Hello, Just Before Mother's Day I Awoke One Morning And

Brief Answer:
Have your doctor send you for a TASTE and SMELL evaluation

Detailed Answer:
Changes in tastes and smell are usually 2 things that go hand in hand....though one always seems to be much more apparent than the other. If your doctor is not entirely familiar with the complete workup for this particular problem then, he/she should consider sending you on ahead for specialty considerations with either a NEUROLOGIST or ENT who are both knowledgeable in taste/smell evaluations using tools such as the XXXXXXX SMELL IDENTIFICATION TEST (BSIT) or UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA SMELL IDENTIFICATION TEST (UPSIT) that can be very sensitive to problems in taste which can then, be tied to formal taste testing as well.

As we get older both of these senses become less and less sensitive and this is a normal thing. It is NOT normal when SUDDENLY or seemingly SUDDENLY things suddenly can't be tasted in the same way as before or aromas are suddenly lost. Often times, when this happens something other than natural aging processes should be looked at and evaluated.

The 2 most common things that can get in the way of normal TASTE function are MEDICATIONS and CHEMISTRY alterations in your bloodstream.

And so, have you had the start of of change in dose of ANY PARTICULAR medication that could've even been started several weeks to several months PRIOR to Mother's Day when you recall all of this initializing? Are you on chemotherapy or being treated in some other way for CANCER of some type? Do you have diabetes which is not under good control or recently experienced a worsening of symptoms if you are diabetic? Do you have different to control asthma or on ALBUTEROL inhaler therapy which has changed in some fashion since this can really change the taste of substances from alterations of the taste buds. Sometimes finding alternative ways of opening up the breathing passages will help regenerate the necessary taste buds over the course of several weeks.

Was there ANYTHING you can think of that happened at that time? How about something like a concussion or even mild trauma to the head which can be an OVERLOOKED cause of changes in TASTE and smell. Did you clobber yourself on an open cabinet door, trunk of the car, or otherwise, get your "bell rung?"

More commonly than either of those possibilities....when folks lose their sense of taste or have a change in the same a biochemical screen should be done looking at the following parameters in the bloodstream:

Thyroid function- TSH, FREE T4
Nutritional status- Vitamin B12, Folate, ZINC (this is a major player in the sense of taste)
Liver Enzyme and/or gall bladder deficiency- ALT, AST, ALP (especially this one, ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE deficiency)
Salivary gland function- Are you suffering from DRYING SALIVARY secretions

Finally, a less common but still important set of considerations involve considering a problem at the level of the central nervous system (brain and cranial nerves) and so things such as MENINGIOMAS or OLFACTORY GROOVE tumors that may be small but still causing problems should be looked into and evaluated for their presence. The best way to address these issues is by obtaining an MRI (not CT scan please...weak test!) MRI with GADOLINIUM CONTRAST with direction to the neuroradiologist to carefully look at the OLFACTORY BULBS of the olfactory nerves sitting in the olfactory grooves above the basilar plates of the skull where primary problems can occur causing loss of smell with taste noticeably involved as well. Other more sophisticated testing can be done if necessary such as the BLINK REFLEX which tests the brainstem area in the cerebellopontine angle area which looks at the TRIGEMINAL NERVE that can be affected in the sense of taste....this would be more along the lines of testing done by a NEUROLOGIST...not so much general practice or even ENT (though some ENT folks who specialize in taste and smell problems are definitely capable of considering this differential diagnosis).

If I've provided useful and helpful information to your questions could you do me a huge favor by CLOSING THE QUERY and be sure to include some fine words of feedback along with a 5 STAR rating if you feel so inclined? Again, many thanks for submitting your inquiry and please let me know how things turn out.

Do not forget to contact me in the future at: www.bit.ly/drdariushsaghafi for additional questions, comments, or concerns having to do with this topic or others. I'm also very interested in knowing how things turn out for you if you get any testing or evaluations done so drop me a line young lady. :0

This query has utilized a total of 38 minutes of professional time in research, review, and synthesis for the purpose of formulating a return statement.

---