Metallic taste - numb tip of tongue - spinal stenosis

I have had a host of odd problems over the last few years, most of which wax and wane.  Lately, I have been dealing with a pronounced metallic taste, numbness on tip of tongue, sore neck, twitching eyes, lack of focus and some fatigue.  My urine has been orange from time to time (couple times a day) regardless of how much water I drink.  I am leaning towards possible lyme disease, dental caries (have numerous fillings from the 80s), lisinopril (was recently increased) or possibly thyroid.  My labs revealed a very slight elevation in RBCs and Iron.  All other iron related numbers were normal.  

I have spinal stenosis in the lumbar region, but doubt that it is causing this stuff.

Anyone have any other ideas or have/have had these issues?  Please help if you can.  Thanks.

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Welcome to the MedHelp forum!
In my opinion it is related to neck-tongue syndrome. There is upper nuchal (neck) or occipital pain on one side, with or without numbness in these areas. This is accompanied by simultaneous ipsilateral (same side) numbness of the tongue. This numbness is caused by compression of the second cervical root (C2) in the atlantoaxial space. . Do discuss this with your doctor (both dentist and orthopedic specialist) and get yourself examined. Maybe a MRI of cervical spine may be required.
Metallic taste in mouth is a common side effect of many medications. It could be due to infection of gums or cavities in teeth. It could also be an abnormal perception of bitter taste called dysgeusia. GERD and heart burn too cause metallic taste in mouth. Post nasal drip as in sinusitis, salivary glands infection, pharyngitis or strep infection too are common causes. Certain dentures and artificial tooth or filling of dental cavities too give a metallic taste. Sjogren’s syndrome and copper or lead toxicity are other possibilities. Since you have many dental fillings, think about metallic poisoning and the taste being due to these fillings.
I think you should discuss these possibilities with your doctor. It is difficult to comment beyond this without examining. A comprehensive investigation is required keeping all the points in mind. Hope this helps. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!

[gismatrix]

Hello - thanks for your input.  I am leaning away from the neck-tongue syndrome since the numbness really is not one sided.  The other ideas, including GERD and fillings may be where I look next.   I tested negative for Sjorgren's syndrome, but I am not sure if this test is sometimes a false negative.  

I am curious if the issues with my spine - lumbar stenosis - could be causing my problems.  I have read where the interruption of CSF flow can cause issues above the actual stenosis.

Anyway, I will follow-up on a few things and let you know if I find anything.  THanks

[gismatrix]

Finally got to the dentist.  He said that my fillings look good and are solid - he checked for leaks, so the amalgams are likely not the cause.  

I'll keep checking - medication should not be an issue either, because I tried a test of stopping medication without change.  It could be the neck problem, GERD or something else.  

If I find out what it is I will let you know.