Brenda Watt Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Hi folks my name is Brenda Watt, had my SAH back in August 2014, making a good recovery, still experiencing headaches , my medication helps, the fatigue still an issue. When I was 3 months into recovery I started being sick after I ate food, now 7 months in sickness has stopped but still unable to eat food only have a taste for sweet things, beginning to get me down does it get better? Going out for a meal is a nightmare!! Everything smells horrible, can anybody help me or has the same symptoms ? My consultant has referred me to a dietician , on the 6 th of May, only have an after care team near where I stay. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Mario Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Welcome to BTG Brenda. I had taste issues from the beginning that took months to sort itself out. I lived on smoked fish and salad or mushrooms on toast for months. I couldn't drink tea as it tasted foul so only drank coffee, ginger ale which helped with the nausea and still flavoured water. I think it will be trial and error until you find something that doesn't taste or smell bad. As an afterthought, was there any medication change that coincided with the start of your smell and taste problems. If there was you need to see your doctor and point it out to him/her. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misskdk Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Hi Brenda, I was the same way during my recovery and would get ill at the thought of eating basic food such as rice or toast, even drinking plain water was disgusting to me. The only thing I liked to eat was fruit, and I had to be put on insulin at the hospital because my blood sugar spiked so much. My appetite eventually returned and I'm back to enjoying the same foods as before (though I try to cut down on the sodium levels now), so I'm confident that you will too! I can't give you a timeline since everyone's recovery period is different, but it seems like meeting a dietitian is a good idea! Have you tried protein/vitamin smoothies or milkshakes yet? Those were one of the first things I got used to after fruit, since it was in the same "sweets" vein, and at least that way I was able to get something more "nutritional." It was recommended by my attending dietitian at the hospital, so that was the first thing I thought of when you mentioned your referral. I actually fought the smoothie/milkshake idea for a long time because in my mind it just sounded awful, but I eventually gave in and tried it, and I found that forcing myself to try things that I assumed I wouldn't like (even taking just a few bites or sips) actually helped speed up the process of getting used to food again, like it made my body and mind "remember" that other foods tasted good. I wish you the best of luck and will be rooting for your appetite! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenda Watt Posted March 29, 2015 Author Share Posted March 29, 2015 Hi no there has been no changes to my medication since I left hospital. Would love to be able to eat proper food instead of all this junk food, choc sugary sweets, still enjoy a piece of fruit thank god!! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Hi Brenda A warm welcome to BTG. Like you, Super Mario & Misskdk, I had taste issues. I lived on about 2 small spoonfuls of mash potato with salad cream and cereal ( not at the same time lol ) in hospital and a drip. Everything made me feel sick. Glad to say after a while things did improve. I completely went off chocolate too which was unheard of lol I was hoping that taste would stay away but it came back !! Good luck & hope all goes well with the Dietician xx 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winb143 Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Hi Brenda, Yup had the taste issues especially with coffee and tea. Wish I didn't like chocs so much as I am the biggest I have ever been !! (always been pleasantly plump lol) Love my food also but I must diet (one day). Good luck and may your taste buds return. Regards WinB143 xx 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momo Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Hi Brenda, I also had problems with sickness and eating early in my recovery. Problems with the taste of food continued for quite some time. The only food I could eat had to be freshly prepared and even then sometimes I couldn't eat it. I couldn't eat any ready meals at all as I could taste the additives. Basically I had an exaggerated sense of taste and it was horrible. All settled down though between 6 and 12 months into recovery so I hope you will see improvement shortly. Not sure if the dietician can help with this as I'm pretty sure its a 'brain' thing but she may be able to advise on food that is more palatable. Let us know how you get on. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenda Watt Posted March 30, 2015 Author Share Posted March 30, 2015 Hi folks thanx for all your advice, will give the smoothies and Milk shakes a try, have tried forcing myself to eat food only end up being sick!!!will just need to be patient hopefully will see an improvement shortly, good to hear your stories and share the problem, you guys are lovely x 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy Wright Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 I had some issues with appetite and eating while I was in hospital and for a while afterwards. I put it down to the nasty dose of oral thrush that developed while I was at my lowest. Now your I'm wondering if part of this was due to the fact that I stopped smoking at the point I had my SAH. I do know that my sense of smell seems to have become enhanced and I'm noticing some smells that I'd been oblivious to previously, eg other people's bad breath! I do hope your problems with eating resolve soon. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelle C Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Hi Brenda I never ate for 10 days while I was in hospital everything had a strange taste although I was never sick I just could not put food in my mouth. I used to love mints, can`t even stand the smell of them now or anything with mint. Brushing my teeth is a nightmare, have to nip my nose otherwise it makes me want to be sick. Peas are a problem for me also and the only hot drink I like is coffee and sometimes I can drink it and sometimes I can`t, I do think its the brain thing, Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnS Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Food tasted awful when I got out of hospital. To be fair, food tasted awful when I was in hospital - I'm told that I refused to eat most days. I had terrible stomach problems when admitted and was actually put in a private room with barrier nursing because they thought I had an infection. It turns out I react badly to dairy products and the drip I had was some sort of creamy stuff. When they realised this, they fed me on plain boiled rice and boiled white fish. How surprising that I refused to eat! I lost over a stone in 18 days. On getting home, all I wanted was ice-cream. I was only interested in sweet food and when eating savoury, I would have taste distortions where the food would suddenly become extremely salty or fishy, or both - like smoked mackerel. Yuk. It took many months for this to go away. The desire for sweet food remained and my GP told me I had to get a grip and force myself to stop eating yummy things as I was getting quite fat. That stone didn't stay away for long that's for sure! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winb143 Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 Dawn, My Doc sent me to a dietician, every time she mentioned my daughter I would cry. I was "Hey you leave my daughter out of this" . I wasn't ready to start as I loved choc and anything I could eat lol. In my mind I was" I nearly died so I deserve a treat and my fat saved me" still like that 5 plus years later. ha ha Yesterday I caught sight of my botty in patio doors, it shocked me. I am starting another diet on Monday and see if I can keep to it by Wednesday !! hard though when you cannot walk far !! Be Well Dawn and you one day will call me pleasantly plump and I'll be happy with that xx Love WinB143 xx xx 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 Yes I had trouble with food, my taste change in some things - there have been a few on here that have food problems your not the first or alone in it. I too don't like much chocolate or sweet things now which is opposite of before that hasn't changed. Keep us updated, sending you best wishes take care Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenda Watt Posted April 11, 2015 Author Share Posted April 11, 2015 Thanks Louise will keep you posted, trying realy hard to stay off the sweet things, try alittle food each day, makes me feel sick, keep living in hope each day is going to be different!! Think I am going to try an acupunctureist, as someone suggested to me, will give anything a go, thanks again, everyone keep posting!!xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winb143 Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 Acupuncturist would have to pin my lips together ha ha Keep well Janey and Brenda xx forgot I was on a diet today and had a chocolate, darn it..lol Start tomorrow again !!! Keep well WinB143 xxxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpaggett Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 Like everyone here, food changed for me as well. Things were too spicy or too bland or not right in some way. I also went off of chocolate which was my passion before the SAH. I went gluten free for a bit, not because I thought it was healthy, but because I couldn't stand wheat. All of this has reverted...except I found out that I like many other sweet treats in addition to chocolate. I still don't really like the dark which is what I lived for before. Mild chocolate is what I like now and in small doses. I hope this is a short lived phase for you because it can be really annoying! ~Kris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg 21.01.15 Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 I had / have a slightly different change in taste. While I was in hospital I lost my sweet tooth for a couple of weeks (which is unheard of) but that came back with a vengeance. Generally food is all fine but two things I have noticed. Alcohol, I loved the taste of a nice bitter beer or a decent glass of red wine. Beer just tastes flat and horrible and red wine tastes like is been sat around for a week and gone rancid. Secondly, like Mandy my sense of smell has changed in some ways and what I've noticed I'm particularly sensitive to people's bad breath. The alcohol I had put down to the industrial strength antibiotics I was on to treat the ventriculitis introduced by my EVD but perhaps not? Its slowly coming back to me, but its not the worst thing to have lost the taste for, stop me being such a lush! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Mario Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 Talking of red wine, prior I could not have even a sip because it brought on a violent headache. Now I can drink it by the gallon with no ill effects. Good or bad, I don't know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClareM Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 When I first came home from hospital my taste had altered - not from the chocolate though! My first taste of wine was 'yukk' and ask anyone who knows me that was not the norm! I am back on red and white wine now - not together! - but I have noticed that my tolerance is very low now, 2 glasses and I am away with the fairies. Also after 2 glasses my memory is obliterated as can be testified by my subsequent facebook postings and email outbox. I have to check my emails the morning after to see who I contacted and whether an apology is needed! Still at least I am a cheap date my husband tells me! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.