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Cravings! Anybody developed weird ones post transplant?
Mine is for big bags of prawn cocktail crisps, totally out of character given my eating habits pre-transplant (gym bunny) and actually pretty stupid given that I still have a mouthful of GVHD ulcers - I find myself unable to resist them. Nick
Answers
I had a craving for wine gums which really got the saliva working, those made by M and S should be avoided as they contain grapefruit flavoured gums. Grapefruit should be avoided by anyone taking cyclosporine medication.
I also got a real urge for cakes which my wife used to get from the local bakery as a treat, in those early days after transplant I couldn't wait for her to come back from the shops with my daily paper and a cake. I used to kid myself that I needed to put weight back on after loosing so much anyway.
2 years on and I still enjoy wine gums and cakes!.
Enjoy the crisps you deserve them.
Cheers, Peter
Turns out that his brother who was his donor loved them!
Maybe there are taste buds in bone marrow ! lol
When I got home I was into pork scratchings in a big way and found myself regularly snacking on them when my appetite came back.
I did go off chocolate for a long time. Pre-transplant I'd been a chocoholic but the effect that my treatment had on my taste meant I couldn't stand the taste of it. Thankfully my taste has now just about returned to normal and my chocaholic staus has been reinstated!
I've gone off omelettes and pork pies; the former may be because I have a terrible memory of a hospital omelette, or because it was what I ate just before the last time I was sick... As for the latter, I think I just ate too many in hospital, so perhaps psychologically they're somehow linked.
I never used to snack on chocolate (though always liked it), but that's something I've started doing more recently.
Before transplant I was advised not to have any alcohol because of low platelets. Post transplant the last thing on my mind was alcohol.
However during recovery I saw an article reviewing a non alcoholic Merlot grape juice, a Waitrose product sold in their chilled juice aisle. It's an own brand and described as 'deep and full bodied'.
I tried it and it tasted really good and looked the part in a glass with a meal, it's served chilled but if poured a few minutes before a meal it takes that cold edge off, but it's just as good chilled..
I don't drink so much of it now but I did recently whilst on antibiotics and its still a refreshing drink.
Peter
One benefit for me is that I no longer get hayfever - which is a welcome bonus!
Steve
I agree with what Steve says, my blood group also changed, it also cured my hay fever which I had suffered with from being a teenager. My unrelated donor whom I have met is Welsh, I live in Cheshire and in the recent rugby six nations competition I found myself supporting the Welsh! But only when they won.
It is early days yet for your husband but from the testimonies of other members and myself things will get back to normal eventually and tastes will return. My daily treat was a cake, and things like wine gums or fruits can help as can cordial drinks. Flavoured ice cream also helped.
Be patient, and keep in touch on the forum and let us know how your husband progresses, we are here to support each other and share experiences.
Peter