# Weird taste??



## unicorn09 (Mar 30, 2019)

Hi all!

Thanks so much for all your support so far, what a lovely group of people! 

So I was diagnosed on Monday. Since then, I've emptied my fridge and cupboards of anything obviously bad for me (chocolate, sweets, junk etc., which I took to work and was swiftly hoovered by my colleagues!). My weight has gone down 6lb so far, I'm eating better and exercising more. 

Today I developed a really weird sweet/sugary taste in my mouth. Nothing seems to make it go away, not water, not coffee or tea, not eating.. it's not a pleasant taste. Is that normal? I tested my sugar and it's still high at 10.4 but was 11.9 when I tested on Tuesday. I also have only peed a couple of times today despite drinking a lot. I'm on 500mg Metformin a day and haven't seen my DB nurse yet.

Are these normal symptoms?

Thanks so much for your help!


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## HOBIE (Mar 30, 2019)

Well done for getting rid of the sweet stuff.  & doing the exercise  that's the way to do it


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## TheClockworkDodo (Mar 30, 2019)

If your blood sugar were higher I'd think the taste might be due to ketones, but 10 or 11 is quite low to be developing them.  Do you have any Ketostix to test for sugar in your urine?  If so, I would have a check to be sure you are ketone-free.  If you don't have any, I'd keep testing your blood sugar before and especially after meals tomorrow and if you get any results in the high teens and/or the sweet taste persists, go to the pharmacy on Monday and get a pot of Ketostix (they're very easy to use, they are basically little sticks you wee on, and if they change colour you've got ketones).  If you have high levels of ketones you might need to go to A&E as you're not on insulin, but you might be able to deal with them yourself if there are just trace amounts.  You're already doing all the right things  - I just can't think of anything else diabetes-related which might cause a taste like that.


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## Drummer (Mar 30, 2019)

When I was taking Metformin and a statin after a few days everything began to taste strange - I still can't drink normal tea (and I was a taster for Lyons Tetley) but that was only a small part of the side effects.


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## Eddy Edson (Mar 31, 2019)

I'd talk to doc if it persists - could be a bunch of different things.

But just FWIW, I had an unusual taste and what I think was "ketone breath" for a bit when I cut down on carbs after diabetes diagnosis. I think it was probably due to burning fat & it went away after a while.


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## HOBIE (Mar 31, 2019)

Drummer said:


> When I was taking Metformin and a statin after a few days everything began to taste strange - I still can't drink normal tea (and I was a taster for Lyons Tetley) but that was only a small part of the side effects.


What a Job  Drummer .


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## unicorn09 (Mar 31, 2019)

Drummer said:


> When I was taking Metformin and a statin after a few days everything began to taste strange - I still can't drink normal tea (and I was a taster for Lyons Tetley) but that was only a small part of the side effects.



Tea in particular tastes revolting at the moment! What a fun job!


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## unicorn09 (Mar 31, 2019)

TheClockworkDodo said:


> If your blood sugar were higher I'd think the taste might be due to ketones, but 10 or 11 is quite low to be developing them.  Do you have any Ketostix to test for sugar in your urine?  If so, I would have a check to be sure you are ketone-free.  If you don't have any, I'd keep testing your blood sugar before and especially after meals tomorrow and if you get any results in the high teens and/or the sweet taste persists, go to the pharmacy on Monday and get a pot of Ketostix (they're very easy to use, they are basically little sticks you wee on, and if they change colour you've got ketones).  If you have high levels of ketones you might need to go to A&E as you're not on insulin, but you might be able to deal with them yourself if there are just trace amounts.  You're already doing all the right things  - I just can't think of anything else diabetes-related which might cause a taste like that.



Many thanks for the advice! I've read that Metformin can give an odd taste, and I have had it today also but my last reading was 8.5, which is my lowest so far. I have to pick up a prescription tomorrow anyway so I'll ask for some ketostix while I'm there just to be safe.

Thanks again!


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## TheClockworkDodo (Mar 31, 2019)

I hope the taste is just the Metformin - and that you can get your blood sugar low enough that you can stop having to take it!


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## SueEK (Apr 5, 2019)

Hi, I send to love coffee but since taking Metformin I can only have about half a cup twice a day before I have to throw it away,it just doesn’t taste the same, also at times I just don’t feel hungry and at other times I’m starving. Do test for ketones to be on the safe side x


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## unicorn09 (Apr 12, 2019)

Seems to have gone now! Very weird.


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## NotWorriedAtAll (Apr 12, 2019)

I had that too unicorn09 !!!  I noticed it when I was drinking water and the water tasted sweet!!
It lasted for about a week and then it stopped.
I take metformin 500 too once a day.  
I was diagnosed on 24th January and my levels seem to be normal now.
I did as you did and got rid of all the sugary carby stuff.
I have a bar of 90% cocoa chocolate and have half a square now and then because it is good for me but apart from that no sugar gets past my lips other than trace amounts in cream, cheese etc.


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