I had my tonsils out 4 weeks ago for tonsil stones. Since then I have had trouble with my taste. I can't taste anything sweet, infact anything sweet tastes REALLY bad. Other foods don't taste like they are supposed to. My ENT says this is normal and will go away after about a month. Well it's a month and it's not any better. Has anyone else experienced this and how long did it take to get better? I'm starting to get really depressed about this and afraid it won't get better.

Don't remember how long it took, but was at LEAST a month. And there were things that I used to love eating and drinking and couldn't tolerate for a long time afterward. Soda, anything carbonated -- I think I avoided it for well over a year. Probably would've been fine, but just associated it with pain. Ditto with coffee. The joy was gone for several months. Real sour or acidic type stuff also 'cuz my throat was still sensitive.

Pizza and a good greasy burger took a couple months too. Those were the things I was craving while recovering and two weeks after surgery had some and it tasted like nothing.

With ENT surgery, you can often get derangements in taste, salivation and sweating. Your ninth cranial nerve (the glossopharyngeal nerve) is responsible for taste in the posterior third of your tongue. It is also responsible for innervating parts of the back of your throat. After an ENT surgery, this nerve may be disrupted somewhat, and this can cause problems with taste. You can also have something called Frye's syndrome (especially with salivary gland surgery) where, instead of salivating like one normally does, one sweats instead. This is due to the fact that the nerves left behind from the salivary gland reattach themselves to the sweat glands in the face.

I had my tonsils out 4 weeks ago for tonsil stones. Since then I have had trouble with my taste. I can't taste anything sweet, infact anything sweet tastes REALLY bad. Other foods don't taste like they are supposed to. My ENT says this is normal and will go away after about a month. Well it's a month and it's not any better. Has anyone else experienced this and how long did it take to get better? I'm starting to get really depressed about this and afraid it won't get better.

It took me about a month and a half to get rid of it. Even now 2 months later I still have a bad taste when I first wake up in the morning.

Are any of you on antibiotics, by the way? Certain ones used can cause a bad taste in the mouth.

Thanks for the replys so far. In answer to the last question, I'm not on any antibiotics or any different medication than I was before the surgery. BTW I'm 34. I don't know if age makes any difference. To the person that talked about the nerves, My ENT says that he had to do a lot of digging to get all the stones out and get rid of all the crypts. I actually didn't have much for tonsils he said they were actually quite small, I just had terrible pockets all down my throat that kept getting clogged up with food and getting chronic sore throats. Does the fact that he had to dig so much mean he could have really damaged the nerves? I don't have any problems with sweating but I do notice that I salivate more on my right side than I used to. This is not that bothersome however. Thanks again for the Replys.

Anyone who's had a tonsillectomy and had taste problems after, can you tell me how long it lasted and did it come back suddenly or gradually. I haven't noticed any change at all and it's been over a month. Thanks for any comments.

I had my tonsils out 4 weeks ago for tonsil stones. Since then I have had trouble with my taste. I can't taste anything sweet, infact anything sweet tastes REALLY bad. Other foods don't taste like they are supposed to. My ENT says this is normal and will go away after about a month. Well it's a month and it's not any better. Has anyone else experienced this and how long did it take to get better? I'm starting to get really depressed about this and afraid it won't get better.

Hi,

I am sorry to hear about your experience although a little relieved because I am going through the same thing.
It has been 5 weeks since my tonsillectomy. My taste is still distorted. Although it is getting better (very slowly) I am worrying I will never taste anything normal again! There is also a rough kind of feeling on the very back of my tongue and therefore causes a gross taste in my mouth. I was wondering if your taste is back to normal yet? I'm hoping to see a light at the end of this tunnel...

Hi, thanks for your reply. It's now going on 7 weeks and my taste isn't any better. My ENT has me on Prednisone for it . He says it could take up to 6 months to improve. It sounds like your situation may be better than mine, because at least you've had some improvement. My Dr. keeps telling me he's never had any patient not had their taste come back - so I keep hopeful that one day I'll wake up and taste again. Hopefully your taste will come back much sooner. I have found out that it is quite common though.

I know it took awhile for things to taste normal. Just can't remember how long it took. I just remember that suddenly I could drink coffee again and it didn't taste like metal and I was sooo happy

:confused: Hi,everyone!I had my tonsilles out 2 months ago and am having the same problem with my taste.When I first take a bite of food I can kind of taste it then it goes away and when Im not eating anything I have a metallic taste in my mouth and it is very dry.My doctor said it should return to normal in a few months and thats been a few months ago.I feel like I am going crazy! JR8GIRL

jr8 - Just wanted to let you know that it did take quite some time for my taste to get back to normal - probably 6 months or so. It was very frustrating and scary, but it did get better. My ENT said it can happen as a result of the nerve being damaged from the clamp they use on the tongue. Like he told me, he's never had anyone not had their taste come back, it just takes time for the nerves to "wake up". So hang in there - I know it's tough, but on the flip side, I'm still glad I had those things taken out. I used to get a sore throat like every other week. After I had my tonsils out, I went more than a year without a sore throat!!

:wave: Hi Swefel,Thanks for the reply and encouragement.It makes it easier knowing your not alone or just plain crazy.Glad to here you are doing better.Best of health to ya.JR8GIRL :wave:

I am really glad to have found this forum. I have had all these symptoms from metallic, disgusting taste, gagging still on my vitamins (after 5 weeks), but I have now developed this newest symptom and wondered if anyone at all suddenly developed constant heartburn. I mean, it doesn't matter what I eat at all, but this constant heartburn with no relief from prescription meds and bitter taste is driving me absolutely nuts. I hate to mention anything anymore to my husband, because it had been now almost 6 weeks and he doesn't believe that I am still not all better.I really don't enjoy eating anymore, which was like one of my ultimate things to do. Now I eat when I am hungry, yet still throw a lot of it out since it tastes totally disgusting. :mad:

Hey guys, all of you with taste problems after your tonsillectomy, I just wanted to let you know it's NORMAL. I'm 32, had my tonsils out in April. It was sometime at the beginning of June that I really noticed that I could actually taste sweet things again and drink cola and be able to taste it. But it came back so gradually, that I can't say for sure when it was really back full force.

Just know that for some people it takes longer than others and it's totally normal to experience it after surgery. It's not a permanent thing, not in majority of cases. I remember being scared that I may never taste these things again, but it was not the case. It just took a little longer for it to come back.

No worries, guys! It will happen so gradually (the taste will return) that you won't even realize it one day that it's back.