taste

[MaryB]

Hello, Does anyone have a taste problem? Nothing taste good.

[Super Mario]

I did at first, there were only a couple of things that I could eat that tasted OK. Eventually my taste did go back to what it used to be.

[Anne Fleming]

Dear Mary

Yes I had a lot of taste problems after my SAH. Of all my after effects it's probably the one which upset me the most. For at least a year most things tasted like sewage/rotten eggs or mould, depending on what the food was. I lost a lot of weight and it really got me down too. 2 years post SAH I was faring a bit better. With me, everything tasted too strong, processed food was very metalic tasting, my sense of smell was also very strong. My GP, neurologist, a dietician I was referred to, all knew little about taste problems and even on Behind the Gray, not a lot of people seemed to have this type of problem, or at least not to the extent I did and so I found it a very isolating problem to have.

I have written about it quite a lot on Behind the Gray already. Now 4 years on it has improved enough for me to enjoy food and also I have got used to things tasting differently. I'm not sure how bad yours is but feel free to PM me as if it would be helpful, I can go in to more detail on how I coped with it.

With best wishes

Anne

[jess]

Funny you mention that all I could eat for a while after was pizza from a place called sizzlers. It is ok now though only lasted about two-three months. Jess.xxx

[MaryB]

I only want to eat bland food. I do however really like potato chips - I could eat them all day long. Nothing I drink taste right. Not even having a lemon in water. Just plain water, no sodas, ice tea, coffee. I have not lost weight because I lay around most of the time and get no exercise as I do not yet have a handle on my headaches. errrrr:frown:

[Anne Fleming]

Hi Mary

I was exactly the same. For the first year my diet consisted mainly of bland food - porridge, ice cream, plain yoghurt, mashed potato, milk. Even now these foods are still my favourite. It's almost like being a child again and having to get used to stronger flavours. For me the worst taste is still vegetables which have been roasted and leeks, as I can taste the sulphur. I'm a vegetarian so when my taste was at its worse, the range of foods I could eat was very limited. After my SAH I really wanted to look after myself and eat well etc, so I was really distressed to be on this very repetitive regime though my GP reassured me and said that it wouldn't do me any harm and to take a vitamin and mineral tablet (which she wouldn't normally recommend patients to do) and she also provided me with bland tasting drinks to provide nourishment and calories.

I would be hopeful that yours will improve though it may take quite a long time. I think the nerves linked to our taste have been injured and this seems to take a long time to repair. If they are completely severed, I think people can lose their sense of taste altogether.

Best wishes

Anne

[Broron]

Hi Mary & Merry Christmas

I to have taste problems I now have chilli's on most foods now my wife cooks with chilli's a lot for me, if not its hot sauce I dont mind this really as i love spicy foods.Hope yours improves.

Ron

[Spadgie]

Hi Mary. I am only just starting to drink coffee again after my SAH 4 months ago. The taste and even smell made me feel nauseous, although I used to love strong black coffee before.

[Jilly]

When I first came out of hospital lots of things just didn't taste right, I admit to being a bit of a chocoholic and was devestated that my favourite chocolate tasted horrible, most of my other taste problems are back to normal but my favourite chocolate still tastes funny 10 months on, have a good day xx

[Happydawn]

Hello, Does anyone have a taste problem? Nothing taste good.

Hi

I didn't like a lot of thing after the SAH. I hated tea and coffee. It took weeks of keep trying it before I enjoyed it again. i have never liked the taste of wine since, but it saved me some money.lol

Also i like walnuts and I never liked them before, strange the little things that can change.

Hope it not bothering you too much.

Take care

Dawn

[Super Mario]

Don't know whether I have posted this before but prior to SAH I could not drink red wine, it gave me a foul headache within minutes of just a sip.

Now I can drink red wine by the gallon and no headaches. Weird.

[MelS]

Hello Everyone,

Finally I am brave enough to reply to a post... been too emotional before, but this site is really great for helping reassure and support. My SAH was 13 months ago and I am still on the road to recovery (alhtough not sure what the baseline is yet, I am trying to to focus too much on pre SAH).

Apart from anxiety, panic attacks and feeling quite overwhelmed in busy places or groups, another big after effect is a really messed up sense of taste. It started with everything tasting like sweet milk, so in fact, eating cake chocolate etc was fine, as even savoury stuff was sweet. My favourite foods used to be things like curry, Thai etc, but I can't taste it at all, which is really frustrating and saddening. Tried to make chilli the other day and crammed it with cinamon, cumin chillis and lots of good stuff, just tastes sweet.....

There has been some progression, in that some days I get salt... and I can definitely get a sense when something is tart, but the distinct flavours have gone.

My Surgeon was quite matter of fact, in that he seemed to indicate that the node in my brain was cut through in surgery (I had a clipping), although I am not sure if I am mis remembering this (memory and concentration are not as they were). Other people who have had brain injury say it can be a couple of years before it rights itself or maybe not at all.

Generally, I just try and keep on. Social gatherings in restaurants are problematic anyway on the grounds of over stimulation, so I am working at that too.

Hopeful it may right itself or become liveable with (not stopping me eating hehe).

Oop starting to sound a bit down so will stop now.....

Take care out there.

Mel X

[Gill C]

HUgs to you Mel, I can imagine how hard it is for you foodwise. I recently had a throat infection & everything tasted salty, even sweet stuff. The brain ia a marvellous thing so I hope your sense of taste will return soon for you xxx

[Louise]

Hi Mel, warm welcome to the site glad you found us & feel brave enough aw but there's nothing scarry we're all friendly honest....

oppsite here dont eat a lot of sweet things now which isnt a complaint really.

things I hope will slot into place for you it does take time though...

take care

[jess]

Mel hope your taste returns soon. Jess.xxx

[Winb143]

Mel,

I loved fruit before SAH..now give me choc any day...but the weight is a problem..when I saw surgeon for my year check up & MRI thingy

I asked him if he had cut my taste buds..and left me only sweet ones...he laughed phew !

Anyway welcome to BTG and it has helped me immensely hope it does same for you xx

(when I say to my hubby we have each other he says " I know tell me about it ) He loves me really lol misery guts he can be !!

Keep smiling Mel

Love

WinB143 xx

Edited April 9, 2012 by Winb143

[Teechur]

Interesting! The main thing that was impacted for me was the sweetness...I had (have) such a sugar craving it isn't even funny. Not sweet stuff, but pure sugar. Peeps are a GODSEND except right now I don't need the extra calories.

Other than that, most everything else tasted the same. Coffee was slightly funky at first, but might have been the medication.

[janevo]

Hi I'm 22 months on and still can't eat chocolate or sweets although I was a chocoholic before. At first everything tasted of sewage but that has got better. I now enjoy spicy food because at least I can taste it although whether it is the right taste or not I've no idea. I usually ask hubby if it tastes ok as I can't trust my taste buds. I smoked 20/day pre sah but haven't wanted one since and the good thing about not being able to taste properly is that I don't pick between meals so haven't piled the weight on. It is improving all the time so I am looking forward to the day when I have a big helping of hot chocolate fudge cake and sit watching a film with a box of Thorntons.

[Jilly]

Hi Mary, I had taste problems when I first came out after SAH, most of them have got better but there are still a few things that really just don't taste the same as they did pre SAH, Jill xxx

[Winb143]

I just cannot stop eating, but caught site of my backside in mirror not a pretty sight. ...got to go as choc calling me....

It's saying "Win Win you fatty...eat .me "...

Suppose I better do what it says lol

Good luck All

Love

WinB143 xx

[MelS]

Aw thanks so much everyone x monthly Neuro psych appointment tomorrow at Salford Royal...what a team. I imagine ill be getting some more excercisesand coping strategies....staying positive....its quite remarkable "hearing" all your perspectives too, selfishly makes me feel a little less bonkers hehe

Take care x

[amexdm]

Taste problem:

My taste problem is I don't like the taste of vodka anymore but suddenly like sweets. So I'm sober and fat . Not a good combination.

David

[DawnS]

When i first got home from hospital, nothing tasted like I remembered it tasting. It was so disappointing to have a craving for something only to find it didn't taste like it should. I am not sure how much of this was due to the sah and how much was due to the fact that when the staff realised I have an issue digesting dairy, I was fed on boiled-egg salads for the next 17 days! As well as this, I had taste distortions too. I would be munching away and suddenly the food would tast like I was eating pure salt, or fish. It didn't matter if I was eating sweet or savoury, it would suddenly change and taste like smoked mackerel! It put me off food for quite a while (except ice cream!). The taste distortions only lasted a few months, but it's only recently (8 months in) that everything has started to taste like it used to. I still can't stand flavoured crisps, I now love spicy food which I never have and I don't drink anything stronger than 7% alcohol.

[Winb143]

Wish I detested all foods instead of loving everything thats given too me....!! lol

Signing off

Greedy WinB143 xxxxxxxxxxx for you All xxxxxxxxxxxxx

[ddson]

Since my wife`s brain hemorrhage over 2 yrs ago she has had no sence of smell or taste. We have to be carefull in the kitchen as she can`t smell anything burning, neither can she smell if something has cooked enough. The first few months were hard as we slowly came to realise what was going on and I literally had to plead with her to eat. We have worked out that she is OK with foods she has memory of eating but new flavours or foods are a no-no. She still enjoys the experience of going out for meals even though she can`t taste anything. At first if she asked if something was tasty I was wary of what to say as I didn`t want to upset her. I`ve come to accept that she needs to know that what she is eating is something she would enjoy if she could taste it. I know it sounds crazy but she`ll laughingly hold something up on her fork and ask if she`s enjoying whatever is on it. She also finds it funny when the staff ask if shes enjoying her meal. We are resigned to her not getting any better so treat it as our joke, as she says, its a small price to pay for still being here today. Her mother wasn`t so lucky she died instantly when hers occurred.......Dave.