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Taste bud problems?


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Like many of you I have suffered pretty bad taste bud alterations post SAH and wondered what differences you noticed and if they have gone back to normal, how long did it take? 

 

Me personally, I find most fast food such as KFC, McDonald’s, fish and chips, absolutely disgusting and also can’t eat a carvery or a cooked chicken either. I have to add spices to a lot of meals to allow them to be enjoyable for me and often find it difficult to go out to eat with others without finding something I will be able to eat from the online menus.

 

I have tried KFC and other foods I can’t eat on occasion every few months to see if there has been any change but 19 months down the line there is no change. I’m intrigued to know if this is still early on and whether there is any chance of it going back to normal.

 

Your experiences would be appreciated.

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It took 12 months for my taste to return to near normal. 19 months seems a long time, I suggest you seek medical advice possibly to find answers although the damage could be permanent. As with any brain damage recovery can take years after the event.

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I have seen a few GP’s and neuro specialists but no one was able to spread any light on the time frame though most said it should come back. I have pretty much given up on it though after all the time I’ve been waiting

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As I said in another post, my hubby had a serious motorbike accident 3yrs ago in September - he suffered taste bud damage and everything tasted awful or "not as I remember it". He is only now just at a point where he's beginning to enjoy the taste of certain real ales again - whereas before he loved the taste of many of them.

 

His neuro specialist told him that there is nothing that can be done for this and that it is literally a waiting game.  Slowly but surely, his taste is improving and he is now enjoying more foods without covering them in herbs and spices so so he can taste anything.

 

Unfortunately, time is key here and everyone's recovery rate will be different.

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Hi Joe, it's not unusual for smell and taste buds to be altered.

 

I always had a sweet tooth before the SAH and then afterwards? Everything tasted sugary to the max and would make me gag. I couldn't eat chocolate, cake or puds, where as before I would have devoured them.

 

Even minty fresh toothpaste would do the same... I had to find a toothpaste that didn't taste "sweet" or "salty".... it's been trial and error to be honest...

 

I found that my gag reflex went into overdrive, sense of taste and smell also...where I often smelt "bonfire" and stil hate the smell of burnt toast!

 

I'm now quite some years down the line .... but happy to say, that I no longer experience it....(apart from the toothpaste scenario!) 

 

Personally, I think that you're still early days ... it's taken me quite some years to re-educate my taste buds or perhaps brain to find new pathways .. However, perhaps not a bad thing not to like MacDonalds or KFC!

 

Find what you like to eat and stick to it for a while .... gradually re-introduce small portions of food that you haven't been able to tolerate....but 19 months is still very early days.... It took me  a lot longer. x

 

 

 

 

 

 

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That is encouraging that you managed to overcome it after a lot longer, gives me some hope which is not something I’ve felt for a long time regarding my taste buds. As much as it has made me eat healthier, I still miss going to the football and having a KFC

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Well Joe

 

I have weird tastes and smells but it happened approx. a year after shunt was put in.

 

Cannot remember much before then, loved chocs they always tasted nice no matter what.  The weight crept up and up !

 

Coffee and tap water tastes awful but not a costa coffee.  Everything bought out tastes okay but indoors yuk !!

 

So welcome to "I've Lost my Taste"  lol just made that up but it has got better, still moan about washing things like Comfort rinse so I have started buying baby products for washing in.  That has helped as even shampoo stinks  xxx

 

Good luck xxx Smelly Win 

 

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On 15/08/2018 at 11:30, Winb143 said:

 

 

Coffee and tap water tastes awful but not a costa coffee.  Everything bought out tastes okay but indoors yuk !!

 

 

 

Thats so strange, wonder if it is down to the way costa make theres as in like using a filter etc. Have you tried buying the costa coffee to use at home, or tried different type of coffee?

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Hi Joe, Thank you for starting this topic, reading the above comments has made me realise how much my tastes have changed. I’m 3yrs post SAH. I used to love a Macdonalds or Burger king occasionally, can’t stand them now, they just taste of grease.

 

Bizarrely, I love vegetables now, I’d eat them before but it’s like I can actually taste them now. Like Win, I don’t like tap water but a Brita water filter jug kept in the fridge fixed that !!

 

My taste for prosecco/Pinot  hasn’t altered at all !!! Like everyone has said, it’s all down to  the T word (time)  keep trying your old favourites now & again

Jan xx

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Hi Joe,

 

I also had problems with my taste buds, I used to love eating mints before my bleed, can't eat them now I am 4 years since SAH, I struggle with brushing my teeth but I manage by making sure I rinse all of the toothpasteout of my mouth, the other thing I couldn't eat was chocolate but thankfully that one has corrected itself.

 

As everyone has said it takes time for things to settle down. 

As Jan said just keep trying your favourite foods.

 

Good luck

Love

Michelle xx 

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I buy bottled water at first I thought it was down to our water here in Kent  Mine started a year after I woke up.

 

Can still eat all and sundry but it is the drink that gets me,  used to drink Kenco coffee but that tastes so foul lol 

 

Lenor rinse stinks ...and that sort of rhymes,  we will have to just get used to foods and tastes we like, I told doc and he said it is in the head. I wanted to say "No up my nose" ha.

 

Perhaps we can smell the chemicals they put in our stuff we use every day and we have now a clever brain that's goes "No don't wash in that, too many chemicals"  Good luck to us all who have wonderous gift of smelling out things ...But just now and again give us a break lol xxxxxxxxxxx 

 

Good sniffing all and look at it as a gift from our brain ….Arghhhhh lol  We are like the people in films that are super heroes but we are "The Super Smellers" ...who ya gonna call ….Behind the Grey (said to the tune of Ghost Busters) xxxx keep a sense of humour Always xxx wink xxxx

  

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