Bizarre new symptom pattern

[Sarah94]

Recently I have developed a bizarre new symptom.

It's a nasty taste in my mouth. It makes water taste horrid when I drink it. But I can taste it in my mouth all the time.

I also get a worsening of my energy levels whilst I have the nasty taste in my mouth.

I've sometimes had this before, but only on random isolated days. But recently, it is happening without fail, EVERY SECOND DAY. So, like, I'll have the nasty taste on Monday Wednesday Friday and Sunday, but not have it on Tuesday Thursday and Saturday.

Does anyone have any idea what could cause something like this to happen *on alternate days*?

Before you ask, I haven't started any new medications or supplements recently or changed my diet.

It's difficult to describe the taste. I don't know how I would describe it. Just nasty. Maybe kind of like the nasty taste that you get in your mouth when you have a viral illness, but not exactly like that.

According to the internet,
"When you have a cold, sinus infection, or other illness, your body naturally releases a protein [TNF] made by different cells in the body to promote and mediate inflammation. It’s thought that this protein can also affect the taste buds, causing increased sensitivity to bitter tastes when you’re sick."

So inflammation is one possible cause. But that still doesn't explain why it would be happening only on alternate days.

I also read that candida can cause a bad taste in the mouth, but again I can't see why that would occur only on alternate days.

 

[Wishful]

Yup, bizarre fits that. My guess is that ME is altering some neural pathways, giving the impression of a bad taste. As for every second day, maybe whatever the change is, the body notices it and corrects for it, then stops the correction mechanism (job finished), and the cycle starts again. Just a wild guess.

Have you changed anything significant in your life just before this started? Added a new food or drug/supplement? Started avoiding a food/supplement? Maybe the right nutrient or supplement will solve the problem. Alternatively, maybe some other flavour could trigger other neural pathways to interrupt the false signal.

When my sister was pregnant, she said her saliva felt or tasted horrible, and that was probably a similar altered processing of neural signals. Brains are complicated, so malfunctions aren't unexpected.

 

[Sarah94]

Have you changed anything significant in your life just before this started? Added a new food or drug/supplement? Started avoiding a food/supplement?

No!

When my sister was pregnant, she said her saliva felt or tasted horrible, and that was probably a similar altered processing of neural signals.

I can definitely rule out pregnancy.

 

[Sarah94]

As for every second day, maybe whatever the change is, the body notices it and corrects for it, then stops the correction mechanism (job finished), and the cycle starts again. Just a wild guess.

That sounds very plausible.

 

[Hip]

Does anyone have any idea what could cause something like this to happen *on alternate days*?

The following suggestion is a long shot, but occasionally people may develop what is known as a jawbone cavitation infection, which is a chronic bacterial infection formed within hollow pockets inside your jawbone (like the holes in Swiss cheese). Typically these hollow pockets in the bone may be caused by wisdom teeth removal, where the bone heals over, but leaves a hollow pocket within the bone.

One of the symptoms of jawbone cavitation infection is a sour bitter taste in the mouth, causing bad breath (or even gagging).

Interestingly, such jawbone cavitation infections appear to be able to cause ME/CFS just on their own. Or at least greatly worsen an existing viral ME/CFS. There have been at least two stories on this forum of patients whose ME/CFS was caused/greatly worsened by jawbone cavitation infection, and who greatly improved after the infection was surgically removed by a specialist dentist.

Jawbone cavitation infections will not show up on a regular dental Xray; you need specialist scans to see them. However, a simple test for these infections is pressing on your gums, particularly in the wisdom tooth area if you have had these teeth removed: if any gum area feels painful on pressure, this indicates a possible jawbone infection (though this test will not always detect a jawbone infection).

Links to further info can be found in my roadmap, in the jawbone cavitation section.

Your bad taste is probably not a jawbone cavitation infection; but it's worth considering, given the connection to ME/CFS.



Another cause of a bad taste in the mouth is post-nasal drip: this is where you have inflammation and/or infection in your sphenoid sinus, which is located above the back of the throat. If you sometimes get a feeling of mucous running down the back of your throat, this is a symptom of post-nasal drip.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

Another cause of a bad taste in the mouth is post-nasal drip: this is where you have inflammation and/or infection in your sphenoid sinus, which is located above the back of the throat. If you sometimes get a feeling of mucous running down the back of your throat, this is a symptom of post-nasal drip.

Is it metalic? I experience that- during moments of detox effects...

My tongue experiences alot of swelling daily- and other cycles when rundown. I've experienced fairly often-phantom tastes and smells. The buds are directly affected- and also something neurological is misreading the messages. During an acute decline, I am smelling benzene-but its the neighbors dinner. This happened numerous times.

 

[Hip]

Is it metalic?

Don't know, you might want to Google it.

 

[Wishful]

I can definitely rule out pregnancy.

It wasn't a suggestion for a cause, just pointing out that pregnancy, with it's hormone changes, was able to cause bizarre taste changes, so it's plausible for ME to do the same thing.