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Bad taste in mouth all the time

Hi, Wondering if anyone has suggestions for dealing with bad taste in my mouth. It’s not metallic taste, but off putting and makes me having to force myself to eat. Appreciate any help you can give.

Comments

  • @bluesky  Food didn't taste the same to me while going through chemo and I didn't have a metallic taste either. Foods I used to love no longer appealed but it did go away after I was done treatment.
  • Thank you, that is good to know. Someone told me that gargling and swirling a mixture of half a teaspoon baking soda and a cup of water in your mouth a few times a day may help. Especially just before eating. I’ve only done it for a day, so too early to know if it works. Someone else said Mentos chewing gum and mints helped them. 
  • @bluesky - I did rinse with salt water - I did have problems with swelling gums and it helped. It might also have helped with the taste issue.  I did go through a lot of TicTacs.
  • Hi @bluesky..I never had a metallic taste..everything tasted salty to me even water.  I forced myself to drink and I would flavor my water with those fruit flavored squirt things...dont remember the name..as well spicy food always tasted the best for me..like mexican or Indian or Thai...I'm sure I burnt out my taste buds though...hopefully you'll find something that works..
  • @bluesky I know exactly what you mean.  I trained at the Cordon Bleu in Paris in my 20's and although never pursued a career as a chef, cooking is my life.  And I cook by taste and smell.  So it was a rough go but one that started while I was in hospital recovering from surgery. There I acquired the most revolting taste in my mouth and literally couldn't eat anything. They told me it might have been a hormonal reaction but it did disappear almost as soon as I got home. I guess I could have put it off to the lousy hospital food but even things like Swiss Chalet that my husband would bring in to entice me to eat had the same taste.  Then on chemo my sense of smell and taste buds went wonky again. Like you not a metallic taste but everything tasted different than what my brain was saying it should taste or smell like. Using palette cleansers before and during meals..simple things like a taste of a fruit based sorbet or granita (just really flavored shaved ice) really helped.   Regardless, within two months of finishing chemo that side effect had totally disappeared.  
  • Hi @bluesky and everyone - sorry you are dealing with that taste issue. 
    Anything mint or lemon based seemed to work for me, and it comes and goes. Hoping your medical team can advise also and help you along!
  • Lemon is good. It does go away. It was my sense of smell that was most affected. My poor hubby couldn’t even eat flavoured crackers in the same room 
  • Thank you for all your suggestions, I’ll try them. I’ve started drinking Club Soda with my meals and feel that helps a bit. Ice cream tastes fine, hurray. 
  • @bluesky..hurray 🥳  anything that works to stay on top of your food and fluids to keep your energy and stay healthy..