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    Taste Buds

    Does anyone out there have a problem with not liking foods they used to love? I used to love brussel sprouts, now they don't taste good anymore. My appetite is changing. Food just doesn't taste good anymore. And the food hasn't changed just my appetite. I can't eat very much anymore. There are certain foods I can still devour so I know it's not an appetite thing.

    Anyone else have this?
    Be Well,

    Dx 1995 as RRMS, 2003 SPMS Rx: Gabapentin, Baclofen, Wellbutrin, Clonazepam

    #2
    Hi Angela,

    Taste disorders (also known as chemosensory disorders) are one of the symptoms found in MS. Could very well be your loss in the enjoyment of certain foods has contributed to your decrease in appetite.

    http://www.msfocus.org/article-detai...?articleID=798

    Smell and Taste Disorders (Chemosensory Disorders)
    What are smell and taste disorders?

    The loss of the senses of smell (anosmia) and taste (ageusia) are the most common chemosensory disorders.

    The reduced ability to smell (hyposmia) or to taste sweet, sour, bitter, or salty substances (hypogeusia) are also common.

    In other disorders of the chemosenses, odors, tastes, or flavors may be misread or distorted, causing a person to detect an unpleasant odor or taste from something that is normally pleasant to taste or smell. These disorders are important because they can have a significant impact on quality of life and be a sign of underlying disease.

    http://m.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthl...ers_85,P00466/

    How does our sense of taste work?
    Our ability to taste occurs when tiny molecules released by chewing, drinking, or digesting our food stimulates special sensory cells in the mouth and throat. These taste cells, or gustatory cells, are clustered within the taste buds of the tongue and roof of the mouth, and along the lining of the throat. Many of the small bumps on the tip of your tongue contain taste buds. At birth, we have about 10,000 taste buds, but after age 50, we may start to lose them.

    When the taste cells are stimulated, they send messages through three specialized taste nerves to the brain, where specific tastes are identified. Each taste cell expresses a receptor, which responds to one of at least five basic taste qualities: sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami. Umami, or savory, is the taste we get from glutamate, which is found in chicken broth, meat extracts, and some cheeses. A common misconception is that taste cells that respond to different tastes are found in separate regions of the tongue. In humans, the different types of taste cells are scattered throughout the tongue.

    Taste quality is just one aspect of how we experience a certain food. Another chemosensory mechanism, called the common chemical sense, involves thousands of nerve endings, especially on the moist surfaces of the eyes, nose, mouth, and throat. These nerve endings give rise to sensations such as the coolness of mint and the burning or irritation of chili peppers. Other specialized nerves give rise to the sensations of heat, cold, and texture. When we eat, the sensations from the five taste qualities, together with the sensations from the common chemical sense and the sensations of heat, cold, and texture, combine with a food’s aroma to produce a perception of flavor. It is flavor that lets us know whether we are eating a pear or an apple.

    Many people who think they have a taste disorder actually have a problem with smell. When we chew, aromas are released that activate our sense of smell by way of a special channel that connects the roof of the throat to the nose. If this channel is blocked, such as when our noses are stuffed up by a cold or flu, odors cannot reach sensory cells in the nose that are stimulated by smells. As a result, much of our enjoyment of flavor is lost. Without smell, foods tend to taste bland and have no flavor.

    http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/smel...ges/taste.aspx

    I hope this information was helpful.

    Best Wishes,
    Kimba

    “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” ― Max Planck

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      #3
      Effects on taste buds

      Hi Angela!

      A few years back, I experienced an exarcerbation where I absolutely could not taste anything. To make the most of the situation, I offered money to friends and family to join me in eating extremely spicy foods (without letting them know about the symptom). The catch: if they couldn't handle the food, they'd have to pay for both our meals. I ended up getting a lot of free meals for a while.
      Dx RRMS 2008/Kesimpta Feb 2023
      UNbalanced Dog Trainer - Accredited pet dog training instructor

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