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Original poster

Salty Taste

24 replies

Boomerwang · 17/03/2022 06:45

Hi guys just looking for others who might have experienced this.

I've had a salty taste in my mouth for a few days. I was throwing away drinks and food thinking they'd been contaminated but it got worse to the point where just breathing in tastes of salt and even sugar.

I've done the google thing and I'm confident I am not dehydrated, pregnant, having acid reflux, not at the tail end of a cold and don't have a post nasal drip. I also don't have gingivitis (went to dentist two days ago for unrelated issue, she would have mentioned it right?) and I haven't damaged my tongue.

The last time I had such a strong salty taste was directly after both of my covid vaccines and it lasted a couple of days each time. However, I didn't taste salt and sugar in the air and food and drink wasn't affected.

I'm a 42 year old woman.

Any ideas? How long should I wait before calling a doctor?

Thank you

OP posts:

InMySpareTime · 17/03/2022 06:48

Have you done a Lateral flow test to rule out Covid? If you're having the same symptom as you had as a Covid vaccine side effect, that seems most likely.

shazzer1978 · 17/03/2022 06:50

I have covid and have a horrible, but not salty, taste in my mouth. The plus side is I keep drinking more water to get rid of it which is helping me feel a bit better.

Original poster

Boomerwang · 17/03/2022 07:22

I will try the lateral flow test when I get one later today

OP posts:

emmathedilemma · 17/03/2022 11:13

I get this on and off all the time, had it for years so not a covid thing. Once it was particularly bad I changed my toothpaste and that helped but it still comes and goes. I can't see that I'm dehydrated, if anything i possible drink too much water.

InMySpareTime · 18/03/2022 14:37

Did you test yet? How did it go?

Original poster

Boomerwang · 18/03/2022 22:21

Hi I did a test and it's negative. The saltiness is getting worse and the slight sugar taste has gone. I use lypsyl so I've stopped that in case. I've upped my water intake but no change. Tea and coffee tastes disgusting. The rest of me seems normal.

OP posts:

Original poster

Boomerwang · 20/03/2022 00:09

Saltiness is worse and now my tongue feels like it's caked in something. Done a visual check for gums teeth and oral thrush. Bought a mouthwash but after 30 seconds of it wearing off the salt came through. Drank more water but didn't affect anything. Not sure if it's my tongue or my saliva.

OP posts:

censustime · 20/03/2022 01:40

It can be a symptom of some serious conditions, so I would get checked out sooner rather than later if I were you, especially given the current state of NHS waiting lists.

Original poster

Boomerwang · 20/03/2022 22:38

The salt is the same. I noticed for a few minutes after waking up it was gone and then returned. My tongue and upper gums now feel like I've been chomping on sugar covered sour gummies, leaving that throbbing raw feeling afterwards.

I remember saying I'd had a recent trip to the dentist. I don't remember mentioning the salty taste to the dentist so it must have started afterwards. The treatment I had was a fluoride polish. The polish itself was not salty but I wonder if it could be connected. I have no allergies.

I will call the dentist first in case they have heard of this issue.

OP posts:

Original poster

Boomerwang · 26/03/2022 22:34

I called the dentist they said they'd never heard of a fluoride paste causing such an issue. Then I called the doctor who advised me to wait a week longer.

I did this last monday and tonight is saturday. The salty taste is worse and for the past two days I've had to glug water to get rid of a new dryness in the mouth and I'm starting to wonder if I am mildly diabetic, although my urine output is the same as normal or even slightly less, and it's not dark at all it's normal. So that part doesn't match up.

I'm aware nobody is reading this any more so I suppose I'm just using this thread as a record now.

I will call the doctor on monday, as it would have been a week by then.

OP posts:

InMySpareTime · 27/03/2022 07:55

I'm still reading but don't know what else to suggest. Be persistent with the GP, something is clearly wrong.

Stilllivinginazoo · 27/03/2022 08:09

I get funky salty taste and metal taste,but nowhere near as bad as you describe(no sore gums etc)
I was told mine was hormone related
It has improved over a couple of years as hit menopause but still have some days everything taste awful
Hope you get it sorted

BirdOnTheWire · 27/03/2022 15:00

I got a powerful salty taste with covid. Couldn't eat anything for two weeks because it all tasted of salt.
If it's not covid then perhaps another virus?

Original poster

Boomerwang · 28/03/2022 21:57

Hi, I've contacted a doctor. I live in Sweden and we use an app over here to order a visit but before the visit is granted a doctor responds to your message. I was asked about my dental hygiene and my drinking habits and I responded but so far nothing back about it.

I'm sat here tonight feeling pretty down because whereas before food would mask the salt taste for the duration of eating it, now it's overpowering. Water no longer cleanses the taste, it now tastes of salt itself. My morning cup of tea is ruined.

If it's something as simple as stopping a food or drink item, or drinking ten glasses of water a day I don't care, I will do it. I just need to know which thing it is.

OP posts:

mamakoukla · 29/03/2022 13:39

I have been experiencing something similar, post Covid. I wasn’t affected this way by the vaccinations (Pfizer).

It is an overwhelming salty flavour in the mouth, some days more so than others. I’ve almost doubled the amount of water I am drinking to around 4 litres a day (plus other fluids eg soup, tea).

I also have a doctor appointment lined up, next week. Apart from the salt flavour, I am drinking so much more and I’m still experiencing fatigue and chest tightness.

It’s been the most bizarre thing to experience. Some days it’s so strong it’s like I’m breathing in salt from the air because it’s all I can taste and smell. If you’ve ever been swimming in the sea and have gotten hit in the face a few times by rough waves - it’s that overwhelming taste of salt in the mouth except it persists.

Original poster

Boomerwang · 29/03/2022 16:10

Hi yes I get that salty taste from air running over my tongue too.

A nurse finally responded to my last message yesterday after I decided to open a new ticket on the app to get her attention.

She said 'it's great you're not dehydrated! But if you have no other symptoms and are otherwise well then a strange taste is something you can have sometimes. Suck on a lozenge or chew some gum. Come back when you have other symptoms.'

I don't know if she's not taking me seriously or if I'm not really eligible for any further exploration like a blood test or something.

For arguments sake I'll do as she says especially as the salt taste isn't as strong today. Hopefully it will leave completely.

OP posts:

Original poster

Boomerwang · 08/04/2022 08:02

Just updating. I've still got the salty taste, although the severity of it varies throughout the day. I went to a pharmacy and asked about something to deal with it and they had nothing for it. They suggested it was an after effect of covid. I said my lateral test was negative. She said I couldn't rely on just one test. It's been over three weeks now so I suppose another test would be pointless. It also wouldn't solve my problem.

I'm wondering whether it's worth forking out for one of those antibody tests to see if i've managed to have asymptomatic covid at some point or if I should just try to live with it as there appears to be nothing I can do about it anyway?

Information about covid after effects turn up a strange taste or smell, but nothing in particular about salty tastes.

OP posts:

InMySpareTime · 08/04/2022 09:26

Have you still not got a GP appointment? Push for one, it's been going on for weeks.

bluebaul · 08/04/2022 09:41

Have you done a pregnancy test?

Original poster

Boomerwang · 09/04/2022 08:15

Where I am you have to 'order' an appointment you can't just book one, and since the nurse responded to my order with 'come back if you get other symptoms' I suppose I can't ask for further investigation yet.

I haven't had sex for about 9 years so I'm not doing a pregnancy test. If I'm ever flush I might buy one of those antibody tests just for curiosity's sake.

OP posts:

InMySpareTime · 30/04/2022 18:54

Any better yet?

Original poster

Boomerwang · 15/05/2022 19:41

Hi I forgot to update. The salty taste finally disappeared at the end of april. I also got my third covid jab a week into may and this time there was no salty side effect. No side effects at all. Pleased it went away!

OP posts:

InMySpareTime · 15/05/2022 19:45

Yay! Glad it's resolved

Ldn9001 · 02/04/2024 11:54

Hi there,

I'm going through the exact same thing. I have a metallic and now very salty taste in my mouth. Mine started after a visit to the dentist to get a periodontal clean. I now have this overpowering salty taste which is making me feel extremely thirsty as well. It's been 8 days and I'm scared it's not going to go away as the saltiness seems to be intensifying. Looking at Mumsnet, quite a few people seem to have got this from a scale / clean at the dentists.

Glad to see yours has gone away.

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