Suddenly everything tastes salty and bitter, cannot taste anything sweet

I suddenly, a month ago, lost the taste of anything sweet.  Everything tastes salty, bitter and metallic.  A month ago I  had pain in my ear that caused me to visit my doctor and he found nothing.  Suddenly that afternoon my taste changed.  My ear ache is now gone but my taste hasn't improved.  I have visited several specialists (ear, nose & throat) had an MRI and nothing.  I have also had two bouts of vertgo over the pasts 6 months.  I take no medications except for a small dose of Lipatore.  Any ideas?  

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Welcome to the MedHelp forum!
There are many reasons for a salty bitter or metallic taste in mouth such as medications, infection of gums or cavities in teeth, post nasal drip as in sinusitis, salivary glands infection, pharyngitis or strep infection, dentures and artificial tooth or filling of dental cavities, Sjogren’s syndrome and copper or lead toxicity, poor oral hygiene, diabetes, liver problems, vitamin B12 deficiency, heartburn and gastric reflux, and over consumption of fluoride which is commonly present in certain mouthwashes and toothpastes , certain vitamins (Tri-Vi-Flor, Poly-Vi-Flor, Vi-Daylin F) , fluoridated water & sodium fluoride liquid and tablets. If nothing is found then maybe the drug you are taking (which is known to cause acidity) can be the cause.
OK here are a few tips for you. Try them. They should help. Have citrus juices, lemonade and foods marinated in vinegar. They help in washing away the metallic taste by producing more saliva. Brush your teeth and your tongue with a tongue cleaner at least twice in a day and surely at bedtime. It will help in lessening the metallic taste. Vit C tablets, over the counter oral mouthwashes will help fight the taste. Increase fibers in the diet. Eat fresh things like apples that are crunchy or rough things like popcorn scrapes the white debris off the tongue.
I can understand your frustration as you are not able to reach a diagnosis. Discuss these possibilities with your doctor. Take a second opinion if you can. A comprehensive investigation is required keeping all the points in mind. Take care!

[druzzer]

A related discussion, cannot taste sweet was started.

[boron]

A related discussion, salty taste was started.