Contents:
- Medical Video: Your Taste Changes Toolkit for During and After Cancer Treatment
- Tips to overcome the appearance of metal taste in the mouth due to the side effects of chemotherapy
- Can I prevent metal from appearing in my mouth?
Medical Video: Your Taste Changes Toolkit for During and After Cancer Treatment
Chemotherapy is one of the most common cancer treatments to kill cancer cells in the body. But it is undeniable that chemotherapy can bring a variety of unpleasant side effects. One of them is the metallic taste in the mouth. The side effects of this chemotherapy often make appetite decrease because all the taste of food and drink you consume becomes unpleasant, even feels like metal. Then, how to overcome it?
Tips to overcome the appearance of metal taste in the mouth due to the side effects of chemotherapy
Some chemo drugs like vincristine, cisplatin, and cyclophosphamide can cause metal feeling in the mouth. This can decrease appetite and weight. In the end this will make your condition last longer. Therefore, you must immediately overcome this by doing the following:
- Avoid eating food or drinking 2-3 hours after chemotherapy is done.
- Try to drink water added with lemon juice. This will help you relieve the strong metallic taste in the mouth. However, avoid drinking this if there is thrush in your mouth.
- Use plastic or melamine tableware instead of metal.
- Consume foods that contain lots of spices. Herbs and spices strengthen the taste of food, so it will compensate for the metallic taste that coats your mouth.
- Use additional spices such as sauce or soy sauce. This will also make your food have a strong and dominant taste, thus relieving the taste of the metal that is in the crease.
- Eating mint mints between meals can help the metal taste not be too strong when you eat later.
- Maintain dental and oral hygiene by regularly brushing teeth. You can also clean between teeth with dental floss (flossing)
- Gargle with water mixed with baking soda, salt, or mouthwash before eating a meal.
- You should also avoid certain types of foods that can strengthen the metallic taste in your mouth, such as red meat. Instead you can eat chicken instead of beef.
You can do these things to reduce the metallic taste in the mouth due to the side effects of chemotherapy. However, remember that everyone has different conditions and certainly requires different handling. You should also tell your doctor what symptoms and side effects you feel during chemotherapy.
Can I prevent metal from appearing in my mouth?
Unfortunately, until now there is no way that can be done to prevent metallic taste in the mouth from appearing. However, in some cases this can be treated by giving the appetite enhancer medication.
Appetite enhancer drugs are sometimes given by doctors to cancer patients to help increase their food intake. However, not all patients will be given, to know whether you need it or not, you should discuss this with your doctor.
