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
steve69774 jonathan21989
Posted
tom84423 jonathan21989
Posted
I took it for 2 months; only after 2 weeks later did I have this symptom, and that is been for 2 weeks now. It really stays in the system.
A study showed that for those over 60 (me), 43% who take the drug have this symptom.
Worst for me is wine with all the nuances of taste. Every wine was so bad, I was about to call the wineries for a refund. Then I figured out it was Terbinafine! Nothing can be worse than this - even fungus on the toes.
The only thing I have read that can help is a heavy does of Zinc supplement.
jasciu96345 tom84423
Posted
Use the remaining pills in painter pan of hot water, epsom salts and several drops of tea tree oil and one pill. Soak one hour in morning and evening. File down the nails thin, and short first. Don't lose your gains on the fungus
tom84423 jasciu96345
Posted
I would be worried that even that 1 pill will prolong the taste loss.
If not: how much Epsom salts and water?
Thanks.
Lou787 tom84423
Posted
Hi Tom
I use tea tree essential oil, about 5-6 drops on cotton wool every morning and evening and just rub it over your nail and this should suffice.
I am now into week 9 off the tablets and I'm glad to say I've about 40% taste back and my toothpaste taste is lasting until at least 10 O Clock !!!
jasciu96345 tom84423
Posted
jasciu96345 jonathan21989
Posted
Use the remaining pills in painter pan of hot water, epsom salts and several drops of tea tree oil and one pill. Soak one hour in morning and evening. File down the nails thin, and short first. Don't lose your gains on the fungus
michael91122 jonathan21989
Posted
WOW! I've been on Terabinafine for a week and noticed tonite nothing tastes as it should starting with chocolate. I'm 52 with a 28 BMI . This crap goes in the trash tonight. I'm taking this in conjunction with Laser treatment.
tom84423 jonathan21989
Posted
This is to everyone troubled by Terbinafine.
Doctors are far too ignorant about this side effect. No excuse.
How long one's taste is affected depends on several factors: age, how long you were on it, what other meds you take, etc.
I was on it for 2 months with other bad symptoms but not bad taste.
Doc said get off of it. 1 week later I lost my taste.
It then too ~9 weeks to get it back.
It does come back; I did not see it worthwhile to try the solutions people have suggested; just wait it out. But complain to your Doc. for sure.
jasciu96345 jonathan21989
Posted
Taste report five months into recovery. Although most foods are enjoyable, there is still a slight metallic taste in the mouth. I am thinking that is because the bitter sensors have not recovered completely . Hoping a complete recovery in one year.
noreen05173 jasciu96345
Posted
I have had a very similar experience which I will be making sure my GP knows about as the information given to patients doesn't seem to be improving although the patient leaflet does list this side effect as happening to 1:100 users. Guess I should have paid more attention. I took terbinifine for 9 weeks after which I had a very dry mouth and was having difficulty swallowing drier foods like bread, oatcakes without gallons of water. Shortly after that came the metallic taste and now nothing tastes normal. I can taste however, so no loss of taste as such. I had a cold at the same time but because I've never had this experience before though I'd check online. So glad I did and grateful to everyone who has contributed here as I stopped the terbinifine only 3 days after noticing the symptoms. However from reading this I accept it is still likely to take many weeks to get back to normal (I'm only one week in) The only good news is that I seem to have been taking the drug long enough for it to have a big impact on my awful toenails, so at least not completely in vain. My husband is also taking the drug with no side effects and I have of course warned him about this, as his doctor didn't.
sherrill96001 noreen05173
Posted
I was prescribed terbinafine from my GP as well. However when I went to my dermatologist she was horrified as she has not used the drug in 10 years.
It took a long while for me to have my taste come back which I have described on this site. Hang in there.
rob87282 jasciu96345
Posted
The same happened to me it took about seven months for my taste to get fully back to normal.
DebLegs jonathan21989
Posted
I took the medicine for 30 days. Five weeks later, my taste is finally coming back a little and EVERYTHING (even water), is beginning to taste like something other than metal. I don't know when/if it will return totally. Since you have to wait for bad nail to grow out, I don't know yet if it even helped. I never knew how important taste was. I wish I knew about this before I started taking
AngelaPea jonathan21989
Posted
This thread is five years old...and there are STILL so many people enduring the horrible side effect of taste loss! I took terbinafine for exactly five weeks and three days and stopped it as soon as my taste disappeared. I am now at week 10. Some taste has returned - savory, salty and bitter, but they are muted and not consistent from day to day. I can also taste tartness such as citrus or vinegar, but they are also muted and inconsistent from day to day. I still can't taste sweet at all, and dairy products just taste grey and nasty. The metallic taste in my mouth has eased up a bit, but it's still there. Some days it is less noticeable than others.
I've lost almost 40 pounds in the past 10 weeks. I needed to shed some weight, but seriously, I would have rather gotten the job done with upping my exercise effort and eating sensibly!