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Supergram Asked July 2013

My husband is 76 and over the past few months has lost his taste but mainly for meats. Any ideas?

He says all meats taste the same. Sweet & salt are ok. He can taste seafood somewhat but says meats have no flavor. He had a colostomy a couple of months ago but the lack of taste surfaced before then. We have asked the doctors and pharmacist but no one seems to have any ideas. He has been on prednisone (steroids) for years due to breathing problems (he is on oxygen 24/7 and had 1/3 of both lungs removed). He recently started on thyroid medication, but again, the loss of taste was before that. I can't seem to find any reasons or solutions. Does anyone have any ideas? BTW I have even tried to spice up the meats and it doesn't help.

CarolLynn Jul 2013
My BIL was a heavy beef and pork eater. He particularly loved to cook and eat roasts. He was totally disconcerted to find complete loss of the taste of his food when he was on Prozac. He complained to his doctor and pharmacist and they both told him no medicine he was taking was doing it. I found in the PDR that loss of taste was common in the studies for about 2 percent of the people. He took that information to his doctor who begrudgingly changed his medication saying it was unnecessary and it wouldn't do any good, but my BIL got his taste for food back in about a month!

Completely different was my aunt with alcohol dementia. Literally overnight, she went from a person who enjoyed her food and ate a substantial amount to a person who took one bite and pushed her plate away saying nothing tasted good. In her case it turned out that she had had some little strokes in a certain area of her brain that affects the taste buds.

Just anecdotal stuff but maybe it will help.

anonymous175958 Jul 2013
In Age of 76 It is Normal to Have This Problem Because,the senses of taste and smell work together. Most tastes come from odors. The sense of smell begins at the nerve endings high in the lining of the nose.We have approximately 9,000 taste buds. Our taste buds are responsible for sensing sweet, salty, sour, and bitter tastes.Smell and taste play a role in enjoyment and safety. A delicious meal or pleasant aroma can improve social interaction and enjoyment of life. Smell and taste also allow you to detect danger, such as spoiled food, gases, and smoke.

Some medicines can alter our ability to smell and taste things. Changing our medicine may improve this.
Sometimes changes in the way food is prepared, such as using different spices can help.

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