What is this taste/smell?!

[Openmouthinsertfood]

I used to drink Rubicon's Black cherry and raspberry sparkling water. I had to stop as I was getting a really unpleasant taste after drinking it. It's sort of an artificial sweet smell? Anyway, went onto Sainsburys black current and cherry sparkling water. This always used to be fine, but after drinking it today I've been stuck with the sweet chemically taste and smell again. I also had a 10 cal jelly yesterday that was blackcurrent and got the same. The taste and smell is horrible. I know the common theme here is blackcurrent.
I've tried Googling but the only thing that comes up is diabetic Ketoacidosis. I am diabetic (Type 2) but don't have any other symptoms. I've had it for weeks on and off anyway. I do have GERD but am medicated for that and have had no recent problems. I am on a diet but am sure it's not Keto as I had bread with my dinner. I'm sure I'm not that low on carbs?
It's just getting worse and it's a really unpleasant taste/smell. Does anybody recognise what it is and how I can get rid of it?!
TIA

Surely it's the sweetener? Some people really don't notice but others get the awful aftertaste etc.

I have type 2 diabetes and get the same if I have blackcurrant.

Thanks @Scampuss but I don't get it with PepsiMax. ? I've also been drinking the stuff for a long time. Weird to get sensitive to it now?
Thanks for your reply @MillicentTrilbyHiggins any idea of why this is?

I put it down to the artificial sweeteners. Didn’t get it when I drank full sugar drinks. Can’t get away from the awful aftertaste 🙁

I'd assume sweeteners, too.

Is it the same sweeteners/combination of sweeteners though?

I always have an after taste with artificial sweeteners especially blackcurrant squash, it's almost like they make my throat feel sore/weird/dry too. Maybe something has changed with the type of sweetener used for blackcurrant.

Thank you all for your replies. I really don't think it's sweeteners as I've been drinking them a long time and this has only started happening in the last 6 weeks or so. Again, it doesn't happen with PepsiMax. ?

Pregnant?

Lol, no chance of pregnancy, had a hysterectomy a few years ago.
Thank for the reply though.

Haha you're welcome!

Maybe it was a bad year for blackberries 🤷

Sorry, don't know 😁

It was a fair enough question though. I should have mentioned that in my OP. (Sorry for the italics, didn't realise they were on.)

Could you have had COVID over the past few weeks, been asymptomatic and not realised?

Yes, I suppose that's possible. My brother has had it and came near me when recovering. I have felt tired on a few occasions so it's possible??? Thank you for bringing it up.

They might have changed the recipes? I know a lot of drinks and jelly etc. have changed recently from sugar to sweeteners.

I really don't think it's sweeteners as I've been drinking them a long time and this has only started happening in the last 6 weeks or so.

I think a lot of recipes have changed in the last few years because of the sugar tax and so on.

But the covid possibility is probably more likely.

Thank you both. Could well be the sweeteners then. I wish they'd stop playing around with food!

They’re definitely different sweeteners, which is why you keep saying you’re fine with Pepsi Max.

Pepsi Max uses aspartame and acesulfame K. Sainsbury’s Blackcurrent and Cherry sparkling water uses sucralose. Rubicon ALSO uses sucralose. So… your problem is probably sucralose aftertaste? Some people are more sensitive to specific sweeteners.

Have you had Covid? It messed up my olfactory system permanently, and has for countless others.

Have you tested your ketones? It could be that. It could be the bacteria that causes GERD. it could be that the sweetener used in the drink lasts longer. (This is the “aftertaste” we talk about. The “sweet” sensation actually lasts longer than the other flavours.)

The covid aspect is worth considering. I lost my sense of taste during one bout ages ago, then it came back to about 95% and I carried on like that for ages, just knowing that some things were subtly different e.g. having to add more garlic to be able to taste it or not getting the full flavour of coffee. But since then it's returned more (albeit not 100%), and I'm noticing flavours have returned. This might have happened to you, too.

I've started to become more sensitive to certain sweeteners - I never used to have an issue with them but now I get a horrible aftertaste that lingers for ages with fizzy orange drinks and McDonald's soft drinks in particular. Ordinary diet coke doesn't seem to give the same aftertaste though, so the different sweetener thing makes sense.