Lost taste buds

[Gaby]

Those are good suggestions, you can sniffle some nystatin for a few days and take DMSO a teaspoon per day (or every couple of days). They're also pretty safe. If you get dizzy with the DMSO, do it once a week maximum. You can keep the DMSO a little while in your mouth before swallowing it.

Here is the relevant info about the Nystatin sniffle:

Nystatin powder can kill candida in many different ways

Clears nasal congestion, postnasal drip, and mental and nervous symptoms

Sniffing, inhaling nystatin or a nystatin snizzle clears nasal congestion,
postnasal drip, and mental and nervous symptoms.

Here's how to do it: Shake your bottle of Nystatin powder vigorously. Remove
the cap and hold the bottle just under your nose. Sniff or inhale very
cautiously.

Nystatin snizzle: First you will need to buy an infant nasal syringe. Mix
1/4 teaspoon nystatin powder (or use 1/4 teaspoon of nystatin suspension)
into 2 ounces of warm purified water (to body temperature). Suck up the
solution to fill the bulb syringe.

While leaning forward over the sink, with your face pointing down, not up,
and with a towel nearby, insert the bulb syringe into the right nostril (not
the left one!). Gently squeeze the solution well back into the nose. Hold
your breath; do not breathe in while squeezing. Gently blow out onto a
tissue. Then sniffle strongly to clear up the solution remaining in the very
back of the nose. Then do the same thing with the left nostril.

Another method is to put a dot of nystatin powder on your index finger, hold
one nostril and sniff gently. Repeat for the other nostril. The number of
sniffs, inhales or snizzles can be gradually increased to 3 or 4 in a row up
to three times a day or more, depending upon how well it is tolerated.

 

[Erna]

I think you all might be right on target with the fungal issue. I've been battling this candida for several months now and have definitely seen some improvement, but I still have a lot of symptoms - it's a slow battle! So, I just drank a teaspoon of DMSO (kind of glad I can't taste it!) and I'll also try the 'sniffle' approach. I'm going to have to get a hold of more Nystatin since I'm running low again. The taste sensation at the back of my tongue has come back just a bit, so that's an encouraging sign. I'll update you on how the DMSO affects things. Thanks - you're a huge help!

 

[Mrs.Tigersoap]

Hi E,

FWIW, I thought about candida as well when I read your post. Interestingly (or not, you be the judge), sometimes acupuncturists work on the Large Intestine meridian to help a patient with loss of taste and also on the Governing vessel, which is in a way one of the most important meridians in the body since it helps regulate all yang meridians (gives them energy, etc.).
It also sometimes reflects of yang vacuity in the spleen. So anything that makes your spleen's job easier would also help I think.

So, in other words, help your bowels and your spleen by eating the right diet for you and getting rid of your candida.

 

[Erna]

I stumbled onto something. I found this discussion: Nystatin Oral Suspension User Reviews.

One person writes:

was on this medicine for quite a few months, probably 4 mos. or more off and on. the problem just didn't seem to go away. i am curious if others after finishing nystatin had still any white coating or spots on tongue still. also i would like to know if others still had no taste buds, limited taste buds, DRY MOUTH, tingling on tongue, and/or any other issues while taking it or even when finished with it. first ear/nose/throat doc. went to said it could take months to get taste buds back and tongue feel normal again. i am getting a 2nd opinion in a few weeks as my tongue still does not feel right and my normal doc. wants me to go to a 2nd ear/nose/throat doc. the dosing directions were very confusing, so maybe i didn't always do it correctly. first time and first bottle just swish and spit, a larger bottle later, after first one didn't work, directions to swish and also swallow. yuk. it would have been worth it if it had been successful but i feel it was not. pls. others share your thought and opinions on how your mouth/tongue felt/feels now that you are finished and any other particulars.

Apart from having lost my taste buds, my tongue also feels numb, but believe it or not, this comes as a huge relief. Not knowing the cause was worse, even if it takes months to get my taste buds back. I was worried it might be forever.

Another person writes:

it makes my tongue feel sore throat raw, taste buds are gone

And then this one as well:

As another person posted I too had to take Cipro n Flagyl for Diverticulitis.The Flagyl was supposed to offset Thrush and the yeast infection I acquired,the monistat took care of the yeast infection but had to go bk. to my Doc for the Nystatin for the thrush,which by the way I had 3 yrs. ago from taking the horrible medicine 'Prednisone'! I had no taste,trouble swallowing n bad headaches,took the Nystatin first dose helped a lot second usage I could feel the difference.On my second day every 6hours dosage,7days.Only complications I am suffering are bad headaches,tummy cramps.

Okay, so it looks like it might be the Nystatin. Still a relief though, if it's temporary.

 

[Erna]

Okay, I see that dysgeusia is a side effect of Nystatin with some people.

I found this report from a doctor as well:

Nystatin Side Effects Report: 5281934-5,Ageusia
Nystatin side effect was reported by a Pharmacist from UNITED KINGDOM on Mar 14, 2007. Male patient, child 1 years of age, was treated with Nystatin. After drug was administered, patient experienced the following side effects: ageusia. Nystatin dosage: unknown.

Ageusia is the loss of taste functions of the tongue, particularly the inability to detect sweetness, sourness, bitterness, saltiness, and umami (the taste of monosodium glutamate). It is sometimes confused with anosmia - a loss of the sense of smell. Because the tongue can only indicate texture and differentiate between sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami most of what is perceived as the sense of taste is actually derived from smell. True aguesia is relatively rare compared to hypogeusia — a partial loss of taste — and dysgeusia — a distortion or alteration of taste.

 

[Gaby]

I never heard of that side effect before, although it makes sense as a die-off symptom of candida provoked by the nystatin. Oh boy.

 

[Erna]

Yeah, I don't think it's one of the more common side effects though. I stopped taking the Nystatin yesterday, I'm going to wait for my taste buds to come back and my system to return to normal, and then I'll start waging the war again! ;)

 

[mamadrama]

This solves a mystery for me. My mother was given Nystatin in the hospital after contracting Candida and thrush in her mouth and throat after a looong course of IV anti-biotics. Since she's been home from the hospial she's lost her taste buds, too. I think this is probably why. Thanks!

 

[D69]

I have it for years now :D
Ear infection is probably one of vectors connected with sinuses and candida in general.
In my case this is strong sinuses infection. It gets worse during wintertime.
In general , hell load of garlic for extended period of time seems to clean up nasal canals and helps. Also Vitamin C in large doses does the same.
I also noticed that it is harder to remove when smoking a lot.
Also in my case I do not smell anything except VERY strong odor like ammonia for example.

 

[Cosmos]

does anybody know why E was not online for almost a year now ?

 

[ocean59]

My father lost almost all of his sense and smell about 5 years back, and he struggled to find a cause for it. The only thing he was able to find, in his research, was that many people using Zycam nasal zinc supplement regularly (as he had been for years) had also lost their sense of taste and smell.

This site: http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/sec19/ch221/ch221j.html suggests that Zinc supplements might help.

Isn't this Merck, the mondo corporate pharamceutical company?

Also, the article does not seem to recommend zinc supplementation in my interpretation. The final statement says, separate from the list of recommended treatments (which also include smoking cessation as would be expected from such a company):

Rarely, zinc supplements, which can be purchased without a prescription, are effective, especially for distortion of smell or for reduction or distortion of taste when no cause has been identified.

Maybe I am reading that wrong, but given all the reports linked to zinc and decreased smell over the years, perhaps more research is needed?