salty taste in mouth

[Judy950]

I recently came through a bout of diverticulitis and finished my antibiotic regimen about 10 days ago.  I am taking Colace, a stool softener to prevent constipation.  Now I am experiencing a bitter salty taste in my mouth as an aftertaste.  Colace is made up of duconate sodium.  Could this be the culprit?

[Judy950]

Thanks for solving the mystery.  I'll find a substitute for colace as I can't even enjoy my wine in th evening because of the salty aftertaste.  Your comments were VERY helpful.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

In my opinion colace laxative that you are taking is responsible for the bitter salty taste in your mouth.Bitter taste and throat irritation are one of the many side effects of colace laxative.Moreover,it causes dehydration and loss of essential nutrients.Saliva helps in washing away the metallic taste.

I feel that you should talk to your doctor regarding decreasing the dose of colace or shifting to some other alternative.Pls discuss other possibilities of bitter taste like dental caries, gastro-esophageal reflux disease, medications like antibiotics, vitamins and antidepressants and poor oral hygiene with him.

Hope it helps.Take care and pls do keep me posted on how you are doing.