Not Enjoying My Pipe Anymore.......Why?

[mawnansmiff]

All of a sudden I am unable to enjoy my pipe anymore, all blends seem to taste the same and it's very difficult to differentiate one from the other.
Last week I was rushed into hospital with serious breathing difficulties.....my O2 sats (oxygen/blood saturation) readings were a scarily low of 71 where one should normally be 95 - 100. I was put on pure oxygen plus had several stints with a nebulizer as well as being plugged into a drip.
They released me after a few days feeling heaps better.....no more gasping for breath at the slightest exertion which is grand but my taste buds just seem to be shot to pieces.
As well as the above I was put on a short course of antibiotics (Doxycycline) and a short course of steroids (Prednisolone). They also supplied me with two kinds of inhaler, one a dry powder (Indacterol with Glycopyrronium Bromide) to be taken every morning plus the regular Sambutamol aerosol inhaler to be used 'as and when'.
I initially thought it might be the inhalers causing my issues as obviously not all of the compound goes straight into the lungs, some clearly coats the tongue and mouth but I tried smoking a pipe afore I took the inhaler and still got nothing from it.
And it's not just tobacco either.....beer, wine and scotch seem to taste very different to the point of being bland. So folks, has anyone else had any such experience and if so, do things improve?
BTW: A huge thank you to forum member Neal (aka Npod) who contacted me after my last post advising me to seek professional help....he was 100% correct in his diagnosis!
Regards,
Jay.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

You probably shouldn't be smoking, and maybe this is God's, the gods', universal cosmic consciousness, or some Darwinian self-psychosis kicking in to help make the things that you enjoy but hurts your health easier to quit for you. I know that some pregnant women find the flavors of these things lessened also, so that they may more easily quit.

 

[bluto]

Read accounts of people who have been lost at sea or stranded with little sustenance . The body does amazing things to protect itself , it can even shut down to a point
Take a break , get a change of pace , visit unusual landscapes , feed your spirit ..

 

[cosmicfolklore]

On second thought, are you absolutely sure your not pregnant?

 

[sasquatch]

Antibiotics can drastically alter how you taste things.

 

[anantaandroscoggin]

I used to know a guy who was in the Maine's Army Reserve (an artillery unit associated with the 10th Mountain at the time), who after one of his unit's 2-week drills at a base up in Canada came home with no sense of taste or smell at all. As far as I know, he never did find out a cause for it.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Holy cow, Jay. That sounds scary, but glad to hear things are under control. Fortunately for me, I have no experience with the above. A wee break, and once your Wheaties have some taste, maybe try a bowl or two.

 

[npod]

Sasquatch has a good point. My first thought was the antibiotics. You'd be amazed at how much they effect your taste. Also, just the change in your breathing (for the better) can make a difference. The fact that your Scotch tastes different suggests it's a body chemistry change. This should pass. Try one month with no tobacco or alcohol and I'm sure your taste and palate will return.
Doxycycline is notorious for causing a metal taste in the mouth or nausea. And steroids will also change your taste in the short term.
Glad you are feeling better by the way. Cheers.

 

[sablebrush52]

I had a similar experience with my senses of taste and smell after a bout with a kidney stone in 2015. I required surgery to get rid of that bastard by blasting it with a laser. I didn't lose all sense of taste or smell, but they were quite deadened for months. It was nearly a year before things returned to "normal".

 

[warren]

I've experienced similar. We all have probably. Meds? A likely culprit. The body trying to heal itself is another, I'd think. Only advice I can offer is to roll with it, let the body heal or at least get back into balance. Then, you can explore your new normal and see what if anything is permanently changed. The older we get, the more we have to adapt.

 

[mikethompson]

Jay, that sounds like quite a little ride you've had of late. I would suggest you take some time to heal, let your body reset, and then decide on a course of action. It could just be the meds, it may not be. Don't rush back into anything.

 

[jeff540]

99% it's the antibiotics. Happened to me several times over the years. The good news is that once you're off them a few weeks the pipe tastes ever the sweeter.

 

[jaytex1969]

If you do refuse everyone's advice to take a break, now, while your taste buds are on vacation, is a good time to smoke up all of the stuff in your cellar that you didn't like the flavor so much... :nana:
Tongue aside, glad you're feeling better!

#2

 

[willisk]

Good by psychosis your brain tricking your tongue? Maybe on some level your scared of going back there health wise?

I know I have had a few scares years ago and ain’t nothin scarier then not being able to catch your breath

 

[bnichols23]

O2 sats .. 71

Good God, man, you're lucky to still be *breathing*! Props to the doc-man Neal. Glad you're on the mend, Jay! And yeah, antibiotics -- known to mess with the senses. As I tell my staff, "You take care of you; we'll manage things here." Looking to see you puffing back shortly!
Bill

 

[jaytex1969]

Of course, you mention only beer, wine, scotch and tobacco.
You COULD try sliding a bit of broccoli in there somewhere... 8O

 

[3rdguy]

Sounds like the antibiotics.
Send some baccy this way so we can rule it out!

 

[bnichols23]

3rd, you are one colllld evil dude. }
Bill

 

[woodsroad]

Jay, when did the loss of taste evidence itself? I’m guessing that itcould be related to low blood O2 levels. The brain moves to protect itself in such situations, shutting down non-essential services.
My advice: Stop smoking. Get your breathing functions back up to speed. Follow up on your care. Talk to your Dr. about regular nebulizer breathing treatments. Get one those inexpensive finger pulse-ox readers and check it against your Dr’s. device. Keep track of your blood oxygen. There is a good chance that your taste will return, but your smoking probably should not.

 

[instymp]

Are you rinsing your mouth out well after using your inhalers?