First sense of smell, now sense of taste!

Hi everybody.

A few weeks ago I wrote in asking if others have experienced certain food smells eg. coffee causing nausea and a desire to leave the room immediately! This didnt appear to ring a bell with many people - so I guessed it was just something individual. Now Im finding that sweet foods particularly are tasting really revoltingly sickly! Savoury foods are ok on the whole, though don`t taste quite as they used to!

Given all the other weird symptoms: (weak, wobbly legs which dont/cant move, poor balance, mental confusion, poor memory and occasional full body paralysis), finding even my food tastes "off", isnt making life much fun at the moment! Has anyone else experienced the odd taste sensation?

Faith WB

Hi faith, I haven’t been diagnosed with ms, although I have fibromyalgia, and the symptoms are similar. I do seem to smell things that aren’t there or it maybe simply that other people just can’t smell them, I know it may not be the same thing, but I hope it helps in that someone else is having something similar, as for taste have you started any new medication or come off a medication recently? That can do weird and wonderful things to your senses. It may be worth mentioning it to your GP. Also if you don’t mind me asking your sense of taste can change when you are pregnant, don’t know if there’s any chance of that but it may be something to think about :slight_smile: Sorry I can’t be any more help! Kiki x

Hi Faith, I also had the same question as kiki, re are you by any chance pregnant? That oftens causes odd taste/smell conditions.

I`m not aware that these things occur in MS.

luv Pollx

A few people on here have reported a powerful enhancement in their sense of smell and sometimes it enhances their pleasure, whereas other smells become unbearable as you report. You can find some reports via these old links:

http://www.mssociety.org.uk/forum/everyday-living/hypersensitive-smell-0

http://www.mssociety.org.uk/forum/new-diagnosis-and-diagnosis/symptom-can-be-used-cause-delight

I am not yet diagnosed MS. I am being treated for another auto-immune disorder (PV) where my immune system attacks my skin. I have now realised that I also have a large set of MS symptoms stretching back over years so I am at the beginning of the process of putting it all together.

So - following that preamble - I lost my normal sense of taste and smell to a large extent about 10 years ago. I was plagued by an unpleasant stale smell for several years. At the moment these senses are heavily impaired. Salt, sweet, acid and bitterness - the tastes that are experienced in the mouth are all present and correct. At times these are very strong but this is complicated by the PV symptoms in my mouth and may be nothing to do with MS. I recently realised that these days I experience food by imagining what it should taste like using memory, texture, and knowledge of the ingredients.

I am not yet diagnosed MS. I am being treated for another auto-immune disorder (PV) where my immune system attacks my skin. I have now realised that I also have a large set of MS symptoms stretching back over years so I am at the beginning of the process of putting it all together.

So - following that preamble - I lost my normal sense of taste and smell to a large extent about 10 years ago. I was plagued by an unpleasant stale smell for several years. At the moment these senses are heavily impaired. Salt, sweet, acid and bitterness - the tastes that are experienced in the mouth are all present and correct. At times these are very strong but this is complicated by the PV symptoms in my mouth and may be nothing to do with MS. I recently realised that these days I experience food by imagining what it should taste like using memory, texture, and knowledge of the ingredients.

Hi! Thanks to all who replied to my post on strange tastes and smells. It seems that others have also experienced this phenomena, so at least I know its not just me being weird! Hopefully, though, this wont go on for ever: its hard coming downstairs first thing in the morning, and retching at the smell of my husbands first cup of morning coffee!