What does it mean when your mouth taste like metal

Nearly 4 in 10 COVID patients experience impaired taste or total loss of taste, but dry mouth affects even more — up to 43%, according to their broad review of more than 180 published studies.

You have liver or kidney disease

Although rare, liver or kidney disease could cause a metallic taste in your mouth, too. According to Dr. Lewis, that’s because these conditions create a buildup of chemicals in the body. “These chemicals are released into the saliva, causing a metallic taste,” she says.

Common conditions that can cause a metallic taste

A metallic or altered sense of taste can be due to the following conditions: Aging. Breathing through your mouth, which leads to a dry mouth. Dehydration.

The most common reasons for a bad taste in your mouth have to do with dental hygiene. Not flossing and brushing regularly can cause gingivitis, which can cause a bad taste in your mouth. Dental problems, such as infections, abscesses, and even wisdom teeth coming in, can also cause a bad taste.

A vitamin B-12 deficiency may cause fatigue as it can impair a person’s ability to produce red blood cells, which transport oxygen throughout the body. Severe deficiency may begin affecting the nerves, which may result in a metallic taste in the mouth.

It makes you very thirsty and causes a metallic taste in your mouth. It typically goes away in 6-12 hours.

A metallic taste can indicate a serious illness, such as kidney or liver problems, undiagnosed diabetes or certain cancers. But these reasons are uncommon and typically accompanied by other symptoms. If you’re otherwise healthy, the cause for that metallic tang typically is benign.

Most people do not commonly experience side effects with vitamin D, unless too much is taken. Some side effects of taking too much vitamin D include weakness, fatigue, sleepiness, headache, loss of appetite, dry mouth, metallic taste, nausea, vomiting, and others.

Gum disease or periodontitis is one of the most common causes of metallic breath. In this disease, inflammation occurs on the gums or associated structures. The most obvious sign of periodontitis is red and swollen gums that often bleed when you brush your teeth.

Medications that can cause metallic taste include but are not limited to: – Antibiotics, such as tetracycline, clarithromycin (Biaxin) or metronidazole (Flagyl) – Blood pressure medications, such as captopril (Capoten) – Glaucoma medications, such as methazolamide (Neptazane)

Changes in Your Taste

Zinc is important for your sense of taste. In fact, zinc deficiency can result in a condition called hypogeusia, a dysfunction in your ability to taste ( 1 ). Interestingly, zinc in excess of the recommended levels may also cause taste alterations, including a bad or metallic taste in your mouth.

It could have been worse—a severe vitamin B₁₂ deficiency can lead to deep depression, paranoia and delusions, memory loss, incontinence, loss of taste and smell, and more.

Zinc deficiency is characterized by growth retardation, loss of appetite, and impaired immune function. In more severe cases, zinc deficiency causes hair loss, diarrhea, delayed sexual maturation, impotence, hypogonadism in males, and eye and skin lesions [2,8,25,26].

Vitamin D:

However, some of the population is at risk for a vitamin D deficiency, and can supplement this with vitamin D pills. If you develop metallic taste after taking vitamin D supplements, this may be an indication of an overdose of vitamin D.

Substances that contain metals — such as iron, zinc, and copper — can also cause a metallic taste in the mouth. Experts believe that this happens when the mineral causes oxidation of the salivary protein. Prenatal vitamins and calcium supplements may have this effect.

Vitamin supplements

Vitamin supplements containing metals such as copper, zinc, chromium and magnesium can cause a metallic taste, which will clear as your body processes the vitamin supplement and the metal clears from your body.