Questions about strange smell and taste
 

I have chemo every Mon. and Fri. receive supplemental fluids and decadron for a weekend boost. I had the bad metallic taste while on TCM last year.

A couple of weeks ago everything started smelling sicky sweet like a maple syrup overload and tasting that way as well. Even the dog smelled that way to me and poor guy got 3 baths in 1 day.

I have a powerport and noticed the smell/taste intensified when I received fluids. Monday during treatment I sensed a strong odor like warm or rancid plastic or rubber. This odor has replaced the sicky sweet one and I'm still experiencing it 2 days later.

Anyone ever had something similar? Could the sweet odor be from the fluids (glucose)? Why did it start? Is the current odor from the abraxane, herceptin, decadron or any of the premeds I had Mon? Is my port involved? Am I nuts?

Re: Questions about strange smell and taste
 

I don't think you are nuts, and I did have the sweet smell/taste thing you mentioned, although not the plastic. I, too, have the powerport, and I am on herception, but not the same chemo regimen as you are. It started suddenly, and left just as suddenly. I was in a restaurant with my mother and ordered a chicken fried steak (my favorite!), and when the food arrived everything tasted sweet...way over sweet. It went like that for about a week..everything I ate tasted something like sweet tea for lack of any better way to describe. Then after about a week it got less each day and went away. I was on TCH, and everyone had warned me I would alteration in my sense of taste, so I just thought that was what it was.

Re: Questions about strange smell and taste
 

I had the same thing...sicky sweet. I also had terrible taste bud disfunction!!! (along with mouth sores...) and everything sweet tasted horrible. It took me a long time after treatments ended to regain my taste for things sweet.