If your mouth tastes metallic or like old pennies, you may have a medical condition.
There are numerous causes for a metallic taste in the tongue; it could be something innocent, like the iron in your new multivitamin, or it could indicate a sinus infection or an allergic reaction.
Here are nine potential causes of a metallic taste in the mouth, as well as treatments for each.
1. gum diseases
If you do not brush and floss your teeth on a regular basis, bacteria can accumulate in your mouth and lead to gingivitis and periodontitis.
According to Dr. Natasha Bhuyan, National Medical Director at One Medical, these disorders inflame the gums, which can leave a metallic taste in the mouth.
Other frequent symptoms of gum disease include:
Red, swollen gums
Bleeding while brushing or flossing
Poor breath
Gum tenderness
Gum disease may typically be treated with a professional teeth cleaning from your dentist, though you will still need to brush and floss regularly at home.
If your symptoms persist, consult your dentist to determine if you require a more thorough procedure, such as a root canal.
Certain pharmaceuticals
Dr. Nesochi Okeke-Igbokwe, MD, an internal medicine specialist in private practice, notes that a metallic taste in the tongue may be caused by medication.
When your body absorbs specific drugs, it may expel some of the remaining substances through saliva. Some of these compounds may have a metallic flavor.
Among the most prevalent drugs that might cause a metallic taste are:
Blood pressure medicine Captopril
Antibiotics such as tetracycline, clarithromycin, and metronidazole Diabetes medication Metformin (Glucophage, Glumetza)
Lithium is a treatment for bipolar illness and other mood disorders.
Methazolamide (Neptazane), a glaucoma drug Allopurinol (Aloprim, Zyloprim), a gout treatment
Paxlovid is the replacement drug for Covid.
If you get a metallic taste shortly after starting one of these medications, consult your physician to establish if this is the cause.
If your medicine is causing the problem, you might discuss other medications with your doctor.
If you are unable to discontinue the medicine, you might try the following methods to mask the metallic taste:
Sucking on mints or lozenges with a powerful flavor
Consuming ice
Consuming foods such as citrus fruits, maple syrup, and pickles
3. Some multivitamins
Ingestion of supplements is one of the most prevalent reasons of metallic taste in the tongue, according to Dr. Lisa Lewis, a private pediatrician.
Similar to prescription drugs, your body can expel unabsorbed minerals into saliva, resulting in a chemical taste.
According to Lewis, the following are among the most common offenders in multivitamins:
Whether the metallic taste bothers you, consult your doctor to determine if there are alternate vitamins you can take that may have lower doses of these minerals.
If not, see the list above for ways to mask the flavor.
bacterial sinus infections
“A sinus or upper respiratory infection can create nasal congestion, which might result in a metallic taste,” explains Bhuyan.
This occurs for two primary reasons:
According to Bhuyan, heavy congestion might interfere with your senses of smell and taste.
According to Lewis, mucus from the nose may drip into the back of the throat, giving a metallic taste.
“Once the mucus has dissipated, the problem with the altered taste will likely go,” explains Lewis.
Other typical signs and symptoms of respiratory infections include:
Sinus infections and other respiratory infections typically resolve on their own without therapy. However, if your symptoms persist for more than 10 days or become severe, it is recommended to consult a doctor, who can evaluate if you need antibiotics or other therapy.
5. Cancer therapy
Some cancer therapies, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy, can leave a metallic taste in the mouth. This is especially frequent for those being treated for head and neck malignancies.
“Although the purpose of the therapy is to target cancer cells, it can occasionally harm healthy oral cells and cause a metallic taste,” explains Bhuyan.
During your cancer treatment, you can mask the metallic taste by sucking on mints, for example.
“The good news is that our cells can renew and restore after these cancer treatments,” Bhuyan explains, so the metallic taste should vanish after your therapy is complete.
6. Pregnancy
During pregnancy, you may have a metallic taste due to changes in your hormones, particularly an increase in estrogen, explains Bhuyan.
An rise in estrogen causes dysguegia, which is an impaired sense of smell or taste. According to Okeke-Igbokwe, this can affect the cells in your taste buds, resulting in a metallic flavor.
This dysgeusia is the reason why pregnant women frequently report desiring previously disliked foods or being revolted by their favorite dishes.
Other frequent early pregnancy symptoms include:
Metallic taste typically occurs exclusively during the first trimester of pregnancy and can be treated accordingly. “Fortunately, this typically disappears during the second trimester,” Bhudan explains.
7. Dementia
Lewis explains that dementia is caused by “brain degeneration, which changes the brain’s nerves.”
According to Lewis, this nerve injury may change your perception of taste and cause a metallic taste in your tongue.
Other typical dementia symptoms include:
Memory problems
Communicating challenges
Difficulty concentrating
Problems with reasoning and decision-making
Forgetting the name of a close friend or relative
Being lost in a familiar location
Dementia is treated differently depending on the underlying etiology of the disorder. The most prevalent cause of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease, which is incurable but treatable with medicine.
8. Allergies
“Not all food allergies generate a metallic taste, but shellfish and tree nut allergies might cause a metallic taste,” explains Bhuyan.
Frequently, a metallic taste is associated with a more severe food allergy, which can lead to a life-threatening reaction known as anaphylaxis, according to Bhuyan.
Additional symptoms of anaphylaxis include:
Bhuyan advises individuals with severe food allergies to always carry an epinephrine pen, which can be used to treat an anaphylactic reaction.
If your symptoms persist after using an epinephrine pen or if you are unable to breathe, get emergency medical attention, as these are life-threatening conditions.
9. Renal disorder
Okeke-Igbokwe explains that those with chronic kidney disease (CKD) may also have a metallic taste in their tongues.
As your kidney function declines, you may experience an accumulation of urea in your blood – urea is a naturally occurring substance that is typically found in your urine.
This urea accumulation “may contribute to the metallic taste in the mouth experienced by patients with CKD,” adds Okeke-Igbokwe.
Other kidney disease symptoms include:
urinating more or less frequently than average
Fatigue
Dizziness
Memory problems
Blood in the urine Backache
edema of the eyes, hands, or feet
Your physician can help you select the optimal treatment for kidney illness based on the underlying cause.
For instance, you may require therapy for illnesses such as diabetes or hypertension, which can cause renal damage.
Extremely severe renal disease could necessitate dialysis or perhaps a kidney transplant.
Insider’s takeaway
There are numerous potential causes for a metallic taste in the mouth.
Okeke-Igbokwe states, “Some causes may be benign in nature, while others may be linked to a significant health issue.”
“If you have a metallic taste in your tongue, you should not disregard it,” adds Bhuyan. Contact your physician to evaluate if you have a treatable underlying issue.
Madeline Kennedy