Has anyone experienced an on going chemical smell during and post chemo. I have finished chemo last week but am surrounded by a chemical smell emanating from my body and I cannot get rid of it. I am showering daily, changing my day clothes and pyjamas daily, changing my bed linen but no matter what I can’t get away from it. I am putting Vicks up my nose, using strong smelling shower gel etc. Also my mouth tastes like old pennies, I am eating mints but I can’t get rid of the taste. Has anyone had this and how long did it last, many thanks for any ideas.
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Hi wabbly
I have found 2 interesting articles I thought you might find useful.
http://chemocare.com/chemotherapy/side-effects/taste-changes.aspx
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Thank you , I will have a read of the articles , Best wishes Wabbly
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It will be interesting to hear your thoughts on the articles as I am sure future forum members would find it useful to hear from someone with first hand experience of this issue. I did 6 months of doxorubicin but was fortunate not to have this particular issue.
Alfie
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Hi Wabbly, really good issue to raise, I have heard it before, I hope others will be able to help you.
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An update : the chemotherapy chemical smell and horrible taste in my mouth has gone : this is 4 weeks after my last chemotherapy treatment for non Hodgkin’s lymphoma unclassified R-CHOP ( chemotherapy & rituximab) hurray
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Thanks so much for updating us, what a relief, I am so glad the horrible taste has gone. Please keep posting how you are doing.
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Fantastic news, I am sure this will be helpful to anyone else on the forum who experiences this problem in the future. The articles I posted seem to confirm everything you were experiencing and hopefully will be a reference for other patients.
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Yes! I developed an odd metallic smell to my sweat. It started during chemo, and continued afterwards for 7 months. I’d been told that the chemo would continue working in my system for up to a year after treatment. That’s how I think I know when the chemo exited my body. As I work one day and no metallic smell.
My sense of smell and taste also changed prior to diagnosis/treatment. For a few years before (and I’m told I probably had HCL for 5-7yrs prior to diagnosis, I began to slowly go off pork, but to the point that even the smell of it cooking, in any form used to make me physically wretch. Post treatment I can deal with the smell again though the taste is a bit hit and miss.
Another peculiar thing that may or may not be related, is that pre treatment I developed a liking for fresh cigarette smoke. Gross, I know. I’ve never smoked. Now I’m in remission I no longer like it again.
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Are there any other changes that people have noticed, that may be useful to be aware of for anyone commencing chemotherapy soon? @wabbly am very pleased to hear the metallic taste has gone! I hope you’re doing well since finishing treatment?
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