Hi everyone. This may indeed be in “bad taste” but I would like to see if anybody has a similar symptom. I am 8 weeks post stroke, have little residual weakness, just the terrible fatigue. However for some weeks now I have had a nasty taste in my mouth - metallic/bitter - it is worse after eating, doesn’t go away after teeth brushing, gargles etc. I also feels as if I have a ball of mucus in my throat all the time. Has anyone else experienced similar? Is it a consequence of the stroke or should it I be looking for another cause?
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I had the food tasting awful thing when I was in hospital.
Had to stop drinking coffee, it tasted of drains. I drank juice for a while but it wasn’t much better.
Then a nurse suggested drinking chocolate which was fine. It became my drink of choice for a while.
I’d order food that I quite fancied off the menu but couldn’t eat it because the taste was all wrong.
I discovered others who had experienced similar. All a bit weird but eventually taste came back to normal and I could enjoy my food and my usual cup of coffee.
I don’t know why, maybe the stroke or a drug side effect, but once gone it never returned.
I’d try changing what you are eating and drinking for now and try a change, Oh yes toast was okay so breakfast was toast and drinking chocolate.
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Thanks for that advice. This didn’t start immediately, but came on gradually. I can sort of taste my food, but soon as I have swallowed back comes the bitterness. Can’t say that there is anything that I find more acceptable than others, and definitely not chocolate, tried it and it was horrible!
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Hi @JanM welcome to the forum 
I agree with @Bobbi, it’s either stroke effect or medications you are on. And like Bobbi, it eventually wore off for me too at some point in the first 6mths, just can’t remember how long it took now, I’m 3yrs post stroke 
As for the ball of mucus in your throat, the only solution I ever found helped a little was water with lemon juice in it to cut through it. I just always had a bottle on the go to sip from time to time or take my pills with. That took a bit longer to resolve itself but it did in the end 
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Thankuou EmeraldEyes, I’ll give the lemon juice a try. Can you tell me how strong to make it? TIA
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Just a squirt or two of lemon juice in a pint bottle of water. If I didn’t have fresh lemons I just used the bottled Jif lemon juice you buy in the supermarket. Like I said though it helped but didn’t cure it, only time did that
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ENT gave me a nasal spray Flixonase which seemed to cure that for me even though that’s not why I was prescribed it.
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@JanM hi & welcome to the forum.
I too found food to taste vile after my stroke although it took me a while to realise thats what was happening. I blamed it on poor hospital food 
2 1/2 years on I still get times when food tastes yuck and i’ve also found my tastes have changed. Things I loved pre stroke I now can’t eat & vice versa.
Hope it settles for you soon.
Best wishes
Ann
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Thanks for that Simon. Sorry if you found my attempt at a pun was misplaced, but there is very little to laugh about these days!
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Hey now don’t be going down that road, it’s nothing but misery and you’ve got a lot be thankful and happy about. I know not every day can be sunshine and roses, even if you’ve never had a stroke. Just don’t let the bad days drag you down into the abyss. Look for the positives in your life, I’m sure you’ve still got many. And don’t hide away indoors, get out and about and live.
And there’s always plenty to laugh about as @HHilary pointed out on another thread, so you’ll find plenty to laugh about in here https://onlinecommunity.stroke.org.uk/t/our-new-funnies-thread/
Don’t forget, laughter is the best medicine you can take and it’s free!
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Welcome JanM for several months had that metallic taste. Thought it was fillings so booked dentist appointment. Now three years on comes and goes . Think it’s from my HBP medication. Read up the side effects of the pills you take Hope this may be of help
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Forgot to add, Yes I do have ball of mucous always not far away. Got to be the drugs
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Thanks for that, reassuring to know I’m not imagining it!
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Hi Jan, I’m 2 half years post stroke and taste is still a problem for me . Always a strange taste in my mouth when I wake also my ears feel blocked 
. If I cough I have mucus too . It happens in the day too . I’ve lost 3 stone since my stroke and would give anything to have my taste buds be normal again . All the best you are not alone with this x
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Thanks for reply Christine, its good to know I’m not alone with this but daunting when you guys tell me how long you have been suffering! On the up side, I desperately need to lose weight, on the down side I can’t bear to drink wine any more!
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Hello Jan,
You might start to go off the things that are bad for you, and enjoy the taste of things that are good.
As for a strange taste in my mouth ; only at the start of my recovery ; all back to normal, now. Though, I used to hate soup before my stroke, now I love it.
I have 1 glass of red wine per week ; never more.
(I avoid alcohol, for several reasons, of which the first is to guard against osteoporosis)
Weight, diet, intake of essentials like omega 3, outdoor time, sun, walking (my weakness), exercise, yoga, physio, swimming, listening to music, creative time, quality social time, your personal recovery team, love, financial security, and tenacity to overcome problems and heal ourselves.
Sorry, I went off topic,
Good luck, ciao, Roland
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That mention of adding lemon juice to glass of water at night! Did the same , first year, then just water. And yes minor issue with the dripping nose at times. Always thought that was an old boys thing. Cripes ! Just realised I am an old boy now (76)
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Hello JanM,
Taste buds do change. The guys are right, mixture of stroke and drugs. Drink lots of water, as your base. I’ve gone off tea. Hospital food is not brill. Can anyone bring some more interesting food in for you? Chocolate is good…I lost 10kg when I was in hospital. Make sure you do eat something and drink. Healing takes time in many ways. A stroke takes a lot of things from us, don’t be surprised. Managing our recovery is important and you will find your own special way, we all do. So don’t despair, you’ll get there. 
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Hi
I had the mucus issue or a few weeks shortly after my stroke, and the problem with taste, coffee black tea green tea all tasted disgusting, then not so bad for a while, then lousy again, think its the taste buds shot to bits, love my coffee, so going to try again, this afternoon, but know it will finish up down the sink, think the mucus issue will sot itself out fairly soon meanwhile keep up with the gargling to shift it as suggested. but definately caused by the stroke.
Wattsy
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Hi Christine my ears have felt blocked since my stroke, the left one more so, going to have them looke at soon, as always made a lot of earwax, so need to find out what the cause is , driving me potty my wife as well
Wattsy
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