Metallic taste in mouth?

I get this quite a lot and I was wondering if anybody else has experienced it and can shed some light.

It's basically what it says on the tin, just getting a metallic taste in my mouth that takes ages to go away. I tend to get it in phases and when it's especially bad it's basically permanent if I'm not eating something, then if I do eat something it will return but usually worse. I nearly always get it if I eat chocolate or drink tea and I get it with certain biscuits too.

When it's really bad it's accompanied by a sort of flushed feeling around the middle of my face, sort of on my nose and cheeks, this is pretty weird and I've never been able to describe it.

I googled it but results are so inconsistent, does anybody have any idea? It's unpleasant so I'd prefer it to stop but I don't think I'm dying or anything, I've just had it for years and have no idea why :ninja:

Reply 1

Scaudwell

It could be anything from blood in the mouth to a brain tumour.

I used to get it a lot, accompanied by headaches, but it's gone now.

I wouldn't worry if I were you, and of course, just go to your GP! We aren't medically elite.

Reply 2

hannah_dru

I geta metallic taste sometimes and always thought it was zinc.

Reply 3

Fang_RedDragon

Its dehydration. Drink more water.

Reply 4

Anonymous #1

Original post by Scaudwell

Haha, I think of it sometimes but then I live with a GP and she basically shrugs when I mention it so I figured they'd do the same :colondollar:

I was just wondering how normal it is I suppose!

Reply 5

Scaudwell

Original post by Anonymous

Haha, I think of it sometimes but then I live with a GP and she basically shrugs when I mention it so I figured they'd do the same :colondollar:

I was just wondering how normal it is I suppose!

It's lupus.

Reply 6

janet9

Definately agree with Scaudwell. On my work experience, I was told once of a case where a man with a mental disorder ate a book, literally the whole thing, and suffered from mercury poisoning, and reported too, a metallic taste. See your doctor immediately, usually, it would be a bleeding gums thing I believe.

Reply 7

username739587

Have you tried looking in your mouth for metal?

Reply 8

Anonymous #1

Original post by Scaudwell

It's lupus.

****.

Original post by janet9

I...haven't eaten a book or anything, but I may take heed and go and ask just incase. Just saw a thing on a runner's forum about a guy who got a metallic taste then got a heart attack, deary me.

Reply 9

Georgie298

Original post by Anonymous

I had that. Only it was because I’d been prodding around in something with copper in during a science lesson with my pen and had proceeded to bite the end of said pen. But yours does sound like something a little more suspect...

The obvious thing, since you say it comes on after you've eaten certain things, would be that it suggested an allergy or intolerance but not overly sure what it could be to, especially since you've had it for years. But it really could be anything. Lupus would be another strong possibility, and that would fit in with the flushed feeling you get across your nose and cheeks, think it's called a butterfly rash (which is one of many lupus flare indicators) in the trade but this is just from what I picked up on work experience. Symptoms vary depending on organs involved but don't really know all that much about it asides from it being an autoimmune disease. It might not be this at all, but something to bear in mind perhaps. But you should definitely check it out with your GP to put your mind at rest if nothing else. Really hope you can find out whatever this is and find a way of easing your symptoms, it can't be nice at all. Good luck.

Oops, hadn't read the others comments! Sorry guys. But it's a pretty decent suggestion, well based on what we know.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 10

Anonymous #1

Well I'm not sure it would be lupus as apart from this I'm pretty healthy, rarely get ill apart from the occasional cold like most other people and I've got a pretty fast recovery rate if I do contract stuff which doesn't seem right for an autoimmune disease. I'll make an appointment though, on study leave and got nothing better to do :smile:

Reply 11

Antiaris

It gets worse when you drink tea or eat chocolate you say?

I bet you have milk in your tea?

Metallic taste in the mouth and flushing actually indicates a lactose allergy.

Reply 12

Peace0fM1nd

Getting rid of your metal dildo might help.

Reply 13

Genocidal

If you feel a pain down your left arm then you're having a heart attack.

Reply 14

carbondummy

I get this too often lately :/ Just ignored it tbh

Reply 15

Antiaris

Interesting note;
Overconsumption of saccharin has been found to cause people to taste tin aswell. I used to get the tin aftertaste from that personally so I rarely have things with saccharin in them anymore.

Reply 16

zen268

I always get a metallic taste when I take certain forms of acid mate.

Reply 17

Anonymous #1

Thanks for everyone's advice, constructive or otherwise :p:

will probably go and ask my GP at some point, not now as I came down spectacularly with the norovirus my grandmother brought home on Friday so am quarantined in the house :facepalm:

don't think I have any of the more serious issues proposed on here though, the lactose allergy thing would kind of make sense but then I don't get any tummy trouble with it, :iiam:

Reply 18

epdowney

Original post by Scaudwell

It's lupus.

its never lupus ;p

Reply 19

Suebailey

Did you ever find out what it was. I get this too for weeks at a time. It used to come on little bits at a time and made my tea taste funny. Then I thought maybe it was the tea. Very much like the metallic taste some antibiotics give you. just wondering