What causes a metallic taste?
Discount Medical Scrubs
For the last 24 hours or so I have had a very strong metallic taste in my mouth... not like barely noticeable but what I imagine stuffing my entire mouth with rusty pennies would taste like.
I am on several medications all of which I have been on for well over a year and have never had this as a side effect. My diet hasn't changed, I haven't had any metal in my mouth and scrubbing with mouth mash and eating/drinking strong flavors doesn't mask it much.
What could this be? Is this something that I should be concerned about and if so, how long will it have to precede before I should seek medical advice?
thanks for any input!
I do not chew my fingers or nails, I drink 2-3 quarts of water a day, I do not take any of the aforementioned medications but I do have acid reflux really bad... It might even be laryngopharyngeal reflux disease. I recently ran out of my protonix and couldn't get it immediately filled and so I was supplementing with zantac (ranitidine) and I wouldn't be surprised if that was the cause... I also ate pepperoni pizza tonight and its gotten worse since then so that fits. Thanks a lot Johnny for bringing that to my attention, I have gotten bad acidic tastes from reflux but never metallic so I did not consider it.
Tags: diet, discount medical scrubs, fingers, flavors, hasn, mash, mask, medical advice, Medications, metallic taste in my mouth, nails, pennies, pepperoni pizza, pizza tonight, protonix, quarts, ranitidine, reflux disease, tastes, zantac
April 26th, 2011 at 5:22 am
I know it sounds funny but Acid reflux can cause that taste.
The acid backs up from your gut and slightly scorches your taste buds in the very back and causes that taste.
I know I am getting acid reflux before the heartburn hits by the taste. It’s not all the time at first but things like root beer really trigger it. Also mints and pickles. It’s random flavors that trigger it and I can’t find a specific pattern but there must be one. I had to switch toothpaste because the minty flavor left a metallic taste for the rest of the day.
Try taking Zantac 75 for 2 weeks as directed and the taste should go away. If it comes back later, just take it again. If it gets really bad, tell your doctor and they will prescribe stronger acid reflux meds.
April 26th, 2011 at 5:22 am
It sounds bad enough to ask a real medical professional. You are never wasting your doctor’s time when you need his/her help!! I would call them up now if it’s bugging you enough! I have seen this symptom on the back of medications before…it might be the combination. But you’ll never know if you don’t ask a real M.D.! Good luck!
April 26th, 2011 at 5:22 am
This sounds like you may be having a medical problem. I suggest that you go to the doc and get checked out.
April 26th, 2011 at 5:22 am
do you chew ur fingers or nails casue if u do and u handled money early maybe thats what the taste is ?
April 26th, 2011 at 5:22 am
Metallic taste can be a symptom of a neurological condition.
Medhelp.com is an awesome forum set up like Yahoo Answers only its strictly about health- and there are REAL doctors that contribute. I would check there and post your question.
April 26th, 2011 at 5:22 am
A metallic taste can be due to many factors. But the most common causes of a metallic taste are:
Medications such as some antibiotics, prenatal vitamins and antidepressants, as well as drugs used to treat high blood pressure, rheumatoid arthritis and kidney stones
Oral problems, including oral infections such as gingivitis or periodontitis, tooth infections, and poor oral hygiene
April 26th, 2011 at 5:22 am
It could be from your medication. My dad (passed away) used to take a lot of different medications and he’d say that he got funny taste in his mouth. He used to eat candy all the time. Maybe you should try that too.
April 26th, 2011 at 5:22 am
You might also want to visit your dentist, because the taste might be a symptom of gum disease. Even if you don’t have gum problems, poor oral hygiene can affect taste. Be sure to brush your teeth carefully at least twice a day and use a tongue scraper to remove the bacteria and debris that can collect on your tongue. Dental work done in the past can break down and alter taste, so your dentist will probably look at that as well.
In addition, not drinking enough water can contribute to problems with taste. Increase your intake and see if it helps. While you don’t have to drink the standard recommendation of eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day, my rule of thumb is to drink as much of that amount as you comfortably can and more than you think you need.
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Among the drugs that can cause a metallic taste in your mouth are antibiotics like Biaxin (clarithromycin) and Flagyl (metronidazole), used to treat a wide variety of infections; drugs used to treat an overactive thyroid; captopril, used to treat high blood pressure; griseofulvin, used to treat skin infections; lithium, used in bipolar disorder; penicillamine, used for rheumatoid arthritis, kidney stones, and too much copper in the body; plus some drugs used in cancer treatment.
If you rule out all of these possible causes and still have the taste, it might be worthwhile to consult with a practitioner of Chinese medicine. That system might have an answer for you.
Andrew Weil, M.D.
April 26th, 2011 at 5:22 am
Allot of times the medications depleat important vitamins. It takes some time to do this so you may not have noticed because it was happening a little at a time.