Can your taste buds die?

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cockroachfarm

cockroachfarm

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Can your taste buds die?

I’m having a very strange year, health-wise. The latest problem: for the last month or so, I seem to have lost the “normal” function of my taste buds.

Here’s some background: we’ve been involved in what I consider the “Move of The Century” (actually, it’s the first move for us in 25 years. In addition to having to sort, pack, and move 25 years of personal possessions and cr*p, I realized too late that I also had to move 15 years of business cr*p and files that had been sitting undisturbed in the rear rooms of the cellar.) So – for the last month or so I have been swallowing a lot of dust, mold, etc., etc. (But my “problem” began prior to this, so…?) In addition to this move, there has been a lot of other stress too – personal problems, family problems, etc.

For the past year actually, the inside of my mouth has felt like the inside of a cottonmouth rattler (best I can describe it). A feeling of very light ‘numbness’, a ‘fuzziness’ – I described it to my wife like “everything is covered in a light coating of cheap flour.” She just gave me a strange look – and for once I don’t blame her! LOL I had asked my doctor to have a look last year and he couldn’t find anything unusual. I have always suffered from allergies, asthma, etc. so maybe he meant “nothing more than the usual..”?

But now it has come to a stage where I actually began to notice that everything I put in my mouth is starting to taste similar – or at least has similar overtones.

Imagine: a butter-grilled steak with garlic, a spicy Italian sausage, Caesar Salad, toasted Rye bread with strawberry jam, Green Tea with mint --- everything tastes bland and like it’s been coated with cheap flour. I can run my tongue around the inside of my mouth and over my teeth and get the same sensation. Is this bizarre, or what? My sense of smell has not been affected (first thing my doctor asked about). I have never had halitosis, I have never had any other problems in my mouth (except a surplus of saliva) – and I never realized how much I have started to miss my previously very sensitive taste buds!

Even my doctor is stumped. He has told me to start using Nasonex Nasal Spray to see if that will have any effect.

Has anyone here ever had this happen to them – long or short term?
 
Medications can sometimes be the culprit, either directly or indirectly. Indirectly meaning a med can cause dry mouth for example, which would interfere with the sense of taste. Of course with the allergies, the sense of smell is interlaced with taste, so severe allergies may also play a part.

If the nasonex doesn't help but your regular doc notes a lot of sinus inflammation, you might want to try an allergy specialist or an ear nose throat specialist.

People do lose the sense of taste and smell as they age; but it is gradual, not something that would normally rapidly decline over a year, for example.
 
Thanks, zen. I am really puzzled about this situation and so is my regular doctor (a brilliant diagnostician, usually.) My asthma hasn't bothered me for quite a few years but when I started to encounter all of this dust and mold during the move, etc. I had my prescriptions for the Salbutamol inhaler renewed and used them as required (to prevent an actual attack that would require an ER visit). Guess I overdosed a bit because now my mouth/throat are completely dried out. Difficulty swallowing, lack of saliva, etc. I'm chewing Stride Gum regularly to bring the lube levels back. Might also go over to COSTCO later and get a bottle of oxygenated mouthwash. Might help.

But this stuff doesn't really worry me. It will get fixed.

The problem with my taste is what's really annoying me! I love my foods and this is killing me! When I eat a piece of toasted rye bread with butter and fresh strawberry jam - and what I mostly taste now is something akin to library paste with strawberry-flavor --- uuggggghhhhh.:barf::barf::barf:

I have never heard of this happening. I'll try the Nasonex for a week or so and see if it has any effect.
 
Taste buds for various things..( sweet , bitter, salty, etc) are located on different parts of the tounge. This is good news and bad news for you. If your taste buds are burning out you would usually lose one sensation before others. I would insist to your DR. that you see a Ear nose throat Dr. Asap as this could be a early warning sign of something that could be ( not life threatening) but certianly a nusiance for the rest of your life..
 
Loss of taste can be due to a number of things . Zinc deficiency. Niacin [ vitamin B3] deficiency. And since the brain is half of taste , brain tumor . There may be other causes I'm not familiar with. You might first go to a doctor very knowledgeble in nutrition to check the first two. If those are not the problem check for the third possibility !! This is all serious business !!!
 
cockroachfarm said:
Salbutamol inhaler .
Click to expand...
side effects for albuterol (active drug in salbutamol)

Disorder of oropharynx
a) An UNUSUAL TASTE, and DRYING OF OROPHARYNX or irritation of the oropharynx have been noted (Prod Info Ventolin(R), 1995).

Regular dosing albuterol:
The recommended dose of albuterol sulfate is 2 inhalations by metered-dose inhaler every 4 to 6 hours as needed. One inhalation every 4 hours may be sufficient in some patients

Unless your medication is expired you should most likely have the new Albuterol inhalers powered by HFA instead of the old CFCs. CFCs were outlawed and phased out. Since you use the word Salbutamol, you most likely are outside the US, so I don't know what part of the phase out you are in.

The new propellant HFA may also be a factor if you have never been exposed to it, unknown and unexpected effects may occur.

Although I play around a lot in Whine and Cheese, I'm a pharmacist, take my work seriously, and will help ya any way I can via here or email. :)

Other meds can affect taste as well, shoot me an email if you wish and are taking others, I'll check them out too.
 
Smoking can kill taste. So can a bad cold. There is nothing sadder than having a nice tasty meal that tastes like . . . . nothing.

I'd probably lose weight though. You should have it checked out.
 
Thanks for all the suggestions. (As I said recently, the best advice I have received on ANYTHING over the past 6 years has been right here on BFC. I know this is a bit trivial, but this will always be my first place to ask for help :thumbup:)

I haven't used the inhalers for a few years (didn't need them) just during the recent house move to prevent a trip to the local ER. The problems with losing my "taste" started at least 8 months ago. But I'm checking out EVERY lead and suggestion I get here. Thanks again. :thumbup:
 
zenheretic said:
side effects for albuterol (active drug in salbutamol)

Disorder of oropharynx
a) An UNUSUAL TASTE, and DRYING OF OROPHARYNX or irritation of the oropharynx have been noted (Prod Info Ventolin(R), 1995).

Regular dosing albuterol:
The recommended dose of albuterol sulfate is 2 inhalations by metered-dose inhaler every 4 to 6 hours as needed. One inhalation every 4 hours may be sufficient in some patients

Unless your medication is expired you should most likely have the new Albuterol inhalers powered by HFA instead of the old CFCs. CFCs were outlawed and phased out. Since you use the word Salbutamol, you most likely are outside the US, so I don't know what part of the phase out you are in.

The new propellant HFA may also be a factor if you have never been exposed to it, unknown and unexpected effects may occur.

Although I play around a lot in Whine and Cheese, I'm a pharmacist, take my work seriously, and will help ya any way I can via here or email. :)

Other meds can affect taste as well, shoot me an email if you wish and are taking others, I'll check them out too.
Click to expand...

Zen is a joker, but he is not malicious ... at all. I would take him at his word.
 
Cranial nerve 7 is responsible for taste to the anterior 2/3rds of the tongue, while cranial nerve 9 supplies the posterior 1/3. Smell is transmitted through another cranial nerve. This means you can loose your sense of taste without loosing your sense of smell, even though loosing smell is most often responsible for the perception of decreased taste. Testing where you have the taste loss and whether your sense of smell is actually the culprit should help localize the neurologic problem if any should exist. An ear nose and throat doctor is your best bet, as a generalist probably doesn't do this testing very often if ever. Here is some stuff I pulled off a quick net search for hypogeusia:

Sick Building Syndrom: The SBS describes a sum of unspecific irritative symptoms people suffer from in the internal part of buildings. Most of these symptoms vanish when they leave the building. Following the NIOSH-Study [ 8 ] the most causative agents are: false function of the air-conditioning, smoking, detergents, adhesives, building materials furniture, bacteria, fungus, outdoor air conditions as well as false building ventilation without efficient vaporaization of adhesives and other solutions fungal invasion of the building. Even psychological components such as bad working conditions may lead to SBS. Symptoms are tiredness, weakness of concentration, affection of the skin and mucosa as wel as unspecific allergic reactions with rhinitis, irritation of the eye, asthmatic complaints without diagnosis of asthma and disturbance of taste and smell.


Taste: A reduction in the ability to taste (hypogeusia) or loss of taste (ageusia) usually results from conditions that affect the tongue, usually by causing a very dry mouth. Such conditions include Sjögren's syndrome, heavy smoking (especially pipe smoking), radiation therapy to the head and neck, dehydration, and use of drugs (including antihistamines and the antidepressant. Nutritional deficiencies, such as decreased zinc, copper, and nickel levels, can alter both taste and smell.

In Bell's palsy, the sense of taste is often impaired on the front two thirds of one side of the tongue (the side affected by the palsy). But this loss may not be noticed because taste is normal or increased in the rest of the tongue. Burns to the tongue may temporarily destroy taste buds. Neurologic disorders, including depression and seizures, may impair taste.

A distortion of taste (dysgeusia) may be caused by inflammation of the gums (gingivitis) and by many of the same conditions that result in loss of taste or smell, including depression and seizures. Taste may be distorted by some drugs, such as the following:

Antibiotics
Anticonvulsants
Antidepressants
Certain chemotherapy drugs
Diuretics
Drugs used to treat arthritis
Thyroid drugs

Diagnosis

To test smell, doctors hold common fragrant substances (such as soap, a vanilla bean, coffee, and cloves) under the person's nose, one nostril at a time. The person is then asked to identify the smell. Smell can also be tested more formally using standardized commercial smell test kits. Taste can be tested using substances that are sweet (sugar), sour (lemon juice), salty (salt), and bitter.

Doctors and dentists check the mouth and nasal passages for abnormalities, including infection and dryness. If the cause is not apparent, computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the head is needed to look for structural abnormalities (such as a tumor, an abscess, or a fracture) near the cribriform plate.

Treatment

Treatment depends on the cause of a smell or taste disorder. For example, sinus infections and irritation may be treated with steam inhalation, nasal sprays, antibiotics, and sometimes surgery (see Nose and Sinus Disorders: Treatment). Nutritional deficiencies need to be corrected. Tumors are surgically removed or treated with radiation, but such treatment usually does not restore the sense of smell. Polyps in the nose are removed, sometimes restoring the ability to smell. People who smoke tobacco should stop. Other recommendations may include the following:

Changing or stopping a drug
Sucking on candy to keep the mouth moist
Improving dental hygiene
Waiting several weeks to see if the cause of the problem (such as the flu) disappears
Rarely, zinc supplements, which can be purchased without a prescription, are effective, especially for distortion of smell or for reduction or distortion of taste when no cause has been identified.
 
A favorite uncle of mine noticed one day that he was losing his sense of taste. He kind of ignored it for awhile, then one day while he was out cutting wood he got a metallic taste in his mouth. It went away after a few minutes, but he finally told my aunt about losing his taste and then getting the metallic taste. She made him see the doctor. They traced it to a brain tumor. Thank goodness they caught it in time! An operation and chemotherapy killed it out. He's passed all his CAT scans and been free for 9 years now.

I'm not trying to scare you, but I would not ignore that. Hopefully it's just a case of dust mold on your tongue.

Good luck man.
 
I have no idea how it can effect taste, but it is possible to get a yeast infection in your mouth. My mom use to get them before she was diagnosed with diabetes. I seem to remember her saying something about taste but I will ask her and find out for sure. Might be something to look into in the mean time.
 
Just yesterday, I read an article in the Oregonian about a local Chef who lost his sense of taste to a rare cancer of the tongue. (It ends well when an experimental treatment cured the uncurable cancer, btw.) So, if this problem doesn't clear up in a few days, get to a doctor.

Let's set a deadline: If things aren't back to normal by May 19, then on May 19, you will call for an appointment?
 
Typically taste buds will regenerate without too much problem. Talk to your doctor about it though because it sounds little fishy that it changed so much. Also, have you had any problems with your nasal passages? My nose was blocked up for a long time and I was using a nasal spray to deal. I lost a lot of taste sensation due to a lack of olfactory function.
 
If your allergies generally are really blocking you up that could do it. Sometimes when I get a bad cold or allergy blockage, I effectively cannot taste food for several days. It has never lasted longer than that though.
 
Going out into fresh air for just a few minutes before having breakfast really enhances my tastebuds, in winter anyways.

I found out back in the winter. While making breakfast I stepped out to plug in the block heater for the pickup as I had to go make the weekly supply run. It was about -25 or -30, but upon coming inside I could smell my breakfast, and the flavor was far more intense than it would have othewise have been.
 
Boy that gave me a start. This is an old thread resurrected by a spammer. Cockroachfarm is no longer with us. :(
 
Yes they die. As many have said medication can change your taste buds as well as a plethora of other things. Just aging changes what you like and dont like to eat.
 
RIP my friend.

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