LymeNet Flash: Loss of Taste?

This is topic Loss of Taste? in forum Medical Questions at LymeNet Flash.

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Posted by DadOf2 (Member # 3189) on :

My son has been complaining for quite a while about loss of taste in the front half of his tongue.

He has suffered many years with chronic Lyme, and pseudo tumor cerebri. I don't think the loss of taste is medicine related as he has had the loss while on a few different meds.

He's been getting really frustrated about it lately. Does anybody have ideas on what the cause might be, and what could be done about it?

Some of the meds he is taking are:
Lyrica, Atenenol, Allegra, Zithromax, Trazadone, and Tramadol.

Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :

dad,, no experience here.

try going to treeparol's archive links at top of medical nd look thru; he;s rearranged//organizing things''''''''''''''
good luck. keyboard roblems; excuse typing! [Mad]

Posted by clairenotes (Member # 10392) on :

Hi Dadof2,

I lost my sense of taste before taking any remedies/medications. It was one of my first concrete physical symptoms that appeared with a slew of brain chemistry issues.

I don't know which microbe is responsible for it or can offer any sort of explanation. But it was very real.

Still, you or your son might call your pharmacist to see if this could be a side-effect of any of the medications.

Claire

Posted by Robin123 (Member # 9197) on :

I have a vague recollection of reading that lack of zinc could cause loss of taste and smell. Anyone know?

Posted by Aniek (Member # 5374) on :

Maybe this can help. It points to some deficiencies, including zinc, as potential causes.

It could also be nerve related if the Lyme is causing inflammation of whichever nerve regulates smell.

http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/sym/loss_of_taste.htm

Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :

Yes, loss of taste can be caused by Lyme!!!
It's a cranial nerve palsy-

from LDF

Lyme disease is caused by the corkscrew shaped bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. The causative agent was discovered in 1981 by LDF Board member Willy Burgdorfer, Ph.D., M.D. (hon). Patients start with flu-like symptoms (fever, headache, muscle aches and pain), sometimes having an enlarging rash with lighter and darker rings of discoloration. Later symptoms include multiple rashes, joint swelling or pain, loss of reflexes, cranial nerve palsies (e.g. facial or oculomotor paralysis, loss of smell or taste,
swallowing problems, visual disturbances), cognitive or behavioral changes, disorder of the peripheral nerves, heart conduction defects, stroke, and inflammation of various parts of the eye.
*********************
also from PubMed-

Case 171: monosymptomatic facial palsy in a child
"....A five year old boy was admitted to a department of pediatrics in October 1989 with a complete left facial palsy. There was no fever, headache or meningeal signs. Three weeks before he had a 1 cm broad migrating erythema expanding from the left forehead to the left ear, transient pain around the left shoulder and behind the left ear. An otoneurological examination showed

loss of the left stapedial reflex and normal taste and lacrimation.....
***************
I had loss and change of taste myself and it came back- thank goodness*)!)!*)!
Take care,
Sincerely,
Sarah

Posted by onthemend (Member # 13454) on :

I had loss of taste in front part of my tongue along with a lot of other neuro-type symptoms PRIOR to any diagnosis or taking any meds. My sense of smell was intact.

After about 2 mos, changed to a tingling/burning tongue and a 'soapy' type of flavor at all times. Again, before any meds prescribed.

So my personal experience would be - yes Lyme can do that - but obivously as has been said above, medications do strange things too, so you should check out that angle.

Hope your boy is improved soon. Best -

onthemend

Posted by onthemend (Member # 13454) on :

And, should have said, all better now. One of the first things to move on after I started abx.

onthemend

Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :

Yes.. it can be a neuro symptom. Some folks have partially paralyzed tongues... and the ability to not "smell" (like me).

Shut up tutu.

[lol]

Also please check the tongue for yeast. It would be noticed by a white coating that can be in the center of the tongue or all over. The tongue should be a "pretty pink" all over when not yeast infected. Treatment to reduce yeast (diflucan, Nystain) can help this "oral thrush".

With treatment for yeast (oral thrush) the taste buds can come back and then pizza and ice cream will be worth eating!

[Big Grin]

Posted by DadOf2 (Member # 3189) on :

Thanks for all your posts. I'll follow up on the suggestions and hopefully something will work for him. He's been very frustrated with it lately.