Terbinafine will taste return

Hi Chaps,

It's back! My taste returned last Sunday, but I wanted to check that it was not a flash in the pan before I posted.

It's been 13 weeks and whilst my taste began to come back a couple of weeks ago, the ability to taste sweet things has taken a couple more weeks. If anything now I feel my taste for sweet things has heightened - I'm assuming that will regularise over the coming week or so.

For those of you still suffering this horrible so-called side-effect keep eating what you can. I know it's difficult and there were times when I felt totally depressed because I didn't want to eat (or drink) as food and liquids just tasted so terrible. I have lost weight because of this problem and now need to get back to eating healthily to put it back on.

I do believe doctors need to do more research before they prescribe this medication and I also believe the pharmaceutical companies producing it need to revisit their patient leaflets as, I believe, the information contained within them is misleading. The leaflets will suggest that (1) the possibility of developing this side-effect will be minimal and (2) what they call 'taste disturbance' will disappear as soon as the medication is stopped.Both are at inaccurate. My case and that of others is that once you have this loss of taste it can last a minimum of eight weeks (mine 13 weeks!) before you fully regain it - that's not minimal. To call this problem a taste disturbance is also grossly wrong. When it happens it brings with it a host of other problems, loss of interest in food, loss of interest in eating and drinking, medical problems associated with not eating and drinking enough, relationship issues and depression, to mention a few. These are not conditions to be treated lightly - especially in people who may already have physical or mental problems.

My GP had no knowledge of this side-effect and although he said he would stop prescribing it, there will be other doctors out there who will prescribe it, whether through a lack of knowledge of the side-effect or because they feel the online drug advice suggests minimal risk. I daresay, too, there will be people who will have used this drug without experiencing this side-effect and will wonder what all the fuss is about. They have been lucky and I am pleased for them. However, my concern is for the people who have and will suffer this problem and the horrible way it impinges on their lives. 

In light of the horrid situation this drug can bring on, and the fact people will not know until around 6 weeks in whether or not they will be affected, by which time it's too late to do anything about it, Terbinafine needs new medical tests and an updating of the patient advice information. Then and only then can people make an informed decision about whether to go forward with the use of this drug. And it may be to some that the possibility of prolonged taste loss is something which they are prepared to accept in order to deal with the fungal infection for which this drug is prescribed. But at least they will have made an informed choice which is not the current situation - because no one is informing them.

So, in summary, there is light at the end of this dark tunnel - just keep eating and drinking even though you may not feel like it. Your taste will return and you will enjoy food and drink again.

Cheers,

John 

hi there, just been reading about this, I have been taking Terbinafine for 6 weeks toe nail fungas, then all of a sudden i got red spots allover my chest, back, arms and legs, so stopped taking the drug, now my taste as gone, i cant taste sweet or salt. doing my head in, but the worse part of this is, is my job is a chef, Most important part of my job is tasting. i am worried ready some on the comments. somone please cheer me up and tell me it will come back. Pete

Hi!

I am so relieved (sorry) that I'm not going thru this alone! This is truly one of the yuckiest expetiences... I've ever had, in terms of medications.

I am so grateful to Mirving and John for sharing your experiences with me.

Each night I dread dread dread taking that pill! I'm now eating kids meals but only if I'm able to have a tiny Tatars of 'whatever' first.

I find that mashed potatoes, Mac & cheese/not goopy, some fruits and fried chicken are ok in small portions for me. I am NOT a picky eater, and this is s horrible way to take off my extra 15lbs.

I will call for an appointment tomorrow with my Dr.

I am now 2 months into this horrible foul tasting/ drug..,

My husband took this med, and although it tasted bad to him, it did not wipe out his appetite. Actually, I'm always hungry because so few foods 'hit me right.' I did have salmon & fried rice today & ate all of my salmon.

Thank you to all who have posted on their negative side effects of this drug.

Darn, all I wanted was healthy looking toenails!

With sincere hope that all of you are able to enjoy

Food again. Sure has put a new 'spin' on diets for me!!

M3

Dear mirving

I surely hope your eating is back to normal!!

I had considered waiting to see my GP this week... After 9 weeks on Lamisil, I find more & more foods disgusting to even see, let alone taste.

Today I made the decision to STOP this 'drug.'!! I will still follow through & be sure my GP knows how extremely adverse this drug can be. Perhaps only <2% will experience this, but when 'you are' included in that 2%... that's one too many!!

good luck to all taking this drug... never again!

can't wait to taste food with 'it's normal texture & taste once again!! will="" experience="" this,="" but="" when="" 'you="" are'="" included="" in="" that="" 2%...="" that's="" one="" too="" many!!="" good="" luck="" to="" all="" taking="" this="" drug...="" never="" again!="" can't="" wait="" to="" taste="" food="" with="" 'it's="" normal="" texture="" &="" taste="" once="" again!!="">

good luck to all taking this drug... never again!

can't wait to taste food with 'it's normal texture & taste once again!! >

I have taken this toe fungal medication for 12 weeks. when I finished that round of antibiotics she had me go another round of this antibiotics for 12 weeks. During the first round I really didn't know this much of a change in my taste as I was on a low-calorie very strict cleanse and could not have sugar and oils and such...so I really didn't notice the change. When I started my second round of antibiotics I was off the cleanse and I noticed that I could not taste salt ..sugar and everything was very very bland. I removed myself off of the fungus medication. it has been about a week and I have noticed that I still cannot taste anything. I miss being able to enjoy my food. With my cleanse it was very strict and I had to go without quite a bit so now that I can eat what I want now I can't enjoy it.

It's frustrating...also I've noticed I can taste the flavor and smell fine..just miss the salty..sweet...sour aspects of the food....

Hope this returns soon as it really makes it hard to eat.

Hi there. I am a male from Turkey and I am 20 years old. I have suffered by that side effect aswell, it is really devastating. But I am happily reporting that my taste returned quite a bit. Like %50 in my opinion. It took 1 month for that to return that much so. But i really can't remember how i used to taste food, that's really weird for me. It is like somethinf about with my brain and that's scary. Usually if its about brain, it is mostly irreversible.

I have read on the internet that taste loss can be permament? On wikipedia and another site. Oh god. I got so anxious and upset. I quit taking this drug immediately.

I actually want to sue those who make this drug get into pharmacies, and who made it be available in the first place with such dangerous side effects. But I don't know how those things work much. It writes on prospectus as side effect, but doesn't include it can be permament, but it also says that one can lose smell permamently or temporary.

It doesn't say on prospectus that taste loss can be permament. But in a few sites it says that can be permament.

And by the way, how am I going to know if my taste returns by %100? I really don't remember how I used to taste food when i lost my taste.

I've taken terbinafine for 4 weeks and when I realized I had my taste lost I stopped immediately. Now I'm going through my 3rd week off this medication and I can say I taste about 20-30% of the food. It's getting better but it's still reduced. As I didn't took it for a long period and I'm only 19 years old I hope I get recovered sooner. I'm very thin so I cannot lose any weight otherwise it can become too serious. I try to eat everything I can. 

I'm looking forward to getting back on my eating routine again. 

Thank you all for your information.

I'll keep you updated.

Matt