Terbinafine Loss of taste
Posted , 110 users are following.
I had taken terbinafine for about six weeks for a toenail infection when my sense of taste pretty much completely disappeared over the course of 3-4 days. I have a vague salty/bitter taste in my mouth, but nothing tastes of anything....sweet, salt, bitter...all gone. I can put pure sugar on my tongue and not taste a thing. That refreshing zing you get from toothpaste? Gone. Everything tastes grey at best, or just nasty at worst.
The infection responded well to terbinafine - I have about 4mm clear nail now, but I've decided to stop taking it as nothing is worth this cost. I've switched to Loceryl lacquer but I don't even care about the nail anymore. I just desperately want to be able to taste things normally again. I can completely understand how this can cause weight loss and depression. My advice would be to avoide terbinafine.
13 likes, 364 replies
scarletocara jonathan21989
Posted
I'm so glad I found your post! I also took Terbinafine for finger nail fungus. I was wondering why I had such a metal taste in my mouth along with my taste buds being totally off! Nothing tastes good at the moment
I stopped taking the Terbinafine about a week ago & nothing has changed yet as far as taste, etc... From what I am reading in other posts my taste & the no metal in mouth will eventually resolve itself.
diane17442 scarletocara
Posted
Hi
I'm 2 wks and a bit into being off the tablets. No change in taste. Hardly eating. I've lost 9lb so far.
I would love a meal. I have wasted so much food.
clare33881 jonathan21989
Posted
diane17442 clare33881
Posted
Terrible drug.
clare33881 diane17442
Posted
Hi Diane. So glad to hear your sense of taste is finally starting to return -
I hope you are feeling better for it. It's 5 weeks now since I stopped taking the tablets and although I am beginning to taste certain foods (generally spicy ones), my tastebuds are far from back to normal. Particularly unpleasant is anything containing dairy, eg milk, cream, ice-cream and worst of all chocolate!! Surprisingly, after an initial weight loss it has now returned to normal despite a very limited diet. Really hope we both recover soon! Clare
diane17442 clare33881
Posted
My taste back to normal now. Yes I agree it was weird. One day I’d taste a certain thing and next I didn’t.
After the two week weight losses mine levelled out aswell.
Glad yours is returning.
Hope GPs tell the drug company how many have this side effect. Diane
clare33881 diane17442
Posted
Oh I'm so pleased for you Diane. I'm approaching 6 weeks now and I'm finally getting there... I could taste every bit of my roast dinner today! 😊 Let's hope we're both finally cured! X
gina7523 jonathan21989
Posted
Hi Jonathan21989!
I had the exact same issue as you did with Terbinafine...about five weeks into taking it I completely lost my sense of taste. It's been about five days now and still I can't taste anything. Since I see you posted several years ago, can you tell me how long it took you to regain your sense of taste? Did you do anything to help along the process? Thank you so much! I thought I was going crazy; so glad to see someone else had the same experience as I did.
diane17442 gina7523
Posted
gina7523 diane17442
Posted
Thanks for replying, Diane! This is really so awful. So grateful to have this online community of people who know how horrible it is and have made it through. Did your sense of taste come back fully? That's my biggest fear in all this, that it will never be quite like it was before. Thank you again!
allison96463 gina7523
Posted
Hi Gina
I lost my taste with this drug after around 5 weeks of taking it. I stopped immediately, it took around 8 weeks for my taste to come back and it came back exactly the same as it was. It's hard to believe you will ever be the same it's the most awful experience, but it will come back like it was before 😊
gina7523 allison96463
Posted
Thank you so much for sharing. Glad to hear your taste came back fully. I will try to stay positive and know that however long it takes, it will at least not be permanent. This is so difficult though!
Villa_Veum gina7523
Posted
I started taking Terbinafine for a toenail infection, after 30 days on the tablets my sence of taste was gone, replaced with this salty bittersweet nauciating sensation in my mouth.
I stopped taking the pills a couple days later. It’s been 8 weeks today since I stopped - I have lost 14 lbs (about 6 kg) due to the fact that I’m only able to eat crispbread with nothing on it
I still have a sweet/salty taste in my mouth, sometimes a burning sensation as well. However I can say that my taste has returned maybe 15 %, I can taste some spices, a bit of umami and artificial sweeteners. This is driving me crazy, but I still hope my taste will return eventually, I’m just so impatient, I miss having a meal...
I pray we all have our taste back in the end.
scarletocara jonathan21989
Posted
I could start tasting salty items about 5 weeks after stopping this drug. It has now been 8 weeks since I have not taken it & I can now taste salty & fianaly some sweet. I would not recommend this drug to anyone! Not only did it ruin my taste buds but I got a horrible coated & hairy tongue & it did NOT cure the nail fungus!!! I am now seeing a dermatologist for nail fungal treatment
teresa18081 jonathan21989
Posted
I have ringworm on my back that no cream has helped.Did you have any other side effects besides taste loss ? Im supposed to sta rt a 2 week regimen today. Does it only affect people who take it longer than 2 weeks ? Thank You !