Taste buds cannot taste anything sweet;

Losing your taste is not the answer to losing weight, it can work just the opposite by eating more trying to satisfy your taste for the food you're eating.  it has not helped me to lose any weight. I wouldn't complain about not being able to taste if I could lose weight by not tasting.  I cannot taste sweet, and that's really a bummer. I hope someone can find an answer to my problem. 

Hi,

I've been following this thread on and off for the past year, and figured its time for me to join in.

I lost my ability to taste sweet in May 2012. I believe it was due to stress that month (but who knows?).

This did not result from anything  physical or a sickness, and  I can taste artificial sweeteners. 

Like everyone elses, my doctors are clueless. I have gone to the Taste and Smell Disorder Clinic in CT, as well as local docs and had a brain MRI. I seem to be a "perfect" physical specimen...nothing wrong.

But, it's been well over a year, and I still cannot taste sweet, which includes fruit, chocolate, as well as umami. I can taste artificial sweeteners and am using Stevia and Truvia. On the good side, I am at a great weight (lost 20 pounds) and probably won't get diabetes, which runs in my family.

But, there was one thing that you may find of interest... While I was visiting in TX, I went to an acupuncturist who specializes in NAET (see naet.org). She said stress was blocking my sense of taste, and when she finished, I WAS able to taste honey in water, and it was very sweet. Unfortunately, it did not stick. She said it may take a few session to make it permanent. But I had to return home, so was not able to see her again. But, if this continues much longer, I will consider a trip back there to see her as many times as she suggests. It is the only thing that has had any effect to date. I have tried other acupuncturists, and intend to try massage and hypnosis next, locally.

I find it very interesting that so many people here have the same thing as me and yet none of the doctors have heard of it.

If anyone finds a cure, please post it.

It's still me.. I just wanted to add that my sense of smell is still fine.

I could taste things fine till a couple days ago, then anything sweet tastes odd. Metallic.  I noticed when I had a soda and thought the soda was at fault- but it was happening with any soda, and anything sweet.  I can taste salty, bland, spicy, fine.  But anything sweet tastes very odd. I did not burn it, or anything to make it do this- it just sorta came on by itself. I am not pregnant ( absolutely sure about that) so that is not causing it either which can be a factor but I know because I know that side of my life ( even though married,I  know for sure the unlikelihood of that)   I dkw what it is but nothing except fruit tastes right which is sweet. I think perhaps something dental could be a culprit, or a medicine I take could be also.

If it continues I will ask my doctor about it.

Just wanted to post a reply as it has been around 8 months since I first posted.  I went to dentist , had my teeth cleaned and lost a large portion of my taste.  It was very depressing, doctors, as everyone else says,  know little about how to treat and there seems to be nothing they can do.  I did notice that many who posted once, never posted again so I reached out to see if any of them regained their taste, many over time....6 months, etc.. did start to get taste back from the replys I got.   I was encouraged.  Just kind of decided to live with it but I have started to regain most of my taste back.    I would say I still have a little loss but enjoying eating and drinkiing again!.  Not saying everyone will have this happen, but I think there is hope.  Good luck to you necomers and remember to post again if you have regained taste as people on this post need to hear it.

Yea. I lost my ability to taste sweet thing over the weekend, I noticed it on Monday :( it's really making me sad, forcing me to feel how weird food feels when you can't taste the best part. I don't know what caused it and The only thing I can think of that would cause this was the really hot pot roast I was taste testing but I've burnt my tongue before and was fine. What does this madness mean! Does anyone have a workin reasonable solution.

I remember sometime ago I took zopiclone I have this problem and it goes away after stop taking it. It happen to me again 3 weeks ago after taking sleep supplement. I think got to do with drugs that effect the brain

I just recently gotten Crest "Pro Health" 6 in 1 to help my cavity's. And Prior to rinsing I cannot taste either, and before that I couldn't taste anyways. Wait thirty minutes and keep yourself from eating and drinking until after thirty minutes. It states it on directions: "After using Crest Pro Health do not consume any food or beverage for thirty minutes."

I think if you do eat or drink within thirty minutes it takes even LONGER for taste to come back. I absoulutly do not know for sure because I could'nt taste prior to using it anyways. I hope I helped.

The experience of waking up 4 days ago and not be able to taste sweet was a very bad experience. I am not sick, no surgery, just woke up and can't taste anything sweet. It sucks, I am a cook and I keep wondering how long this is gonna last. No symptoms at all other than I can't taste anything with sugar in it. It tastes so bad I gag. I can taste salty, savory food, but can tell the taste is off a little. At least reading this have gave me hope that although it may take awhile my taste can come back. Thanks again!

Yes, I hear you. That's been my situation for 1.5 years now. Makes it difficult to cook, as I can't really season things like sauce well (at all). Have you tried using Stevia? I use it to sweeten my tea, and I can taste that. Not exactly like sugar, but it does flavor the tea well enough to enjoy it.
Sounds like we have the same thing.
Silver lining; I've lost 20 pounds and and am in great health. And that's w/o changing quantity of food...just giving up sugar.

last night i tried choc. covered cherry ice cream last night and it was nasty. This morning i woke up with the worst head ache ever. Made me through up it was that bad. After that, i was able to doze off again. After wakeing up, i got ready for work. Stopped by Bucees for some of the best tea ever. IT TASTED NASTY. Drove to work, half way there stopped by my usual Bucees. Got some more tea, it tasted nasty. Now i'm at work and trying some Orange Soda, it tastes like the carbonated water with a hint of orange. I don't know what the h_ll is going on but it's Christmas Eve, I'm at work with some good eating ahead of me and i can't taste it. HELP ME FIGURE THIS OUT.

I'm in the same boat as many of you. I lost my sense of taste 6 weeks ago and it's the most depressing thing ever. Mine happend during an intensive antibiotic treatment for Lyme disease. I took a detox bath one night (epsom salt and baking soda) and when I got out of the water I noticed my mouth tasted salty.That was the last thing I ever tasted.

At the time this happened I was on 4 different antibiotics - ceftin, Minocycline, Septra and Flagyl.

I've seen several physicians and nobody can tell me what is wrong. It's definitely some sort of nerve damage, in my opinion. But I can't taste anything. And I've lost 25lbs in 6 weeks because I've lost my ability to eat.

I had an MRI done a week ago and am waiting on the results. I will also be going to UPenn's smell and taste disorder clinic in 7 weeks.

It seems as though many don't check back in but I will. I know how frustruating this condition is and nobody has answers nor can they seem to help.

Good luck to you, remember, while not a lot of follow up posts, many people who lost taste seem to get it back to some degree. ( I did-maybe 80% back to normal) Hang in there. Are you saying you have absolutely know taste at all or is it altered and everything tastes different?

I am back to say that I had a taste issue again and overcame it again. After these several years of researching I am no closer to the cause but can share what may have helped this time. My taste went haywire again around last Christmas: couldn't taste salt and sweet just rancid. My daughter had to taste test all my cooking. No fun to eat in a restaurant when nothing tastes good or as it should. This lasted over 2 months so I had the feeling this may be it forever now. I went back to Tom's toothpaste and things for drymouth because the taste of my own mouth was disgusting and felt dry and pasty. My taste may have been coming back slowly in the prior 2 weeks but last weekend I suddenly noticed that a cookie tasted good and a peanut butter cup and the spaghetti I cooked.....I went into an eating frenzy. So all I can do here is tell you the things I did differently in the last 4 weeks in my quest to get my taste back. I can't say any one thing improved it and I can't say that it wouldn't have come back without these things I did. It could be that I get this virus that no one has ever figured out yet that is slow moving. Here are the things I did: I bought a humidifier and started running that next to my bed every night, used dry mouth products (Act for dry mouth at night and a dry mouth rinse in the AM) as well as chewed a lot of Trident gum, read a lot about oxygen therapy and spritzed food grade 3% hydrogen peroxide I bought on Amazon 4 sprays directly to the back of my throat followed by a swallow of water when I felt migraines coming on, and started using Oxylift ($17.57 on Amazon) 3 drops in a glass of water every morning. If I had to guess what might have helped I might guess the Oxylift because I had just started that about a week before getting my taste back. I didn't follow the instructions which have you work your way up to a lot of drops. I am just putting 3 drops in a glass of water upon getting up in the morning and drinking that. This book is interesting: The One Minute Cure- The Secret To Healing Virtually All Diseases. Maybe it was the spritzes of hydrogen peroxide which I tried for migraines (didn't help that) but maybe it helped the taste? So if any of this helps anyone else would you please come back and tell me/us? Thank You.

Thought of one more thing.....I also started taking a sublingual B vitamin (Nature's Bounty). I think my smell was fine all along.