Effects of Tonsillectomy on Sense of Taste
Taste after tonsillectomy or sense of taste are subjects of much discussion on the tonsillectomy forum. The experience of tonsillectomy has rippling effects upon individuals, beginning with the anticipation of surgery and, hopefully, extending long after surgery in improved quality of life. During the first two weeks of recovery, tonsillectomy patients’ daily lives are turned upside down. The daily diet is often limited to liquids and very smooth, soft foods like gelatin. Narcotic pain medications are usually taken several times per day. Sleep is erratic and often fitful. Activity levels are greatly reduced. When the fog of pain, fatigue, and disruption lifts, one of the first irregularities patients complain of is an altered sense of taste. Let’s take a moment to look at tonsillectomy and its effect on sense of taste.
The American Academy of Otalayngology- Head and Neck Surgery describes how taste sensation works as,
Gustatory (taste nerve) cells are clustered in the taste buds of the mouth and throat. They react to food or drink mixed with saliva. Many of the small bumps that can be seen on the tongue contain taste buds. These surface cells send taste information to nearby nerve fibers, which send messages to the brain.
I suggest that several factors contribute to disturbances in a person’s sense of taste after tonsillectomy. Firstly, tonsillectomy surgery itself can cause bruising to the tongue, where taste buds reside. Most patients complain of tongue pain after surgery.
It’s also likely that the post tonsillectomy diet has an impact on the patient’s sense of taste for some time after recovery. Many experts point out that taste buds are in a constant state of growth. As people eat various rough textured foods, small amounts of tissue scrape off and are replaced by new growth. Many believe that the almost liquid diet of most tonsillectomy patients disrupts this process and thus, affects their sense of taste.
Tasting After Tonsillectomy
Still another camp holds that deficiency in zinc after tonsillectomy contributes to these taste disruptions. JOSEPH M. BICKNELL, MD and ROBERT V. WIGGINS, MD published in the Western Journal of Medicine in October of 1988. [Bicknell JM, Wiggins RV: Taste disorder from zinc deficiency after tonsillectomy.West J Med 1988 Oct; 149:457460] They followed two tonsillectomy patients who complained of unpleasant taste sensation after tonsillectomy. The patients complained of changes in their sense of taste after tonsillectomy. They used descriptions like, coppery, or metallic when interviewed. Both had these complaints two months after tonsillectomy surgery. The doctors tested liver and thyroid function, as well as hepatitis. All were normal, but serum zinc levels were low in both patients. They were given 220mg zinc supplements twice per day. Within three weeks, the zinc levels were normal. They reported tastes improving after ten days, and after 22 days, the metallic sensation had ended. I’ve read anecdotal accounts on the tonsillectomy forum from people having success with zinc supplements after tonsillectomy. Ask your doctor before trying the zinc supplement for tonsillectomy and sense of taste.
Considering all the variables, one must also consider the effects of both antibiotics and narcotic pain killers over a two week period on the sense of taste. The FDA does not list taste disturbance as a side effect of either penicillin or hydrocodone. (the two most commonly prescribed medications after tonsillectomy in the U.S.) There has been a connection between the use of oral antibiotics and oral thrush, (Fungal infection – mouth; Candida)
It is very common to experience an altered sense of taste after tonsillectomy. Most people feel that their taste returns to normal within three to six weeks. However some may experience unpleasant taste sensation for several months.
It was truly depressing for me that my favorite cocktail, (the bloody Mary), tasted like something from the planet salt for months after surgery. Thankfully, within 5 months, my sense of taste was completely back to normal.
A week after my op, still no sense of taste. Wish my doctor had told me. Very frustrating. At least there is medicine for the pain. Any suggestion as to what to do?
A week after my op, still no sense of taste. Wish my doctor had told me. Very frustrating. At least there is medicine for the pain.
Hey Guys! Im in week 3 post op and my taste is almost back to normal! its been absolutly disgusting after the op. i went and saw my dr and she said i had oral thush (which if you look at the side bar it has its own section as its rather common after a tonsillectomy) she gave me some antibiotics to clear the major infection and some liquid oral thrush solution. dont put up with the taste do something about it! trust me you can get rid of it sooner
I am 7 months post opp. and still haven’t got my taste back. I have metalic, dry throat and tounge, feel like my breath is so bad, and still feel like I have something in the back of my throat 24/7 constantly trying to clear it which is very annoying. I eat because i’m hungry but does not taste good at all.My Dr. also left this side effect out of our talks which is very frustrating. Would I do this again ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am a 52 yr old female and had my tonsillectomy the end of May 2012. I had the metallic taste then it has slowly evolved into a “coated tongue’ taste. Sweet foods, wine, beer taste different and so do many other foods (coffee has actually improved in flavour as I can’t taste acrid any more) Which is a bummer because I LOVE to cook (big Alton Brown fan here) I had a difficult recovery and was out of work for 3 weeks. It still felt like I had tonsil tissue after 6 mos. I take a multivitamin and am plagued with dry throat and constant thirst even after 8 mos. Upside is I haven’t gotten sick at all. I caught a cold a couple months back and it was nothing more than a sniffle! Amazing as before I used to catch a cold and it would linger for months, often going into sinus infection, bronchitis, etc. I also had the post nasal drip thing about 3 mos after surgery but that went away.
Hi L:
I am 25 year old female, I had my tonsils out last Valentine’s day and I too had a difficult recovery. To date, my taste has not returned to normal. I can taste some salty foods and the essence of flavor, but the taste of all foods has been altered. All sweet things taste so bad that I can’t stand eating them anymore, I can only handle fruit some of the time and can’t do any concentrated substances. I have a constant dry throat etc. and sometimes I still have a metallic taste in my mouth. It is disappointing and sometimes very frustrating, it has also created some problems for eating out. However, I wouldn’t trade my tonsillectomy for anything. I’ve only gotten really sick once in the last year and only a couple of tiny colds, instead of the constant need for antibiotics and increasing upper-respiratory infections. Although it doesn’t seem to be the norm for people to lose their taste for such long periods it evidently happens.
Good luck!
I am a 28 year old female. I had a tonsillectomy & septoplasty on 10-25-12. Three months later, I still have not noticed too much improvement in my sense of taste. I cant taste sweets hardly at all. Salty foods are alright, depending on what it is. It seems to be improving slightly over time. Milk, cheeses, & chocolate are still nasty. It seems I semi taste the first few bites of food, then the rest just tastes like blah. It is very frustrating, but I’m keeping my hopes up. I am going to try taking extra zinc, and if I notice a difference I post about it.
It been four months since my tonsillectomy. I’m 70 years old, a very young 70. I had ear pain down the side of my left neck for years. Doctor’s never seem to know what was wrong with me. Had MRI’s and had no water in the ear. I worked with this pain a lot of years. Finally it got so bad that I went into the ear nose throat Doctor and told him I was really sick and I wanted him to do something. It was like he was hesitating because of my age. All he told me was that it was going to hurt afterwards. Now everything, like everyone says, taste like it’s sour, or the metallic taste. Chocolate is the worst. I can’t believe that I found this site. I haven’t been to my medical doctor, but think I will now. I have had a sore throat on both sides of my throat. Been pretty sick with coughing. My throat is so raw from coughing. Got a bug from another person. I am hoping the doctor will put me on antibiotic’s and check my throat. Thank you all for your comments. It has helped me so much. I thought I was the only one with this problem, it’s a miracle….
My tonsils were removed in the end of September 2012, it’s been over a year now. My sense of taste went back to normal after a couple months but my sense of smell seems to still be off. If something is.unpleasant or pungent, it is very noticeable to me and certain smells are terrible and bother me greatly. This may sound weird but the worst is body odors and just skin…maybe it’s the oil the body produces. I’m not sure, but I wish it would go back to normal. I’m not sure what to do about it. I’ve never heard of this happening to anyone else.
@ Amity, I too have noticed that certain smells are very strong. Raw hamburger, which never used to bother me smells horrible. I seem to notice people having B.O. more often too, gross. However, I had a septoplasty along with a tonsilectomy, so I’m sure being able to actually breathe through my nose has something to do with that.
It’s been 2 weeks post op. I’m a 30 year old female and had the area cauterized. My whole mouth was burned. I was choking on bits of flesh from my cheeks and tongue around days 4-9. When I brushed my teeth I saw those red bumps on the tongue just fall out into the sink. I still can’t taste anything down the center of my tongue and I believe its because of how badly it was burned. The whole thing turned white and slowly peeled off. The center of my tongue now has a jagged line down the center as if it cracked. Most foods now are off putting because of the textures. Most foods still hurt as my tongue is still swollen. Don’t know if my taste will ever come back.
I had mine out before Christmas so about the same time as you and the doctor’s were really great, explained everything. I think you should go an talk to your doctor because that doesn’t sound right at all, they should really have only cauterized the area where they took them out to prevent bleeding. Other than taste problems and opening my mouth fully Im fine now and it’s been a month tomorrow for me
I am three weeks po (can stand for a few things)! I too have the salty/metallic can’t taste sweet problem. As I am a professional taste tester it makes me angry not to have been informed.
Eating avocados has helped to cover up bad taste for a bit of a reprieve. And avoiding sugar seems to minimize the
overwhelming salty taste for me. I am seeing my doc today to find out if I’m going to have to get a new job or not.
BTW don’t take large doses of zinc without blood levels being tested. You can get zinc poisoning!
I had my tonsilectomy 8 months ago and my taste is still altered. I find I put more salt on things than I used to and most sweet things still taste off. I lost about 7 lbs. in the first month, and during the remaining 7 months, I’ve lost lost an additional 5 lbs. I attribute this to the fact that eating sweet foods is now a waste of time. Ice cream and chocolate are the worst. Wine is very “off” as well. Fruits and vegetables seems to taste the most normal. In addition to this, the disgusting salty metalic taste in my mouth is still there 24/7 and I always feel like I have bad breath even though no one has told me this. My post nasal drip is worse now than it ever was before and I absolutely hate this constant feeling that there is something stuck way in the back of my tongue. I leave soon for a family vacation to Disney World during the World Food Showcase, but just know that it will not be as enjoyable for me as it will be for my husband. Zinc didn’t do much for me either, as others commented on, but maybe I did not take a high enough dose.
I had a tonsillectomy in November of 2011. It’s now nearly a year later, and I’m just starting to taste sweet things very slightly. I used to have an enormous sweet tooth, but most things are bitter since the surgery. I even tested myself recently by eating a spoonful of German Chocolate cake icing — but barely any sweetness is noticeable…….I used to dislike salt, but since the surgery, I now crave salty foods. Probably because it’s mostly all I can taste. It’s a shame because when I eat or drink, part of the experience is missing since my tastes haven’t returned. I guess it doesn’t always come back for everyone? I didn’t know this was a side-effect, because they didn’t discuss it. In all, it was a pretty rough experience and the effects seem like they’re going to stay with me forever.
Im feeling the same way i had mines taken out june 12 20012. An i havent been able to taste anything sweet like that i felt like i was by myself in this. But Im not i feel so much better someone Else feels my pain. Im 35 i thought My age had alot to do with. Guess not i just wont to start tastinf again.
I had a tonsillectomy 6/2012,lost my taste &now all I have is this salty taste in my mouth.I am in my late 40′s & I was informed that it would be kind of rough for a lady my age.But I had no idea I would lose my taste buds.My favorite cereal(honey bunches of oats with almonds) taste horrible,the only reason I did’nt becausei really like them.Anything sweet taste horrible,called my ENT his advice was to buy some zinc,but it do not work for everybody.Well it is almost the middle of Sept.:-(.Beside my taste,smell is not that good either,Praying onit every day!!!
I just logged on to the forum to see if anyone had insight into this loss of taste and AWEFUL salty metallic taste going on in my mouth. I had my tonsillectomy 6 wks ago and OMG how discouraging to hear that this could go on for months yet–not the answer I was hoping for.
Thoughts/ideas?? Oh how I miss enjoying food/drink. HELP!?!
I am 14 day post-surgery. Not sure if age matters but I am 52. My Dr acted surprise that my taste is off, but the again, he told me that the pain would be on the downturn after day 7 post. My worse days were 5 thru 12 post. Sweet is OK to a point but pasta, flour products- YUCK. I am still struggling with eating anything that isn’t completely smooth or pureed. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
sweet thing still taste bas after 4 months of surgery.
Its being 4 months post tonsils surgery but still no taste in my mouth. Same metallic taste all the tym.Salty things are still ok but then sweet really taste horrible and i m fond of sweets a lot.I really dont know what to do. Also i have taken vitamins supplement for 2 months continously still the metallic taste is same. Plz suggest when i will get rid of this ?
I had a tonsillectomy on June 25, it’s been exactly 8 weeks today and I still cannot taste some foods. Some days are better and it gets worse on some. I have lost so much weight that I’m not happy about it. I am taking multivitamin supplements and some appetite boosters but it’s helpless because I do not enjoy the food. Any positive outcomes?
I am so glad there is a post feed on this! I have been really frustrated and sad about the way things taste! I’ve tried all my favorites and it’s just gross. I can’t describe it any other way. I am 5 weeks post op and I had significant damage to my tongue as my throat was so swollen that it was more than 75% closed and apparently I was very difficult to incubate. I also had what felt like two cuts down the back sides of my tongue after surgery that were really difficult to deal with. Very painful. So now I’ve tried all my favorite foods and very few foods even taste ok. I tried a piece of chocolate yesterday and spit it in the sink! I had to rinse my mouth out because it tasted like horribly spoiled milk. Meat of any kind is a no go. I feel like it keeps getting stuck no matter how much I force myself to chew. Again, I’m so grateful for this post as I was really fretting over losing this sense. I am a food lover and think it’s a simple joy of life. Having difficulty not enjoying summer fruits and veggies is just adding to my sadness after the surgery. I’m glad to have hope that it will come back. My Dr. didn’t talk about this side affect at all but it’s really intense. I’ve never had to make myself eat before. I’m sure it’s very individual but here’s a small list of what is sustaining me…. refried beans, egg drop soup, peanut butter toast, red peppers and the strangest….. anything pickled. even beets! So I’m just going with it for now. Thanks for the hope of it coming back and for the information! This site has been invaluable!
Hi Ashley, I am almost 4 1/2 months post op and my taste is finally coming back. The nasty metallic taste that was in my mouth 24/7 has greatly reduced. I know EXACTLY where you are right now and how depressing and hopeless it can feel. Trust me, your taste WILL come back but give it at least 4 to 6 months. I know it seems like forever but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. My doctor also left this HUGE side effect out of any conversations prior to surgery which I think, makes it worse because you are completely blindsided. On the other hand if she would have told me I would have never been able to fully grasp what it meant to lose your taste plus being as sick as I was, I would still have done the surgery. I just want you to know it does come back:) I was told to wait until 6 months post op to be completely back to normal. The really funny part is, is I got pregnant shortly after the surgery so I have spent my entire pregnancy without taste! Not fair!
Thank you for your updates dyanyoung. I had my tonsils out the beginning of august and still the taste has not come back. I’m so discouraged and sad as one of my biggest hobbies is cooking…now it’s just depressing. Did your taste just slowly come back or how did it progress? So good to talk to others who know what you’re going through.
I am almost 6 months (feb 13) and I almost have all my taste back but it has been a loooooong road. I never thought I would taste again. In addition to the metallic taste I had to chew my food into oblivion to be able to swallow it, I had ridiculous dry mouth, I felt like there was scar tissue at the back of my throat that wouldn’t go away… I ended up at my primary care dr office a month ago with all of my woes and she told me I had bad post nasal drip, that my throat was red and had bumps on it so she put me on a prescription nasal spray. It worked like magic!!! I couldn’t believe that it did the trick. Since using it twice a day my dry mouth has almost cleared up, the scar tissue feeling is gone, my throat isn’t sore and I can taste most things again. Now it could also be coincidence but if you haven’t tried it and you are experiencing similar symptoms so far post-op then I suggest going to see your Dr. – as an FYI I did call my ENT with these symptoms and they said it was “normal give it 6 months and no need to be seen” thank goodness I didn’t listen and saw my primary instead. Good luck.
This is great news! I will be calling my dr. Tomorrow. I am 9 wks post-op and I too have that terrible taste in my mouth. Also feels like something is on the back of my tounge. Dry mouth is the worst part…..I hope the spray works!
Well, it has been a full 4 months and my mouth has only gotten worse. I can barely drink water, I can’t taste salt anymore and I can eat very few foods without being sick. It is truly awful. I tried Zinc for a while, I think it made it worse. I talked with the surgeon and he told me to take 20mg of Pepcid 2/day for 2 months and to let him know then, if things haven’t gotten better. Well, after taking Pepcid for 2 weeks, with things only getting worse I contacted my PCP. She is concerned and asked me to come in. I have an appointment next week. Nothing like losing your taste to lose 15% of your body weight in 4 months =) I’m hopeful that things will resolve soon so that I can enjoy my vacation coming up at the beginning of July.
Side Note: Although this taste thing is miserable, I don’t regret getting my tonsils out. It was a rough recovery, but not having a ton of swelling/bleeding/nastyness in my throat is great! Now, if only I can start tasting things and my soft palate would go back to normal!
what are the long term effect of tonsil removal, does it result in fatigue & digestion issues
hii, i would like to know what are the long term implication of tonsil removal, do people feel more of fatigue & digestion issues after a period of say around 1 year of operation
I got my tonsils out on February 14 and subsequently lost my sense of taste. I had a terrible taste in my mouth and could taste really salty foods and vague flavors of other things. Any type of sugar tasted terrible and hurt my mouth. Then, I decided to start taking Zinc supplements, hoping this would help. On Sunday, I lost the rest of my sense of taste, with a continuous bad metallic taste in my mouth, that increase when I eat food or brush my teeth. I can’t taste salt or anything else, brushing my teeth is awful and when things taste the worst, it actually seems to hurt my mouth. It has been more than 3 months…Is there anything I can do?
Thanks!
Update: Its been 2 1/2 months since my surgery. My taste has come back a little bit but there is always a nasty metallic taste that lingers in my mouth 24/7. I describe it as sucking on dirty pennies all day. Its nasty. I attempted to take Zinc. I took it for a few weeks. I found that the nasty metallic taste got worse. It didn’t help get my taste back. Time is the only thing that has done anything. Since the surgery, my taste has come back to a small degree. The intensity of the taste is still way off, so the things I can taste is not even close to what they used to taste like. I spoke with my doctor a few days ago and she said to call her after Labor Day. Sigh.
Hi Dyan- thanks for the update. I suspect that you are right about time being the cure. It really took me a good three months before certain foods tasted right. I think red wine was the last. (A shame because I love a good Cabernet! )
hang in there. I hope it improves soon.
Thanks for responding Greg. My husband called 3 other doctors and they all said exactly what you said. They said, “between 3 to 6 months I should be completely healed”. It is very comforting to know that you went through this and your taste came back. It is also reassuring that the other doctors see this all the time. I wouldn’t be so emotional if my doctor set me up with the proper expectations. Instead, I was given a packet on recovery for children. If I knew before surgery that this was a common REVERSIBLE side effect I wouldn’t have been so distraught. Thanks again your blog has helped me, my husband and family through this recovery. September will be 6 months and if I don’t write back again know that I got my taste back:)
Dysn sorry you’re struggling. I really think this is temporary. I had the same thing. It’s common and rarely/ never permanent. Give it another couple weeks.
Take csre
This is an update to my previous post. In 3 days I will be 6 weeks post op and my taste is still gone. Bitter, metallic, salty and overall super depressing are words I would use to describe it. I will be calling my doc with a few choice words because not only was I completely NOT informed of this, I am very afraid this could be permanent.
I am on day 15 post op and the lack of taste in my mouth is depressing to say the least. I called my doc and she told me that my taste should come back but reading all the stories online there are quite a few people who don’t get their taste back or its distorted permanently. The past two weeks have been a huge challenge but I am beginning to feel human again and getting back into my routine and now this….I am just praying with all I have that this is temporary, it just has to be.
I am 4 wks post op and taste is still a problem. I agree that the first bite tastes normal and then it get nastier with each chew. And besides nothing tasting right I also have to chew everything into baby food before I swallow or it feels like I’m swallowing a baseball. It makes eating not so fun. I try eating “normal” food but it ends up frustrating me (either the chewing or the awful taste) that I end up going back to jello, ice cream and oatmeal. I also always have a horrible taste in my mouth. Like a coating of saliva on the back of my throat that I can’t get rid of. Thank goodness the upside is a 10 pound weight loss! lol. But I’d much rather be able to taste my favorite foods again.
My sense of taste didn’t fully return for at least 6 weeks following my tonsillectomy. Food tasted ‘off’. I had cauterization method so I contribute some of the taste loss to a few burnt taste buds.
I just posted on the general forum about my loss of taste. I’ll have a little glimmer of hope right when the food hits my tongue, but the farther back it goes in my mouth, the more I lose the sense of taste. Fingers crossed that it’s temporary!! I guess I’ll just have to be patient!
I was just about to send you a link to this page! Good luck- it was a couple months before things tasted normal for me, but it did get a little better each week. Red wine, which I love, was one of the last things to taste right.
Did you have a tonsillectomy? What was your taste experience?
I’m a 20 year old college student. I had a fairly standard recovery. In a lot of pain and living off of water, Jello, and homemade apple sauce but after two weeks I was fine as long as I was hydrated. I just passed the three week post op mark. I was not told about the loss of taste so I thought that once I could eat things more solid than Jello that I could go back to eating normally. Wrong.
I have been cooking for 13 years and I enjoy food so much. So to have everything I eat (and make) taste coppery and just generally revolting is such a deep disappointment. Even stuff I know tastes good tastes awful. It will pass with time, which this forum has shown me, it has just been a major source of frustration this week. I never imagined I would have to force myself to eat but that’s usually what it takes when I get so hungry that I have to eat something.
Time will heal this frustrating side-effect. Unfortunately not before Christmas which saddens me greatly. But in the end, it’s one Christmas without taste out of many. I’m going to give zinc a shot because it can’t hurt, but I’m not very optimistic about it.