Why does everything I eat taste so nasty it makes me gag?

About the same length of time you have had swollen ankles ? ? ?

No no. It’s been going on for about 3 weeks. The ankle thing just showed up a couple of days ago, and it’s going down.
I just ate a donut, though, and it was fine. It seems to be foods that have meat in them that get me.

Any other symptoms? If you don’t seem to be sick otherwise, I’d try to find some industrial food that similar in type, to see if it too tastes different. If so, I’d see a doctor (or Chinese doctor or naturopath).

@Tropical_Willie That is thee first thing I thought of too. @Dutchess_III Could this be in some way connected to your swollen ankles?

Go see a doctor.

I second that motion, get to a Doc ASAP.

What’s your wee like recently?

It’s fine, as far as I can tell.

After you went camping??
Check this out for meat allergy from ticks

Gosh, we haven’t been camping for a couple of months so….And I never found any ticks on me. I’ll go read your link.

Could you copy and paste the text @Tropical_Willie? It’s telling me to turn off ad blocker and won’t let me read it.

You didn’t say if it was swelling of the throat too.

Science

Kevin Loria

Jun. 20, 2017, 4:22 PM 155,458

The Lone Star tick, i is the one that can spread the meat allergy.

With most food allergies, it takes only 15 or 20 minutes after exposure for severe reactions to occur. A bite of shrimp or lobster, and before long a person’s throat starts to close and parts of their body begin to swell. It’s scary and potentially life-threatening, but they usually can seek immediate treatment and pinpoint the food that caused the problem.

The allergy to mammalian meat like beef, pork, and lamb that’s spread by a bite from a Lone Star tick is different.

“The weird thing about [this reaction] is it can occur within three to 10 or 12 hours, so patients have no idea what prompted their allergic reactions,” said Dr. Ronald Saff, an allergist in Tallahassee, Florida, and an assistant clinical professor at the Florida State University College of Medicine.

The symptoms are often severe — hives and shortness of breath are common, and a dangerous anaphylactic reaction is possible. But they seem to appear out of the blue, often the night after eating a burger or steak.

“They’re sleeping, and they have no idea what they could be allergic to because the symptoms occurred so many hours after going to bed,” Saff said.

The ticks are spreading to new locations, where they’re making people allergic to even a single bite of meat. But since this allergy is still relatively new and not well-known, especially outside the Southeast, it’s hard to say exactly how common it is.

It’s is new enough that states aren’t required to report it to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention yet, but Saff says he’s now seeing a couple of patients every week who have been bitten by ticks and developed it, known as an alpha-galactose, or alpha-gal, allergy.

We don’t know whether the allergy spread by the ticks exists in all these locations, but it’s possible.CDC

“Quite aggressive” biters

The tick that spreads this allergy is called the Lone Star tick, named for the shape of the white splotch on the back of adult females. Lone Star ticks at all stages of life bite humans — even the tick’s larvae, unlike those of all other American ticks — and can be “quite aggressive,” according to the CDC. The tick also feeds on and may catch a ride on cats and dogs.

The Lone Star tick is most common in the Southeast, where Saff practices, but in recent years it has spread up the East Coast and into the Midwest, with large numbers being reported all the way up in Maine. Within the last year, outbreaks of alpha-gal allergy have occurred in Minnesota, New Hampshire, and on the tip of Long Island.

Much about the Lone Star tick and alpha-gal is a mystery. We know something in the tick’s bite causes changes in people that make them sensitive to a sugar compound (alpha-galactose) that exists in meat from mammals. Some people develop more sensitivity than others, and a few can tolerate small amounts of meat, but some become so allergic that they can’t even consume animal products like dairy milk.

No one knows for sure whether the allergy goes away with time, but scientists think that both additional tick bites and meat consumption might worsen the condition.

The distribution, range, and abundance of Lone Star ticks have all increased over the past 20 to 30 years, according to the CDC. And warmer summers could make that situation even worse.

“We expect with warming temperatures, the tick is going to slowly make its way northward and westward and cause more problems than they’re already causing,” Saff said.
SEE ALSO: Scientists have developed a new way to predict when you’ll die
NOW WATCH: The only right way to pop your pimples
More: Ticks Disease Allergic reaction Allergy

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Hm. No. I’d recognize anaphylactic shock. It’s not like that. For about a year now, though, it’s kind of hard to swallow food, so I’m careful about taking little bites. It’s like it’s blocked somehow, or maybe my throat is trying to close up. But I doesn’t happen all the time, and when it does it’s with ALL foods, even simple bread.
Guess I’ll go in again. She’s going to think I’m a nut case. I’ve only been going to her for a few months. She doesn’t know that in the past I went to the doctor maybe once every 2 or 3 years, and then only because I knew what was wrong with me and needed someone to call in a prescription.

I WANNA KNOW THE ONLY RIGHT WAY TO POP MY PIMPLES @Tropical_Willie!

Do you feel you have a strange taste in your mouth when you are not eating?

Do you feel fluish?

No and no.

Probably gall bladder on a good day.
See a doc.
Soon

I will you guys. Seems like those would be weird symptoms for the things mentioned but I don’t know what symptoms would be “normal” for the things mentioned.

Try herbal tea with mint. Lemon juice could also be used to sting your taste bud and stimulate your appetite. Try eating food with strong spices, preferably spicy food. Those are the things I do when I’m in your situation, which would be a rare case if happen when I’m not sick.

Are you taking any different medications?

For example Sudafed jacks up my taste buds for a while after taking it, same with antibiotics. But I’m a canary.

Not saying don’t go see a doctor, just trying to have as many possibilities to discuss with them as possible. You hang out with your body a lot more than they do, so if you have a feeling for a cause or other symptoms, those can really help.

@funkdaddy no. No new meds. I just need to have a workup. There are other things too that could be related.

Have you been constipated lately? And your tongue is all white? If so, it could be a number of things. From thyroids to just having to clean out your intestines, or even maybe just an infection in your mouth, or even just even infected sinuses. I agree with everyone else. Go see a doctor. If your are losing weight that can indicate a much larger problem.

Hard to swallow food can be thyroid. Can you see a lump in your neck? Look in the mirror, swallow, see if you see a lump right in front.

Nausea can be heart attack, but you didn’t say nausea, you just said the food doesn’t taste right.

Have you started a new medication? Do you take any medication daily, even if it’s not new.

I too am counting this as another symptom possible related to the ankles.

Did your doctor run blood tests recently?

Also, kidney problems, can be taste and swollen ankles.

Edit: meat especially can taste odd with kidney problems.

Did you say you’ve been itchy too, I’m just thinking that’s a kidney symptom too.

The more I write the more I’m thinking if they did not run a blood test I think get kidney function and a TSH for thyroid done. The doctor should be able to just send the order to the lab for you.

I googled. Here’s a link of symptoms for failing kidneys. I think you have a lot of the risk, and at lease some of the symptoms. Hopefully, your doctor already ruled this out and you’re fine.

Well guys, I have the answer. Long story short, low sodium. That will fuck you up for sure!
Can’t go into detail, but after a weekend in the hospital, tied into a potassium and magnesium saline drip 24 hours a day for 2 straight days I’m much better. (Wanna see my bruises?! LOL!)
Get this…need to REDUCE my liquid in take and INCREASE my salt intake! Of course, just the opposite of what most people are advised!

Low sodium will lock your brain and your nerves up. One thing I noticed is I have had such a hard time writing my signature fluidly. My hand just didn’t want to flow. But it’s been that way for so long,like, 2 years, I just chalked it up to having had too many birthdays. It got even way freakier than that on Thursday, and then I went to the ER.

Anyway, I’ll be back with more details if any one is interested. Right now I just want to CHILL with my salted-in-the-shell peanuts and gator aid!

Buh BYE Diet Coke!

Yeah, increase my salt, and decrease my fluids…but SALT MAKES YOU THIRSTY!!!! Ain’t that a daisy.

Dutch that’s a bummer.
Are you taking any B/P meds with HCTZ? (It cause you to pee and therefore reduces the sodium level in your blood while it reduces your B/P).

I’m so glad you got some answers. I guess this means the doctor didn’t run blood tests the first time when you went for your swollen ankles. The test for sodium is on the same panel as glucose and other obvious things that would be tested with your symptoms.

@Tropical_Willie Yes I am. When this first happened about 3 years ago, but it wasn’t nearly this severe, I had asked about the HCTZ. Doc told me it was a diuretic. I said, “Shouldn’t I get a new script for the Losartan that doesn’t have that?”
“Naw. It’s such a small dose it can’t hurt.”
I’ve asked no less than 4 doctors about it since then, including Ms. Angie, my current doc (who is actually a nurse practitioner who shies away when I call her Doc, so I had to give her another title,) always got the same answer.
Well, Goddamn it, THIS time Ms Angie said, “Gonna reorder your Losartan with out the HCTZ.”
Even Rarebear thinks that’s probably what it is. If it is, I am going to be SO PISSED…but that’s all. Not going to piss and moan to anyone except you guys. I’ll be more relieved than pissed.

It had nothing to do with my swollen ankles @JLeslie. Swollen ankles would be due to salt retention. That is not my problem. and I think the docs have it under control now, thank you. Going in tomorrow for yet another round of blood work.

Anyone want to know what happens when you get critically low on sodium? It’s a trip, I’m telling you.

As for the gagging thing, the doc said that was probably sodium related. My brain was not getting the right messages out at the right time so instead of swallowing everything just stopped cold…and I gagged! But that hasn’t happened since my ER stint. So, we will see.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Drinking extra water while on some diuretics can cause the body to expel sodium your body needs.
Zero out – - Tea and Coffee with caffeine too!
Glad you are “up & around”.

Ok, you still have not answered my basic question. When you went in with swollen ankles did they run blood tests? Or, when you complained to a doctor about food tasting odd? Did they run blood tests?

Swollen ankles should cause the doctor to run a CMP blood test, which would test for sodium levels. Are you saying your sodium is only suddenly low, because you reduced salt, because your ankles were swollen?

Why won’t you just answer yes or no the doctor ran blood tests, and it included testing sodium level.

I didn’t go in for my ankles @JLeslie. I don’t run to the doctor for every little ache and pain. However, when my body locked up on Wednesday, then again on Thursday, I went in, I was admitted through the weekend. On Sunday Doc wanted to keep me one more day but I said, “No.” I promised him I’d follow up religiously, and I have. And that’s where we are today.

@Tropical_Willie Yeah. I’m restricted to 40 oz of fluid a day for now, and I’m supposed to increase my salt intake, at least for the short term. Of course, salt makes me thirsty! So I’m trying to find the right balance.
Had a follow up on Monday, and sodium is up one point, and another today. I’ll let you guys know.

Also, another thing…apparently my blood pressure is holding it’s own by itself! For the first time in 10 years! I haven’t taken any BP pills since last Friday morning, 5 days ago! That excites me too!

I would like to caution everybody about seeking medical advice on internet forums and to take said advice with a big grain of salt. (get it?)

Uh Doy! Just the kind of advice I’ve come to expect from you, Doc. At least it’s better than “I unno.” LOL!

Oh, I thought you said the doctor said to put your feet up and it should be gone in a few days. My mistake. I must have read it wrong.

Edit: I just checked the ankle Q, you wrote this: “I saw the doctor @Pandora. She said it’s nothing. It’ll go away.”

I had gone to see her on an unrelated issue and happened to think to show her my ankle. I forgot about that. It’s such a non issue.
You know what is so cool! I drove by Arby’s today and thought, “I wanna French Dip sandwich!”
Then I realized, “And I CAN get a French Dip sandwich and it won’t make me sick!!”
OMG, hurray!!!

Well french it up and dip it down then : )

Oh man, I SNARFED half of it! Saving the other half for tomorrow. It felt so good to just pig OUT! And, of course, had tons of salt, especially in the juice. ;) Just what the doctor ordered. :D

129 People!!!!!!!!!!!!!! W00T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

¸.·´¯`·.´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ¸.·´¯`·.´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸
¸¸♬·¯·♩¸¸♪·¯·♫¸¸¸¸♬·¯·♩¸¸♪·¯·♫¸¸!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can NOT believe how good I feel. I guess I’ve been dealing with this for a couple of years….

Going to get some onion rings now!!

Heart burn special. Better get some Tums or Alka Seltzer to go with it.

Ah, Doc prescribed generic Prilosec for me. They found H pylori bacteria present, too, which can cause ulcers. I’ve kind of been wondering about that, too, for a year or so. So I’m on meds for that as well. I’m on a thousand different meds but NO BP meds, and still holding steady at ~125/85 or so !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! One week today since I took any!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh…did I tell you guys? My latest lab results from yesterday show my sodium level at 129!!! And gaining.
And for some reason damn doctors think they need vacations too, so she’s off next week. I scheduled another follow up for the week after.

Working 3 hours a day snd spending the rest of it on a golf course takes it on a person. Give those poor old Doctors a break.

LOL! She actually works her ass off. This I know. Probably 10+ hours a day.

reminds me of this scene:
https://youtu.be/sMgX0zUPWi8?t=107

LOL! Pretty much @ragingloli! Almost every night after I went to bed! Except I never vomited blood.

Well, that means you are not a vampire.

I am not a vampire. The blood would make me sick, I’m sure.

Nasty stuff that. Just ask me in the morning when I get back to the coffin. Garlic and silver stakes are worse.

Is that why vampires always have such wicked bad breath??

You have never even met a vampire.

How would YOU know???

Because you would either have been eaten, or a be a vampire now.

I wouldn’t want to meet a vampire. I did meet a Bigfoot once. Nice critter.

was it a suburban sasquatch?

I told him “No thanks,” @ragingloli and if he touched me I’d sue him for sexual assault. He flew away.

You did not meet a bigfoot @NomoreY_A!

Now I’m sad, nobody believes my fish tale. I mean my true real life big foot story. : (

Well, tell us the story and then we can call BS!!

Well give me a little time to make it up, will ya? Uh, I meant give me some time to recall how it all went down.

I will will wait!

My Doc is off this weeks, but I called the office to make sure it’s OK if I go to the hospital to get lab work, and to make sure there is someone there to field the report. I have a standing order for lab work at the hospital.

Long as your doc and the hospital have an agreement it should be all good.

It is. It looked really good just before we hit the road to go camping. Sodium 132.
But now….all kinds of other hell is breaking lose. I started getting unbelievably, desperately thirsty for about 4 days last week. I just could’t get enough to drink..and I’m supposed to restrict my liquid intake to 40 oz for now. It was like I haven’t had water in a week or something.
I drank a ton of orange pop but, for the most part, have avoided caffeine. But now my ankles and feet are swelling so bad I’m worried this time.
My blood pressure has gone up to 174, according to my home monitor, so I took my BP pills for the first time in two weeks. That was so disappointing.
Going back in tomorrow.

Some range soda has Caffeine in it, Sunkist !

Mine is Fanta and I checked the label.

How about drinking pickle juice? Has water AND salt.

Oh too gross! I just put a tad bit of salt in my water. Lots of ice, too.

Try Sauerkraut juice.

NO!!!!!

Order some on Amazon

That is so gross!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is divinely delicious.

shudder.