Home > Uncategorized > Down in the mouth.

Down in the mouth.

I mentioned a medical mystery involving my mouth last week, and then I never followed up. Bad me. So here it is:

I have a weird taste in my mouth. It gets stronger and fades with the days, but it’s there. It’s kind of metallic, but not rusty like blood. It’s a little bitter and astringent as well. I have no clue what it is.

Last week when it was so strong that I kept thinking, “what is that taste and why won’t it go away?” every ten seconds, I made an appointment with the dentist. My teeth and gums look fine. He found nothing.

ETA: My husband says he hasn’t noticed any change in the quality of my breath, so whatever’s going on, it’s not manifesting itself that way.

I haven’t made any dietary changes. I’m not on any medications. I even discontinued my vitamins for a week to see if that did anything. I do have some dry mouth, but I don’t know if that’s a cause, or if it’s an effect – you know, like I keep swallowing to try to get this taste out so I have a dry mouth.

I decided to start keeping a diary of what I ingested (a depressing exercise) but nothing really turned up so I stopped. The taste seemed to diminish some, but today it’s back just as strong as ever. Last night we had takeout ribs and chocolate cake, because a) we had our IEP meeting yesterday and that always means headaches and stress all day so we decided to indulge, and b) we got our state tax refund and wanted to live the high life. So I guess I’ll start a food diary again, and this time I get to put down all the junk I ate yesterday. Swell.

My husband goes to the same dentist’s office I do. Different dentist, though. They usually don’t make the connection between us since we have different last names. I guess word got around of the medical mystery, because his dentist kept asking him all kinds of questions about whether I was still having the taste. Glad to know my mouth is water cooler material.

I guess the next step is to make a doctor’s appointment. I can’t think of any cause for this, and weird sensory changes should probably be checked out. Until then, if you see me making weird faces like a dog eating peanut butter, just ignore me.

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  1. Anonymous
    April 23rd, 2008 at 13:57 | #1

    Ew, sorry about the taste. How weird and yucky. But thanks for the video. Whenever I see a dog eating peanut butter, I become a snorfling kid again. It never gets old.

  2. Anonymous
    April 23rd, 2008 at 13:57 | #2

    Ew, sorry about the taste. How weird and yucky. But thanks for the video. Whenever I see a dog eating peanut butter, I become a snorfling kid again. It never gets old.

  3. April 23rd, 2008 at 14:19 | #3

    Probably a dumb question but do you Scope and floss?

  4. April 23rd, 2008 at 14:19 | #4

    Probably a dumb question but do you Scope and floss?

  5. April 23rd, 2008 at 14:21 | #5

    I don’t Scope – that stuff tastes like burning. I do floss, but not every single night as I should.

  6. April 23rd, 2008 at 14:21 | #6

    I don’t Scope – that stuff tastes like burning. I do floss, but not every single night as I should.

  7. April 23rd, 2008 at 14:24 | #7

    Fair enough.

    Kinda gross, but sometimes old food can get caught in the tonsils and cause odd tastes and smells.

  8. April 23rd, 2008 at 14:24 | #8

    Fair enough.

    Kinda gross, but sometimes old food can get caught in the tonsils and cause odd tastes and smells.

  9. April 23rd, 2008 at 14:32 | #9

    Yeah, I’m actually familiar with that phenomenon, but that doesn’t feel like this. This doesn’t taste like something organic or rotting, but mediciney and antiseptic, or more like I’m licking a ball of tinfoil.

    And there goes my appetite for the day.

  10. April 23rd, 2008 at 14:32 | #10

    Yeah, I’m actually familiar with that phenomenon, but that doesn’t feel like this. This doesn’t taste like something organic or rotting, but mediciney and antiseptic, or more like I’m licking a ball of tinfoil.

    And there goes my appetite for the day.

  11. April 23rd, 2008 at 14:33 | #11

    Fugg. Sorry kiddo, didn’t mean to ruin things for you.

  12. April 23rd, 2008 at 14:33 | #12

    Fugg. Sorry kiddo, didn’t mean to ruin things for you.

  13. April 23rd, 2008 at 14:47 | #13

    Heh. No worries. I’m made of sturdy stuff.

  14. April 23rd, 2008 at 14:47 | #14

    Heh. No worries. I’m made of sturdy stuff.

  15. April 23rd, 2008 at 15:41 | #15
  16. April 23rd, 2008 at 15:41 | #16
  17. April 23rd, 2008 at 16:03 | #17

    Huh. I have had some pasta with pesto at a couple of meals over the last couple of days, but the ingredients show walnuts instead of pine nuts.

    Still, interesting.

  18. April 23rd, 2008 at 16:03 | #18

    Huh. I have had some pasta with pesto at a couple of meals over the last couple of days, but the ingredients show walnuts instead of pine nuts.

    Still, interesting.

  19. April 23rd, 2008 at 16:11 | #19

    Did you mean that the ingredients for the pasta dish included walnuts, or that the ingredients for the pesto had walnuts? If the latter, do you think maybe they used the same machines to make both and so there may be some cross-contamination?

  20. April 23rd, 2008 at 16:11 | #20

    Did you mean that the ingredients for the pasta dish included walnuts, or that the ingredients for the pesto had walnuts? If the latter, do you think maybe they used the same machines to make both and so there may be some cross-contamination?

  21. April 23rd, 2008 at 17:26 | #21

    The ingredients in the store-bought pesto had walnuts. Now that you’ve mentioned it, it does taste kind of like bad nuts. Weeeeeiiird.

  22. April 23rd, 2008 at 17:26 | #22

    The ingredients in the store-bought pesto had walnuts. Now that you’ve mentioned it, it does taste kind of like bad nuts. Weeeeeiiird.

  23. April 23rd, 2008 at 17:37 | #23

    Funky.

    I learn something new every day. Today I learnt two new things. One – pine nuts can cause taste issues, and Two – Star fruits (it’s a tropical fruit) contains excitatory neurotoxins which could be fatal to those already suffering from renal problems. Wacky, huh?

  24. April 23rd, 2008 at 17:37 | #24

    Funky.

    I learn something new every day. Today I learnt two new things. One – pine nuts can cause taste issues, and Two – Star fruits (it’s a tropical fruit) contains excitatory neurotoxins which could be fatal to those already suffering from renal problems. Wacky, huh?

  25. April 23rd, 2008 at 17:45 | #25

    That is very weird. It’s like the oxalic acid in that monstera that I ate.

    Note to self: stay away from starfruit, too.

  26. April 23rd, 2008 at 17:45 | #26

    That is very weird. It’s like the oxalic acid in that monstera that I ate.

    Note to self: stay away from starfruit, too.

  27. April 23rd, 2008 at 20:44 | #27

    You mentioned a dry mouth, could be having micro-nosebleeds way up in the sinus cavity. I’ll have them in my sleep sometimes, and wake up with a metallic taste for awhile.

  28. April 23rd, 2008 at 20:44 | #28

    You mentioned a dry mouth, could be having micro-nosebleeds way up in the sinus cavity. I’ll have them in my sleep sometimes, and wake up with a metallic taste for awhile.

  29. April 23rd, 2008 at 22:04 | #29

    Sometimes the crud gets mostly digested and ultimately calcifies into “tonsil stones,” which is a different taste sensation than old food, but not really a metallic one. The only other odd flavor I get that I can pinpoint well is strep, but I think you’d have noticed some other symptoms were that the case.

  30. April 23rd, 2008 at 22:04 | #30

    Sometimes the crud gets mostly digested and ultimately calcifies into “tonsil stones,” which is a different taste sensation than old food, but not really a metallic one. The only other odd flavor I get that I can pinpoint well is strep, but I think you’d have noticed some other symptoms were that the case.

  31. April 23rd, 2008 at 22:07 | #31

    I will add that to my mental food oddities list, which also includes the well-known asparagus pee, the way artichokes make water taste sweet, and that eating radishes can effectively create hydrogen peroxide in your mouth.

  32. April 23rd, 2008 at 22:07 | #32

    I will add that to my mental food oddities list, which also includes the well-known asparagus pee, the way artichokes make water taste sweet, and that eating radishes can effectively create hydrogen peroxide in your mouth.

  33. April 24th, 2008 at 01:52 | #33

    Are two fillings touching one another? Are they metal of some sort? I had a new filling and it touched an old filling on the tooth below it and I got a metallic taste. My dentist said the fillings were galvanizing or basically reacting in such a way that they were creating an electric charge. She filed down one so they don’t touch and it’s better, but I still get the metallic taste.

  34. April 24th, 2008 at 01:52 | #34

    Are two fillings touching one another? Are they metal of some sort? I had a new filling and it touched an old filling on the tooth below it and I got a metallic taste. My dentist said the fillings were galvanizing or basically reacting in such a way that they were creating an electric charge. She filed down one so they don’t touch and it’s better, but I still get the metallic taste.

  35. April 24th, 2008 at 02:56 | #35

    I have learned so much from these comments.

  36. April 24th, 2008 at 02:56 | #36

    I have learned so much from these comments.

  37. April 24th, 2008 at 02:57 | #37

    Wow! Can you pick up radio stations on those things?

    I’m very fortunate to have no fillings, so that’s not it. I am learning a LOT from these comments.

  38. April 24th, 2008 at 02:57 | #38

    Wow! Can you pick up radio stations on those things?

    I’m very fortunate to have no fillings, so that’s not it. I am learning a LOT from these comments.

  39. April 24th, 2008 at 02:58 | #39

    Huh. Something to think about.

  40. April 24th, 2008 at 02:58 | #40

    Huh. Something to think about.

  41. April 24th, 2008 at 13:48 | #41

    OMG!! DON’T WANT excitatory neurotoxins

  42. April 24th, 2008 at 13:48 | #42

    OMG!! DON’T WANT excitatory neurotoxins

  43. April 24th, 2008 at 13:50 | #43

    I didn’t know you back then, so I didn’t see the monstera post before. Jeebus, that’s a scary fruit.

  44. April 24th, 2008 at 13:50 | #44

    I didn’t know you back then, so I didn’t see the monstera post before. Jeebus, that’s a scary fruit.

  45. April 24th, 2008 at 22:12 | #45

    Hey T… You got me curious and I read on some google-fu sites that wacky estrogen levels can cause women who are pregnant (not that I think you are!) to have metalic taste in their mouths. And one site mentioned antihistamines… Mayo clinic actually had a web page about such stuffs!

  46. April 24th, 2008 at 22:12 | #46

    Hey T… You got me curious and I read on some google-fu sites that wacky estrogen levels can cause women who are pregnant (not that I think you are!) to have metalic taste in their mouths. And one site mentioned antihistamines… Mayo clinic actually had a web page about such stuffs!

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