Taste buds

[alex c.]

Hi everyone. I had my surgery about a month ago. Food still tastes kind of weird to me. At first it was pretty nasty to eat. Everything tasted like medicine, but even now, 4 weeks out, food does not taste the same. I went to my favorite burger place last weekend for the ultimate test. The burger did not taste like it always did . I was so bummed. Has anyone else had this after surgery? If so, how long did it take to go away? Please tell me it does go away. I'm not sure how to describe it, but food kind of taste chalky, rancid or mediciny at times.

 

[tobagotwo]

It's very common, although it usually doesn't linger for much longer than a few weeks. The general assumption is that it's a side effect of your body getting rid of the toxins from the anesthesia.

Another fairly common side effect is night sweats, which can be drenching and go on for weeks or even months.

Best wishes,

 

[Natanni]

My husband had his AVR about 14 months ago. He had minimal appetite, and really ate only scrambled eggs and toast at around 10am, and the sherbert (multi-colored orange, lime, and strawberry in individual cups) for nearly 6 weeks. He would force himself to eat, but usually would spike a low grade temp and sweat after meals. At approx 2 months post op, this all just went away.

 

[alex c.]

Well that gives me some hope. From all I read, it DID say it was anesthesia toxins that should be gone in a few weeks. I'm starting on 5 weeks. The night sweats went away after the first week but I haven't been able to enjoy the taste of food yet. I look at stuff and really crave it and want to eat, but once I take the first bite, it all goes down hill. I really hope this goes away soon, I need to put on some much lost and needed weight.

 

[WayneGM]

Food started tasting better 4 weeks out, but I still don't eat as much as I used to. I lost about 15 lbs, and I haven't gotten in all back yet almost 10 months out, which isn't necessarily a bad thing

 

[Praline]

My doctors thought I was definetely the exception to the riule when it came to eating. Whatever they took out of my chest during my OHS was certainly not my appetite. In the hospital, I could not eat. The food was terrible. I could not wait to get home. I was always starving. As soon as I hit the door, I started eating and could not stop.

 

[Susan BAV]

That's funny, about our taste buds being "off," post-op. Funny but true!

I remember thinking that everything in the hospital tasted just like the sheets smelled. Ick, ick, ick.

And it was kind of an icky, stale, chalky smell as I recall. I was there in the hospital for a week, and home for nearly a week, and then back in the hospital for a few more days and I remember thinking that about the food in the hospital the second time also. In fact, during the second hospital stay, I had sent my husband down the hall to get a cup of coffee out of the vending machine and that tasted really delicious to me so I sent him down the hall for another one and then the cardio busted me while I was cheerfully slurping away on it. I was back in for A-fib... Ooops...

But if vending machine coffee tasted delicious... Wow, but those were some messed up taste buds!

 

[Magic8Ball]

Mine were busted for about a week.

Don't think they are busted still but i've never been that much of a food buff, one of those food=fuel kinda people so never paid much attention.

Hope they kick in soon.

 

[catwoman]

Alex:

YUP!

I lost 24 pounds in the first 3 1/2 weeks post-op. I craved fresh fruit (cantaloupe, watermelon), sorbet and iced tea. Could not stomach carbonated drinks. I looked pretty gaunt since my clothes didn't fit.
I eventually gained back 8 pounds, then chose a year later to lose 35 pounds.

Some foods still don't taste right -- chicken-fried steak and a lot of Mexican food, for example. Probably just as well, since they're fairly high in fat and calories.

 

[DeWayne]

It took me more than 2 months before Beef tasted close to ok. Beef was the worst. Strangely pork tasted fine. So I tended to eat many of those Jimmy Dean Sausage and egg croissants for a while along with pork tenderloin sandwiches. My wife cooked a turkey so I could have turkey sandwiches a couple weeks after surgery and she ended up freezing most of it for a month or so because it tasted crappy too. And I LOVE turkey sandwiches. It was a struggle for the first couple months to find anything I wanted to eat, but it slowly came back and now everything tastes like it should.
Just stay away from beef for a while, that was the last thing that tasted right for me. Oh and potatoes, took a long time for that as well.

 

[davidfortune]

Yeah - my normal Saturday breakfast of an Asiago Cheese Bagel with a touch of light mayo, deli chicken, alpine lace cheese and tomato tasted a little "mediciney" this morning.

Its a little disappointing.... Your buds remember the flavor, it just doesn't seem the same. Hopefully though it will help me lose 20 lbs and then I'll keep it off when the flavor comes back.

Oh yeah and I had decaf coffee (instead of my normal Hazelnut brew - I'm trying to be good here ) which tasted mildly like dirty socks.....

 

[Granbonny]

I lost 14 lbs. the first 2 weeks.....After coming home..all I wanted was cold, juice that comes in the Cartons. I did nibble at my hospital food and hubby's cooking....but, I heard/read? that after a major surgery your body burns 5,000 calories a day..trying to heal?.......About 3 weeks post-op I was craving a big, juicy cheeseburger from Wendy's. I still remember how good it was....I posted about the lettuce on it..and our Al replied to my thread that..that type lettuce shouldn't afffect my INR..One of my first posts.. ..I gained back those 14 lbs and 20 more since my surgery. ...but, everytime I try to diet..messes up my INR..I walk everyday..if I didn't would probably weigh much more.My Cardio doesn't say much about my weight..he just says..to exercise 30 minutes 5 days a week...for my heart..I walk my hyper, Papillon..more than that..everyday..I have to almost do a trot ..to keep up with him Bonnie