Had a stroke 10 weeks ago, and since then have had a bitter taste in my mouth which makes all food taste revolting. Has anyone experienced this?
Steve
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Yep, had that really bad for about 4 months after mine which has gradually faded a bit but then again Iāve lost all feeling/taste on the LHS of my tongue and most of my smell (think that this was the covid that I caught in hospital rather then the stroke)
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@sds
Very much so.
In hospital I suddenly developed an aversion for my favourite drink, coffee. It really tasted foul. I would order something off the menu for the day that I fancied, but when it arrived I could not manage more than a bite. For a while I was surviving on ice cream, jelly and fruit squash.
Iām pleased to say that my usual appreciation for food did return. It only lasted a few weeks, but was just another of the strange things that seem to happen after a stroke.
Try to not worry too much, it can be overwhelming, but come to this forum any time and compare notes. Youāll find others have been this way and managed to get through it. You will too.
Telling your story is a good way to get it out.
Keep on keepinā on
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For me everything was just so bland and tasteless. Probably one of the reasons why I lost too much weight. So be careful of that, youāve got to keep your strength up because you burn up so much energy just in recovery. You donāt want to end up looking like someone out of a prisoner of war camp, thatās how I looked 
Hopefully it should return within a couple months for you too.
Welcome to the forum, itās the best to be for providing all the answers the medical professionals donāt have time to answer. 
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many thanks , hopefully the bitter taste will go soon
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I consider myself to be quite a polite individual however during the first days in hospital (that I donāt recall too well but my wife does remind me of) it would appear that the change in taste and reduced inhibitions/loss of politeness aligned such that when the lady came to collect my plate after a meal that I hadnāt eaten (baked potato with cheese I believe) and she said something along the lines of āyou really do need to eat to help you recoverā I responded with āWell if you bring me something that doesnāt taste like s**t then Iāll eat itā. My wife was of course horrified and apologised profusely to the lady who just laughed and said āDonāt worry love, heās rightā 
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@sds hi & welcome to the forum. It seems a bitter taste might be quite common. I had it too. My fav food tasted horrid & like @Bobbi i couldnāt stand coffee either - my previous go to drink. It didnāt last too long although I still get times when things taste odd.
The weight loss issue is an important one. Try & eat however yuck it tastes as youāll need all your strength for recovery.
Best wishes
Ann
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Incidentally, you might or might not want to know this, but I also stopped having a poo.
The nursing staff kept offering something to āhelpā. Iād never taken stuff like that before and refused the offer each time.
Then one day I asked for a bed pan. The result was extremely large and solid. The nurse went around the ward showing it to other members of staff. I think it was something in the way of a record.
Every thing settled into a pretty ordinary routine after that.
. . . then there are the uncontrollable fits of giggles, streams of tears and strange reactions to pretty harmless comments or attempts to help.
Yes, I did it my way, but it seems Iām not the only one who did.
You have so much to look forward to,
Keep on keepin on
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Yes, my stroke was now 4 months ago and all food tastes vile! I have lost a stone due to small portion sizes as itās so difficult to force horrible tasting food down. I find spicy food is the only food that tastes remotely edible.
It seems my most favourite foods are the ones that taste the worst. I long to enjoy good again.
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@jal11 welcome to the forum. It seems that vile tasting food is more common than we thought.
I am 20 months on and still find my taste has altered although food no longer tastes vile. I have lost 4 1/2 stone & although iām eating & on supplement drinks I canāt seem to put weight on.
If you can force some food in then try to so you donāt have tte problems I now have. Little & often might help.
Best wishes
Ann x
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Thank you very much for your help @Mrs5K
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Hi @jal11 and welcome to the forum 
Just a suggestion if youāre not eating much and to avoid losing too much weight, try taking a nutrient shake like Complan to top you up. Itās good those who suffer from low appetite or cannot get all the required nutrients, vitamins and minerals from their current diet. There are dozens on the market but thatās the only one I remember and could get in the chemist when getting my prescriptions
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Hello!!
I have actually found the opposite!! I used to like a bit of spice - quite a bit.
Now I like wun tun soup and prawn gyoza and smoothies. Thatās really about it!! Spice makes me vomit Iām afraid or worse just get flop sweat for 2 hours. even pepper or peppermint tooth paste is a pain
Iāve lost nearly 3 stone in 10 months and I was a bit chubby and I keep being told I look good but itās not because Iām eating normally!
Hopefully you will regain some ability to enjoy things and you may be surprised at discovering new things!!
I also cannot eat when sitting down now for some reason - unless itās chocolate or something.
I leave all my meals (well JP does) in the kitchen and when I go to get some water etc I have one or two bites. Iām proud of myself today as I had 7/12 of the prawn gyozas and I didnāt throw them up!! Took 2.5 hours but so what!
Stay cool 
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@KGB Thanks thatās interesting! Good to hear other peoples experiences, thatās a lot o weight to lose, I hope you keep progressing well.
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Thank you so much for sharing your experience
#simoninEdinburgh
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HI @jal11
Tonight is the first time in 10 months I am trying a curry!!!
I have got it from our very local one and they seemed to have listened to me!! My ultra mild chicken korma is edible so far and virtually no flop sweat with my plain naan!!
@Bobbi Iām sure your naan is better
Just because the smell of JPās chicken tika balti makes me sweat he has kindly agreed to eat it in the darts room!!
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How are you both doing? Keep on posting and talking!!!
Whats on the menu today?!
@SimonInEdinburgh @EmeraldEyes
As we were talking aboutā¦
I had a stroke and clot removed from my brain Christmas 2023.
I am very lucky I lost no feelings anywhere.
Since then my taste has got worse over the months and everythingā¦I mean everything tastes horrid even basic food like mashed potato.
I can no longer tolerate the4 taste of meat so donāt eat it. Currries Chili Pizza Nope canāt eat either. My favourite foods nope canāt eat now.
I have been living on the only things I can eat as normal cornflakes & porridge. McDonalds Banana milk shake every now and then goes down a treatā¦yumā¦yum
I have now been prescribed the Ensure drinks Banana is the only one I can tolerate.
Can I ask a questionā¦does anyone ever overcome this and eat normally again. If so could I ask how please
I am at my wits end throwing throwing throwing food away.
My little doggie is getting fat while I am loosing weight.
I no longer feel I am on my own reading that so many people are in the same boat
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@Kim66 hi & welcome to the community. Sorry youāve had cause to join us.
My taste altered initially but it did settle for most things. It must be difficult to eat when everything tastes horrid. Have you seen a dietician at all? That may be worth a tryā¦they wonāt be able to change the taste of stuff but might be able to help with other foods ypu could try.
I too am on ensure (the juce ones) but mine is due to me not getting the hungry feeling so Iāve lost too much weight. Not sure if itāll ever come back (iām almost 3 years on) but I do force myself to eat 3 meals a day whether I want to or not.
Best wishes
Ann
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Hi @Kim66 and welome I was similar for the first year or so after my stroke. Lost nearly 3st in the process which I couldnāt really afford to lose. Needed a whole new wardobe, that was the only plus, skinny enough for catwalksā¦if only I had the youth 
Foods/drinks just didnāt taste right or taste of anything at all, and absolutely nothing appealed at all. But I ate anyway, though not enough. Iām type2 diabetic and the medication Iām on also surpresses the appetite as well, so there was nothing down for me 
But, it did all gradually right itself, Iād say, over those first 18mths or so. I still have to make sure I eatā¦as hubbyās just handed me a cheese a cheese toastieā¦otherwise weight drop quick But at least food is tasty again 
Stroke recovery can be likened to a ship changing coarse or being thrown into reverse. It takes a while to slow the forward momentum to bring it to a stop, before it very gradually picks up speed in reverse.
Where a cargo ship might take 20 minutes to stop, our stroke brains can take 6mths to stop, clean up, figure out needs to be done, and get parts working againā¦if it can. And this can take more months/years to pick up again.
But the only way your likely to improve your taste is by eating/drinking all the things you used to like. You have retrain your brain, jog its memory banks repeatedly until it stcks once again. Hold your nose if you have to 
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