Help ! Bitter, metallic taste in mouth :( Cause ? Cure ?

Posted , 9 users are following.

Gallbladder removed about two weeks ago, last week had surgery to remove a kidney stone. Struggling with terrible taste in mouth and nausea. I'm guessing it's due to bile levels adjusting ? Would love to hear from others who can relate. Everything tastes horrible. I brush teeth often, have used warm salt water rinse, baking soda, mouthwash; nothing helps. I have a supply of Red Hot candies to help deal with this but am hoping for suggestions to treat this. I have a Dr. appt. this Weds and will ask for help then. I literally wake up in the night because the taste is so strong. TIA I appreciate any/all responses.

1 like, 15 replies

15 Replies

  • Posted

    Hey Gall, my surgery was 4 weeks ago and ive had very bad nausea from bile. The taste in the mouth will fade but give it some time. I had the same thing happen. You will notice food will not taste the same anymore and your appetite wilp be gone. ive seen a big difference within the 4 weeks. Keep in mind every body is different when healing. I freaked out about my nausea thinking i will always feel this was and got depressed. then i seen a difference week after week not being so sick. The nights and mornings are the worse still! Doctor put me on carafate! That works wonders and its coats your stomach. I only take it at night. If i take it all day I get constipated reql bad. One more thing!!! Very important to follow a low fat diet. it will eliminate a lot of the nausea!!! i learned the hard way. Hope, you feel better soon!!!
    • Posted

      Crystal405, Thanks for your encouragement ! Glad to know it will improve with time. You're right, it's depressing and scary to think this is the 'new' me sad I'm sorry you're dealing with this, too. I will try to stick with the low fat diet. I hope we both feel better soon~ Take care

  • Edited

    Hi Gall. I, too, had my gallbladder out 3 weeks ago. My main symptom before removal was nausea. My HIDA scan was 21% so the surgeon thought that would cure my nausea. I still have nausea and upon reading a lot of posts on here people state it takes some time. I have a lot of anxiety from my nausea. I, too, am hoping this goes away soon. I am afraid to eat because of my nausea which is making my healing worse. Prayers being said that yours and my nausea go away.
    • Posted

      Cathycat, Thanks for your response. I'm sorry you have these symptoms, too. It's hard to be motivated to eat when the taste is terrible and nausea is present. I hope we both improve soon. Hugs~

    • Posted

      Gall, do you have any food ideas to eat that make you feel better? Something to eat when you have nausea? I eat bananas and applesauce and an occasional bagel or crackers. Just wondered what you try to eat and makes you feel a bit better.
    • Posted

      Haven't found anything that makes it better~ Sticking with beef broth and soda crackers, oatmeal, dry cereal; nothing with a real flavor, unfortunately. Applesauce tastes awful to me right now (usually I love it!). I think it does help to eat/nibble very small meals throughout the day instead of 3 regular sized sit-down meals.

    • Posted

      Forgot to mention; I have some Red Hot candies to help with the bad taste smile It's temporary, but helps a little

    • Posted

      Hey, Cathycat

      Same here one morning i woke up so sick ans throwing up. i felt something was wrong and was rushed into the ER. Two weeks later i was having surgery removing my gaulbladder. I too thought after surgery my nausea would disappear but I was wrong. My anxiety got the best of me! To the point i started waking up with pathic attacks! I did my research and talked to some doctors. We have nervous in our stomach that trigger our anxiety. Expecially people that already deal with bad anxiety, we get the worse part of it. My doctor tried putting me on some medication for it but after side affects i decided to deal with the anxiety myself! Even if you dont feel like it, find things to relax you! believe me it helps and the nausea will ease up! i started talking vitamins and ive felt so much better!!! it takes our body 3 to 6 months to get back to some what normal. Yes, we are missing an organ so our digestive wont quit be the same. Hang in there and find people or sits to vent. Hope, you start feeling better soon. God Bless!

    • Edited

      Hi Gall and Crystal! I'm just one big crying machine. I cry when I don't feel good. I had nausea for four months before surgery and three weeks later still have it. I'm driving my husband crazy. I just want it to go away. I either take zofran, compazine or Pfernan for nausea. It hasn't been working lately cause I think I'm used to taking it. My doctor suggested talking to a counselor. Makes me sad that it has to come down to that. Why couldn't it just be one big burp and it'd be gone. My nausea has caused anxiety and the anxiety is causing nausea. It's hard going to bed at night cause I know I'm gonna wake up to it. I've been sitting in the basement binge watching Netflix shows. Thank you for your advice. Prayers to both of you! 💜

    • Posted

      no worries! the worse part is over and thats the nausea before the surgery and now that your healing!. just know it will fade. take care of your digestive track! buy probiotics!!! and have your doctor switch you to carafate for the nausa! your body does adapt to medication and its not as affective after a while. Carafate has minimal side affects. Very safe with any other medication your taking. Greek yogurts have probiotics in them. I have no problems with bloating, gas or pain. I add Greek yogurt to my morning smoothies. I cant stress enough about taking vitamins. your body is in recovery mode and needs the nutrition. i bought Prenatal vitamines! easiest on the tummy and not all the extra non-since. Hope this helps smile

    • Posted

      Hi Crystal! Do you take the liquid Carafate or pills? I will try the Greek yogurt. Not sure if I can stomach vitamins but I Pbly should reconsider. I do have probiotics but am afraid to take those too. I feel like everything will rip a hole in my stomach. My doctor has me on protonix and Prozac for my anxiety. Thanks for the encouraging words. 💜

    • Posted

      Lol i completely understand Cathycat. i take the chewable prenatals easiest on the stomach and i take the carafate pill. For somw reason the liquid didnt work as well as the pill fornme that is. The pill is big so you can crush it down or cut it in have. let me know if it helps!
  • Posted

    I had my gallbladder removed 7 almost 8 weeks ago and still can't eat . Everything still taste bad i tried a lot just get something in my stomach. Saw surgeon 2 weeks post op and vomiting wasn't that bad then but he told me to eat more protein and take vitamins . So I did what he said to do and forced my self to eat and then I would just threw it up ....and I was eating slow like they said to do. Then i went to see my gastro doctor and he said its acid reflux and gave me med . He said may take the med 6-8 weeks to work but I'm losing hope its already been 6 weeks and everything still taste horrible no matter how many times I brush my teeth. Then on top of that the nausea was getting better but it was because I was only eating a very small amount of cereal a day . I ate just a little bit more than I usually do and I threw up all night. I'm honestly just want some relief so I can eat. I know my body is breaking down muscle now i see it in my urine and feel it. My heart is getting affected to now and I don't know what to do. Seems like the doctors don't really listen to me about my concerns just tell me to eat but then I threw it up. also i should be healing relatively quickly also I'm only 21 and never had any other health issues before this.

  • Posted

    Hey Gal was just wondering if your symptoms gotten any better , im going through something similar, just trying to find relief.

  • Posted

    May b worth talking to a consultant they can give u something for the bile, its like a liquid sounds like bile.issues in all. Honesty or some sort of infection going on, it is common to have issues with the bile many people do until the body adjusts to it all I know someone had vitamins given to them which you can buy in Holland and barrets so the bile breaks down properly.

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