Chronic salty taste

@gwenzen Interesting that you have the same reset every morning!! I will have to ask my dentist or ENT about burning mouth syndrome as far as it relates to me. Yes, strange that your ENT would blame your dentist if you haven't had any unusual procedures. My dentist thought I had dry mouth and gave me all kinds of products to increase saliva but none of them worked. The ENT then prescribed Pilocarpine (Salagen) but it didn't help either so I don't think it has to do with saliva production at all. The Biotene rinse though gives me some relief for a while until it either wears off or starts giving me another crazy taste. In order to get through the day I chew sugarless gum and use Ricola sugar free lemon drops. I also bought Xylimelts on Amazon that stick to your gum and dissolve slowly, and those at least take the taste away for a while. The other crazy thing that helps is putting my old orthodontic retainer in or my night guard. Have you found anything at all that gives you relief on an especially bad day? My issues started about a year ago getting worse over several months. Interesting theory about the HRT. I think the reason for taste issues like ours is just not really known. Thanks again for replying!!!

@gwenzen, I was diagnosed with B12 deficiency by my neurologist shortly after the taste issue started. Plus, I had smell disorder. I saw the neurologist not just for smell/taste disorder, but also for foot and hand issues. I won’t list all my symptoms here. So, I had a diagnosis of B12 deficiency and Post Covid Syndrome. I took mega doses sublingual of B12.

Has anyone been tested for vitamin deficiencies like A or K? I’ve only been tested for D and the B family.

@celia16 I have a long list of questions to ask my ENT when I go including the vitamin deficiency that you mentioned. The only one I have been tested for recently is Vitamin D which was normal. Also I am going to make an appointment with a neurologist since I am going to get one more opinion!!

@neisie13
I have had this for so long. I want to say way over a year. It started after a dental visit with many things done. But, I have been to dentists, oral surgeons, two ENT's, medical doctors, you name it. I have currently given up on the Professionals. I'm getting off of Lexapro now. I'm weaning as I type. I read that can give you a bad taste over time. It was given to me when my son died and I've been on it about 10 years. I've also added zinc, and B12 to my diet in hope that they may help to give me relief. I too will brush my teeth and rinse with salty water. I chew gum, suck on peppermint candy, anything to cut the nasty taste. I feel great in the morning also and as time goes on during the day it just gets worse and worse. Honestly, I'm just going day to day. I just keep praying that one day it will go away. I also have tinnitus in both ears. I can deal with that way more than my nasty taste in my mouth. 🙁 Also, I am 67 .

@gwenzen

I was reading zinc and B 12. I just bought both in hopes it will help. I'll let you all know.

@neisie13

Okay so I went to the dentist and was fitted for a mouth guard about a month ago in hopes it would help my bad taste in my mouth. So far, it hasn't really helped during the day. The mornings are the best for me.
And also, I am soooo over the Doctors and Dentists not knowing what this is. One time about a year ago, I bought a tongue scraper and it made it worse. Just to let you know. I thought that was it and went to town on my tongue!!!! Only to have it worse afterward.

@linda1976
Your story sounds so much like mine. I also have had this taste issue for well over a year. It started slowly where it would bother me a few times a month and then gradually it got worse to where it's now constant. Mine too is better in the morning and gets progressively worse as the day goes on. I too have been to so many specialists. I have one more to go and then I'll give up too. I made an appointment with a neurologist but he can't see new patients until March. The other one I tried isn't taking new patients until April. If the taste is overpowering the mouth guard doesn't help but most of the time it does give me some relief for a while and then I'll switch to gum, or no alcohol mouthwash, or a mint or brush my teeth. Like you, anything to hide the taste. Sorry that the mouthguard is not working for you. And I too have tinnitus but as you said, this is even worse. I started taking a senior mult vitamin that has B12 and Zinc but it may no have enough. So sorry to hear that your son died. I stopped so many medications that said it could cause a taste issue but that didn't help but I wish you luck with weaning off the Lexapro. There are days that are really bad and days that are a little more tolerable. I think some foods make it worse, like spicy, salty and even really sweet things. Anyway, keep in touch and yes maybe someday this will finally get better.

I have thought of you all day. When this all started I really thought I was the only one. My poor husband!!!! I literally don't even talk about it any more. He has a few more years of work before retirement and is so stressed and tired.
And it's crazy when I first read what you had written, I thought I had wrote it. I had to check the emails!! My 1976 on my email is the year my son was born who died. I just keep things like that as a memory of him.
Today, I had to take a half of a Lexapro. I felt Horrible. I was taking a whole. So, I will stay with a half for a week and then go to half of that for a few weeks. Hopefully, that will do it. I read it can cause bacteria in the mouth and a bad taste after some time. I'm just trying to do everything I can think of since all I do is pay these doctors who are clueless. $$$$$$ that we don't have!!!!
Did I read that you were taking Neurotin and were trying to wean off of that?? I took that for a sciatica I had and it worked immediately. I took it for about 6 months and decided to stop taking it. I almost passed out at work. But, I had no idea I wasn't supposed to just stop taking it.
I have read that what we have can take its course and I am praying that happens for both of us.

@linda1976
Yes, I too thought I was the only one. I have read of so many people who have no taste at all, either from Covid or from really dry mouth including Sjogren's Syndrome but most people in the Sjogrens group complain of a bad taste while eating, not all day long like we have. And my dentist said she has never heard of anyone that has a salty taste, only a bitter or metallic taste. I lost a preemie at birth in 1977....around the same time as your tragedy! Just dealing with this taste issue causes so much anxiety and depression as do our life experiences. Yes, I am still weaning off Neurontin (Gabapentin). I am down to just 200 mg at night. It didn't help my taste issues at all but my daughter takes it for neck pain and it really helps her. Yes, there are so many medications that you have to wean off slowly, especially if you have taken it for several months or years.
Like you I rarely talk to my husband about this because it's an everyday thing and I don't want to complain all day long. He sees that I am either chewing gum or have my retainer in so he knows that I am miserable. I feel bad that we don't go out to dinner or even lunch unless we are with our kids or grandkids because food is just not pleasant anymore. I know right after I will have to quickly brush my teeth or do something to hide the taste. When I first started telling my doctors about this the ENT and Primary Care doctors said I just need to drink more but needless to say that didn't help. Even the ENT who is a pro at salivary gland issues doesn't have an answer. I think I mentioned that I was taking a medication to increase saliva but that did nothing to help either. My insurance didn't pay for it so there was no sense in continuing it. Anyway, if either of use finds a magic cure I'm sure we'll share it with each other!!!