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[Missylou]

Hi everyone

This has been discussed before but nothing really came of the thread. I’ve had a definite metallic taste in my month for many months now. I had thought it was caused by the COVID vaccine but now I’m wondering if it could be menopause/HRT related. My tongue and roof of mouth is slightly rust coloured. I know, yuck, right?

GP has given me various meds for possible causes (oral thrush, acid reflux, infection) but none have worked. Tongue swab and bloods all ok.

I’ve been on HRT (estrogel and vaginal progesterone) since April, which was roughly the time of my vaccine too (actually my first was March) and also when I started to notice the metallic taste.

I have seen on the internet lack of estrogen can cause a metallic taste but that doesn’t make sense as I’ve been taking estrogen since then. It is very strong at the moment and this is coinciding with taking my progesterone (I take it for 12 days). I will monitor to see if it gets less strong after the 12 days.

Does anyone have any ideas? It would be great to stop the HRT just to confirm it was that but I can’t face a return of symptoms. Maybe it’s something I have to endure if I take HRT. I’m reluctant to change the type because finally, after five months, I feel it’s having the desired effect.

Any thoughts or experiences would be greatly received, thanks x

[CLKD]

Chemotherapy can cause a metallic taste. 

[Springisintheair]

Hi- I have just read this post and wonder how you are getting on with the taste? I too have a horrid taste in my mouth. It started as a slight metallic taste about a year ago and got steadily stronger. By January this year it was very strong and I went to the doctor. We tried medications for reflux, oral thrush and nasal congestion. I have had blood tests for liver, kidney, thyroid, infection, diabetes - all have come back clear. The only test that came back showing something was hormones. I have been to two dentists and even had a tooth removed! Now trying hrt for low oestrogen. I have a mirena coil so am on oestrogen gel - now 6 weeks in. It does seem to be finally reducing! But I’m not sure if it is the vitamin pills I am also taking- zinc, calcium, magnesium and a mixture of Vitamin b. I also wonder if it could be a long covid symptom and whether I’ve had it asymptomatically? I just hope it does go away as I feel that I have out my life on hold!

[ATB]

Could it be digestive issues? That can be a cause of a metallic taste in your mouth and is common during menopause including when adding HRT, and during Utrogestan phase of HRT. If you have other symptoms like bloating then perhaps that might be it?

[Springisintheair]

Possibly? Not sure what I do about that though? The taste is really strong and now is possibly more bitter than metallic. I have tried medications for acid reflux but no change. 

[Kat36]

When I started hrt my sense of smell got weird (apparently this is due to unstable estrogen levels and often seen in perimenopause).  I’m guessing our senses are affected more than we think. I’m about 3.5weeks into a new regime (lower dose to start) and so far I still have a heightened sense of smell but not to the extent I had before where it was distressing. 

[ATB]

Have you tried apple cider vinegar in water before meals for acid reflux? It’s working for me

[Springisintheair]

Yes I have tried it but I don’t think it is acid reflux as I was omaprazole for a month and it made no difference. I guess the sense of taste and smell is so finely tuned that it is easy for it to be affected.   

[Kathleen]

Hello ladies.

I haven't had this particular symptom in menopause but I did in the early stages of my first pregnancy. The cause was definitely hormonal then and resolved after a few weeks.

I hope this is of some help to you all.

Take care.

K.

[Peana]

In my first week on HRT (mirena coil and 25mcg Estradot patch) I had exactly the same.  It's horrid.  I hate chewing gum, but resorted to that for a while, but I was getting increadibly bloated due to swallowing air.  I also noticed that my mouth was a lot drier than normal (it woke me up a few times).  2.5 months later it's a bit better in that I don't have it all the time, but I probably experience it at least every other day, especially if I've been talking a lot.  I started getting saliva stone a few years ago, so have been massaging my saliva glands to increase the saliva flow (there was a short video on 'heal with Samantha' on youtube), and this has definitely helped.  I've also got an artificial saliva spray to use if I wake up in the night (it's more refreshing than water).  Some people use xylitol (you can add it to water with baking soda to make a more refreshing water), or xylimelts but I find it also upsets my stomach a bit.  I've also tried to have more sour foods to help stimulate saliva (e.g. grapefruit, lemon).

I have a mixture of other symptoms which to me suggest Sjogrens syndrome, but GP thinks possiblly lupus, so I'm waiting on my appointment with Rheumatology to investigate further.  In the meantime I've been reading about auto-immune conditions and it seems that they are often far more common in women and so likely to be hormone related.  My GP thinks it's a coincidence that my symptoms flared after starting HRT, but we don't really know.  If nothing else is helping, maybe ask if you can have a blood test for an auto-immune condition?

Good luck with your investigations.  Hopefully you don't have an auto-immune condition, but the saliva gland stimulation (massage and sour food / drink) might help?  Please let us know how you get on.  It sounds trivial, but this metallic taste is a symptom I really hate as it's hard to ignore and makes me a bit of a glutton (eating and drinking to try and take the taste away)!  Which reminds me, try to avoid anything with sugar (e.g. boiled sweet) as it might cause mouth ulcers, which just makes everything worse.

[Springisintheair]

Thank you for your reply. It’s reassuring to know that other people are experiencing similar symptoms. It is so distressing when no-one that I’ve spoken to has heard of or experienced this. I’ll definitely try sour foods! Am eating far more than I usually do just to get some relief! I hope you are ok.