Question:
Is this nasty taste and smell normal after surgery?

I had my surgery 10 days ago and have had the most horrible problem with my sense of smell and taste. It's so disgusting that it has totally effected anything I eat or drink so it makes me not want to eat. I was a smoker prior to surgery does this have anything to do with it considering I have quit smoking now???? Or is it effected by the surgery itself? Am I going crazy? The only good thing is that my dentist will be happy cause I brush my teeth like 10 times a day to make the taste go away. Any feedback Please Help!!!! and how long will this last!?!?! — SweetVanilla14u (posted on September 28, 2007)

Post your answer to this question Post your own question

September 28, 2007
i am 5 month out and i have had the problem since surgery i ask people that the surgery and they didnt have that proble but me and my mom
— nicki basilone

September 28, 2007
My mom had this problem...you aren't going crazy. A zinc supplement will help. I quit smoking prior to my op too but didn't have a prob. Talk to your doc if this continues. The prob went away after my mom took the zinc. Good luck! ~Sarah in VA
— platypus

September 28, 2007
If you have severe bad breathe and general body odor CONGRATS your in ketosis, a altogether normal and great condition. It means your body is burning fat and losing well:) I drank lots of strong sugar free grape koolaid to cover the YUK taste. Get in all your water and enjoy becoming part of the big looser club:)
— bob-haller

September 28, 2007
I had that problem for a month or 2 after. I am not a smoker. Never did find out what the problem was....it just went away finaly. I kept smelling smoke every where and thought the place was on fire. It gets better
— gillis1345

September 28, 2007
If your following your surgeon's diet guidlines then your probably in Ketosis. It's where your body is burning fat instead of Carbs for energy. It's a harder way to produce energy on the body.. but good for us! The by product of this is a bad taste in our mouths and smells become horrible. I remember that everything tasted like dirty nickles.. it was hard for sure! But just know that it won't last forever. Think of it as a sort of detoxing time. Mine lasted around 4 weeks.. but after the 2nd week I got used to it. Here is some info on Ketosis Ketosis is a natural process that occurs when fats are converted into energy by the body -- usually when there is not enough glucose (carbohydrates) to provide for the body's energy needs. Instead, the fat is broken down into energy, and "ketone bodies" are the molecular by-products of this metabolic process. Ketosis may occur during fasting, after an extended period of exercise, or when a high-fat/low carb diet is followed. It can also happen during an illness when nausea and/or vomiting make it difficult to keep food down. Ketosis in and of itself is not a harmful process and occurs among diabetics and non-diabetics.
— Hisdove

September 28, 2007
as an X smoker i would go with smoking -- probably learning new smells without the smoke :) i went thru the same thing when i quit 5 yrs ago -- everything was different :) and be careful brushing your teeth --you don't want to wear off the enamel -- even tho i know it takes alot of brushing over a long period of time -- just be careful and ask your dentist "what is too much" -- good luck
— RCassety

September 28, 2007
Immediately after surgery I had a horrible time with taste, smell, even the sight of food. I couldn't go to the grocery store for months because I would get deathly sick from the smell. I told my family I could smell through the cans......... It got so bad that at one point I had to sit down, put my head down, and just breathe. The store manager was called by a concerned shopper and wanted to call an ambulance because I looked so bad. I refused, asked for help to the front door, and sat in the car until my family came out of the store looking for me. While the sensation is not as bad, I still have episodes 7 years out. I am so finicky about taste that I often forego what is offered to have a glass of water............ When returning home I found that I had trouble looking at food or watching others eat. I thought it was psychological since I had just had the surgery and wanted to loose weight so badly. I would just remove myself from the room until the meal was over. However, about two months after surgery I went out to eat with my family (soup is on everyone's menu) and became physically sick. I could not be in the room with others eating. I came to realize that our society has become so addicted to food and grown so accustom to massive amounts of food that noone stops to actually taste what they are eating. It is disgusting to watch people eat. I still have problems out around others when food is involved but have developed coping skills. You, too, will develop these skills and get used to the changes in you ability to tolerate tastes.
— kimber45371

September 29, 2007
The problem is yes that you stopped smoking and smoking effects your taste buds, that will clear soon. You should be starting to taste foods soon. If this does not improve then check with your dentist for a fungal problem in the mouth. You have to eat what you have been told to eat, like the liquids now. Not eating after this surgery will harm you more then you know. All of us that have been over weight all our lives, can't wait till we have no appetite. This is not the time to NOT eat. Elaine CA
— sxylaine

September 29, 2007
Great job on quitting smoking. Wish I had hung in there and did it. I started back smoking the day I came home. MISTAKE!! I developed tissue necrosis and had an infection in my incision. Did I stop smoking because of that??? NO!!!.......LOL I am a smoker and love my smokes. Finally over time the necrosis healed up. As for the sense of smell and taste, anesthesia caused that. Soon as it leaves your system all will be well again. I had the same problem. Best Wishes, Mickey...........
— MCraig3

September 29, 2007
Previous poster was on the mark...ketosis! If you know anyone that has been on the Atkins diet they may have had this problem to. Since gum is out perhaps some SF hard candy? Beware though that SF doesn't mean calorie/carb free though. Good luck!
— tazthewiz23

September 30, 2007
I had the same problem. I was not a smoker. It was like when I was pregnant and everything smelled and tasted different. One day my husband cooked something that smelled awful to me and I had to make him take it out of the house. My babysitter made me chili special so I could just sipe the soup and something in the meat made her chili taste burnt to me and I could eat any of her special dish for me. I felt bad after I requested she cook for me, and then I couldn't eat anything she had made. I am almost six weeks out, I don't notice the problem as much, but it does still come up. I think that we now can taste everything again, where before we had so much going in our mouths that the taste all started blending together. Like now I can taste vegatalbes, and I like them, which is really strange. The taste in your mouth gets better, that is the Ktones burning up calories in your body because you are on liquids your body is burning up some of your fat stores, so remember that when you have that bad taste, and it will not seem so bad any more.
— Sami U.

September 30, 2007
I had very bad breath after surgery. My bad breath did go away a few months later. My doctor told me this would happen after surgery. I heard other people on this website had the same problem. My poor husband had to deal with it too. He would not say much just hand me a piece of gum.
— barfiep01

October 4, 2007
Yes it will. Mine went away in about 2 and half weeks. I too was a smoker but now cannot stand the smell of smoke. My surgery was Aug 20, 07. my sense of smell was highten to the point that I could smell the dust in my carpet. Hang in there this to will pass.
— glendaj50

Click Here to Return

Our Mission

Follow us

Links

Select Photos