Taste Loss From Medications
Taste loss from medications is more common than you might think. One recent study found that 10-30% of taste loss in the elderly was caused by the side effects of medication. The exact mechanism causing the taste loss in these cases varies depending upon the drug class of the medications involved.
Medications can cause taste loss by decreasing saliva production in the mouth. This occurs when the drug blocks the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine. This is the typical “dry mouth” that the doctor may warn you about. Another way that medications may be responsible for taste loss is by interfering with the taste bud functioning itself. Some medications interfering with the body’s ability to absorb zinc which is known to be critical in taste. Blood pressure medications are known to interfere with the action of zinc which in turn causes taste loss problems.
Any medication that causes inflammation in mouth, tongue and throat or alters how the brain works can also cause taste loss. Antihistamines, anti-cholinergics and diuretics are the medications most know for causing dry mouth – which in turn causes taste loss.
Cancer treatments may also lead to taste loss, though the effect is usually temporary. Chemotherapy is associated with taste loss because it interferes with the body’s natural ability to replace damaged taste cells. After chemotherapy is stopped, taste usually recovers.
Radiation therapy for cancer can also lead to taste loss by damaging the saliva glands and causing nerve injury. In most cases, taste will recover after radiation treatments have ended and the body recovers. However, if the saliva glands become permanently scarred from treatment taste loss from the resulting dry mouth can become a difficult and persistent problem. In these cases a saliva substitute may prove helpful.
Here is a useful list of the types of medications often associated with taste loss. (To determine the category of your medication, simply enter its name and the words “drug class” into a Google search – this should return websites with the information you need. )
Anti-inflammatory medications
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories
Antibiotics
Anti-cholinergics
Anti-depressants
Calcium Channel blockers
Carbonic Anhydrase inhibitors
Cardiac Arrhythmia medications
Cancer drugs
Cholesterol medications
Diuretics
Oral hypoglycemic medications
Parkinson’s disease medications
Anti-epileptic (seizure) medications
If you believe that your taste loss may be due to a side effect of your medications, talk to your doctor about other options. Be sure not to make any changes without first getting the doctor’s okay. Often there are similar medications with less side effects or a dosage change that can help resolve your taste problems. A saliva substitute can also prove helpful for cases of extreme dry mouth if no other options are available.
