore, which is frustrating because keeping your nutrition up is so important. Here are some tips that have helped others manage this:
- Try cold or room-temperature foods — they tend to have less smell and taste intensity
- Use plastic utensils instead of metal ones, which can worsen metallic or rancid tastes
- Cleanse your palate before eating with frozen fruit or sorbet
- Experiment with nutritional shakes like Ensure — served very cold and foamy like a milkshake
- Find your "safe" foods — some members found one or two things that still tasted okay, like peanut butter or banana popsicles
- Try smoothies or milkshakes for calories when solid food feels impossible
Talking to a dietitian who specializes in oncology can also be a game-changer. They can suggest high-calorie options and flavor strategies to help maintain your weight and strength.
Please let your care team know how severe this is — they may have additional solutions to help make this more manageable.
July 14
Marcy iam so sorry. I heard about this chemo and I was heading in that direction before the TILL….❤️
July 16
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