Awareness of bad smells and bad taste does not mean that the chemotherapy drugs are still circulating in the body. It simply means that these delicate nerve endings have been temporarily affected. The good news is that the problem is always reversible, and quite rapidly so, once the chemotherapy is completed.
Many people going through chemotherapy discuss an unpleasant body odor as a side effect. And yes, the culprit is indeed the chemotherapy drugs that affect both the body and bodily fluids. The positive news is that the smell typically disappears after the last treatment.
Daily care involving proximity with a malodorous patient in the terminal stage of cancer has often proved difficult for the caregiver. Whatever the cause of the primary cancer, three sources of noxious odor can exist or coexist: necrosis, superinfection, and perspiration and/or discharge.
While these side effects are not permanent—it takes around three to six months for smell and taste to recover after completing treatment—they can be unpleasant to experience.
Body odor is caused by a mix of bacteria and sweat on your skin. Your body odor can change due to hormones, the food you eat, infection, medications or underlying conditions like diabetes. Prescription-strength antiperspirants or medications may help.
Eating spicy foods and red meat can change how you smell, and not for the better. Sudden changes in body odor can also be caused by underlying medical conditions. Stopping the use of antiperspirants can increase “bad bacteria” in your armpit microbiome.
Does chemo come out in sweat? Yes, chemotherapy drugs are removed through sweat, urine, stool and other body fluids.
A return to normalcy is typical, but it takes a while – usually six months or so. “All who have done chemo do finally get back to normal,” Patricia said. “Treatment for breast cancer can take a whole year, but six months after it ends, life comes back – incisions heal, hair grows back, chemo brain fog lifts.”
Even in minute quantities these compounds are thought to have a distinct odour, particularly in the early stages of cancer when cells are dividing. There have been only a few studies with small numbers of patients, but the results suggest dogs could be trained to detect these compounds.
Chemotherapy may also alter the normal bacterial flora that is present in the intestines. This can affect digestion and cause aching, cramping or flatulence (gas).
The average person is not able to detect the smell of cancer, but they may notice changes in the odor of body fluids caused by treatment for cancer. The sense of smell may be more sensitive to people undergoing cancer treatments also.
Some anticancer medicines cause the urine to change color (orange, red, green, or yellow) or take on a strong or medicine-like odor for 24 to 72 hours. Talk with your healthcare provider to find out if the chemotherapy medicines you are getting will cause any of these side effects.
This means that during those two to three days, a patient's sweat, saliva, vomit, urine and feces contain quantities of dangerous chemicals.
Background: Smell and taste disorders are among the side effects of chemo- and radiotherapy. Although direct radionecrosis of the salivary glands and the taste buds might explain the chemosensory problems after radiotherapy, the olfactory and gustatory complaints seen after chemotherapy remain unexplained.
For most people the side effects were worst in the first few days after treatment, then they gradually felt better until the next treatment. Some said the effects were worse with each successive treatment. Most side effects don't persist and disappear within a few weeks after the end of treatment.
Short, planned delays in chemotherapy for good-risk GCT patients (less than or equal to 7 days per cycle) appear to be acceptable since they may prevent serious toxicity in this curable patient population. Delays of longer than 7 days are strongly discouraged except in extraordinary life-threatening circumstances.
Breast cancer: Women with breast cancer have an overall 30% chance of recurrence. Many cases happen within five years of completing the initial treatment. Cervical cancer: Of those with invasive cervical cancer, an estimated 35% will have a recurrence.
It is safe to touch other people while on chemotherapy. You can hug and kiss. But you do need to protect others from coming into contact with your medicine.
Chemotherapy can be dehydrating. Drinking plenty of water before and after treatment helps your body process chemotherapy drugs and flush the excess out of your system.
Traces of chemotherapy drug may be found in and on toilets, in disposable diapers or any clothing or laundry that a person has soiled after having a treatment. Cleaning the bathroom or handling body wastes or soiled laundry can expose you to these chemotherapy drugs.
Trimethylaminuria (TMAU) is an uncommon condition that causes an unpleasant, fishy smell. It's also called "fish odour syndrome". Sometimes it's caused by faulty genes that a person inherits from their parents, but this isn't always the case. There's currently no cure, but there are things that can help.
Vaginal odor can be caused by diet, sweating, menstruation, or pregnancy. It can sometimes also be caused by infections like bacterial vaginosis or trichomoniasis.