Diminished taste... too much of a good thing?

[MollieA]

I think someone brought this up a while back and I can't find the thread.

Anyway, I've been vaping a lot and now my taste buds feel fried. I don't know why I can't seem to taste them- it's as though my tongue has OD'd on the vape flavors, LOL. I've been switching from juice to juice, figuring my Ripe Banana-splurge has caused me to overdose on it, LOL- but everything except for the Florida Orange tastes bland to me and even that flavor seems attenuated.

Someone had mentioned a product that helps with taste for the tongue and I can't recall what that was. I use mouthwash and scrape my tongue on a regular basis. I just wonder if I should continue to switch flavors or to drink more liquids while vaping? I'm open to any suggestions.

I'm coming up on 3 months since my first vape. It's only been a couple of days ago that I started to fail to taste anything. These are pre-mixed juices from various vendors as well as my DIY, 18 to 11mg juice.

Thanks!

 

[JustaGuy]

Everyone goes through this, Mollie. Taste buds have their limits, but do regenerate in 2 weeks. Some folks get it back in a day or two. I've found that the stronger the juice flavors, the longer it takes to recover. People have suggested vaping mint, drinking lot of water, tea. I did see someone with a "palate cleaner" thing, but don't know where...

edit: also clean the soft palate on the roof of mouth.

 

[LibertyValance]

This happens to me all the time and I really can't put my finger on the cause. Sometimes I switch to a menthol flavor for a few days and the taste comes back, sometimes nothing works. Mostly I just vape less down to just a couple times a day and eventually the taste returns.

I've yet to hear a scientific explanation for this. I am not a smoker there is nothing wrong with my taste buds. A coke always tastes like a coke and wine always tastes like wine.

Yet when I vape, the taste varies widely even with the same juice under the same conditions. There is something about the way we vape and perceive the taste and eventually I guess there will be a scientific explanation.

 

[swedishfish]

It's common. I went through a period of a few days where I didn't taste anything. You could try switching juice, but for me, it just came back on it's own. It's a very strange experience.

Oh, I know what you mean.. that Bio stuff. Forget what it's called.

 

[JustaGuy]

This happens to me all the time and I really can't put my finger on the cause. Sometimes I switch to a menthol flavor for a few days and the taste comes back, sometimes nothing works. Mostly I just vape less down to just a couple times a day and eventually the taste returns.

I've yet to hear a scientific explanation for this. I am not a smoker there is nothing wrong with my taste buds. A coke always tastes like a coke and wine always tastes like wine.

Yet when I vape, the taste varies widely even with the same juice under the same conditions. There is something about the way we vape and perceive the taste and eventually I guess there will be a scientific explanation.

Could be a clue there...coke and wine and food in general do not suck the water out of our mouth and air passages the way the humectants PG & VG do. I do find drinking lots of water helps. Our taste buds may be dying of thirst as we vape!

 

[MollieA]

Thanks all! Sheesh. I'm so glad it's not just me, LOL. I was worried. Okay, so it's a normal thing... This is the first time it's happened since I started vaping (going on 3 months now).

Yeah- it was Bio something...

 

[swedishfish]

Here it is

Dry Mouth Symptoms Relief - Biotene

 

[MollieA]

This happens to me all the time and I really can't put my finger on the cause. Sometimes I switch to a menthol flavor for a few days and the taste comes back, sometimes nothing works. Mostly I just vape less down to just a couple times a day and eventually the taste returns.

I've yet to hear a scientific explanation for this. I am not a smoker there is nothing wrong with my taste buds. A coke always tastes like a coke and wine always tastes like wine.

Yet when I vape, the taste varies widely even with the same juice under the same conditions. There is something about the way we vape and perceive the taste and eventually I guess there will be a scientific explanation.

Very interesting. I've noticed that too- that from time to time the same juice tastes different for some reason. I even tried vaping and blowing it through my nose, but even that doesn't help. Weird. Musta been the ripe banana juice what done me in!

 

[MollieA]

Here it is

Dry Mouth Symptoms Relief - Biotene

You are a goddess!!! Thank you!!!

 

[hairball]

Don't panic. Drink tons of water and vape a strong flavor like a mint or cinnamon if you have it. Give it at least a few days and everything will return to normal.

 

[swedishfish]

You are a goddess!!! Thank you!!!

Yes, that's what everyone calls me. J/K!!

I bought a little spray bottle of this at our local supermarket for someone that had sugery and was taking a lot of med that gave them dry mouth. They said it really worked.

 

[JustaGuy]

Here it is

Dry Mouth Symptoms Relief - Biotene

And there IT is. It's not the flavors, but PG & VG removing all moisture from our taste buds. I drink water, a sip every few minutes while vaping.

 

[TomCatt]

While the dreaded "Flavor Loss" is annoying, at least is doesn't taste bad like cigarettes do at this point in our vaping journey

 

[MollieA]

Agreed. Analogs taste crazy to me now. I'm down to 2 for my morning nic dose, LOL. Going to try to cut down to 1, then zero.

My sense of smell has come back big time- everything smells so darn intense. I couldn't believe how doggy the house smelled (I have 4 dogs) LOL. In fact, after grilling some fresh peppers today I told my husband- "something is burning..." and I smelled my shirt, and it reeked of smoked/grilled anaheim peppers. I never would have been able to discern that before.

Going to get some Biotene and drink loads of liquids...

Thank you all so very much- I didn't know that this sort of thing happens when vaping for a while. It's great to have such a good support group and to have the help and advice of the veterans here.

 

[LibertyValance]

Could be a clue there...coke and wine and food in general do not suck the water out of our mouth and air passages the way the humectants PG & VG do. I do find drinking lots of water helps. Our taste buds may be dying of thirst as we vape!

That is as good a theory as any. Only in my case, I only vape a few times a day. And almost always with a big drink of cold unsweetened tea in hand. The randomness and unpredictable nature of the loss of taste of vaping is what I find interesting. If it was just a reaction to dehydration I suspect it would be a little more consistent.

 

[Cool_Breeze]

MollieA - for you as the Original Poster here, has your inability to taste been accompanied by a dry mouth?

 

[JustaGuy]

That is as good a theory as any. Only in my case, I only vape a few times a day. And almost always with a big drink of cold unsweetened tea in hand. The randomness and unpredictable nature of the loss of taste of vaping is what I find interesting. If it was just a reaction to dehydration I suspect it would be a little more consistent.

That is strange. If your tea is caffeinated, caffeine dehydrates. It seems to happen to vapers on a regular basis. I recall very few loss of taste prior to vaping, maybe once long ago after drinking all night (alcohol dehydrates). Also once in a long while after heavy smoking, which also dries the mouth out. I know the taste buds don't work on our schedule, so hard to predict. Back to reading about taste buds...

 

[amaranthe]

I burnt my tongue on breakfast this morning, and it's totally throwing off my taste.

I guess I'm just saying that I sympathize for the moment!

 

[MollieA]

MollieA - for you as the Original Poster here, has your inability to taste been accompanied by a dry mouth?

Yes, Cool_Breeze, I did notice my mouth and upper palate feel dry. In fact, my tongue feels like sandpaper, LOL- kind of like when you burn your tongue and the following day it feels "fuzzy"??? ;-)

I ordered some Biotene from Drugstore.com- there are various forms of the stuff apparently. One is the spray that says it lasts a couple of hours, the other is an oral rinse that lasts several hours. I ordered both to see which is more effective.

I'm also drinking a soft drink- allow the fizzy bubbles to sit in my mouth after a good vape. That seems to help. Coke especially seems to "cleanse" my palate better than anything else.

I tried a strong cinnamon-flavoured juice this morning, but couldn't stand it, LOL. Guess some taste buds are working enough for me to gag at the burning taste. I'm not keen on cinnamon or strong mint- but thought I'd give it a try.

I had no idea that this phenomena happens to vapers. If it weren't for this forum and all the wisdom and advice, I would have been completely at a loss. I mean, this is something one doesn't think or even consider after taking up vaping. I never knew until it just happened all of a sudden (as in overnight). I hope it doesn't last long- I'd hate to have to revert to analogs, just when I've made such incredible progress.

 

[JustaGuy]

Mollie, Coke "cleanses" more things than you think. Regular Coke also has caffeine, dehydrates. I would rely more on nature's hydrater - water - than artificial means (what's in Biotene?), that's just me. Happy vaping!