Minty taste/smell?? Am I going insane?

Angry_Kitty said...
Thank you, I shall stick around for a while definitely!

I haven't been taking tums for a long time, not sure about the toothpaste: sometimes it happens during the day, quite a while after having brushed teeth.

Can you have reflux without feeling/knowing it?

Yep and it's called silent refux

I also just started having this mint taste/feeling. I've had heartburn for several weeks and a panic attack about a week ago.....both seem to be similarities I've read about with others on "better medicine". If anyone finds a cause/solution please share.

Carly18 said...
I have had this for over 2 years. When it started it lasted for months before I got rid of it. Now it comes and goes. My doctor, like most of your's, told me she hadn't ever heard of this. The first thing they all say is acid reflux. Mine goes into my sinuses and into my eyes. I think it comes from stress, or stress plays a part. When I get stressed I feel this coming on. The burning mouth syndrome is what doctors have told me this might be but what I've read about that is your mouth actually feels like you have been burned, mine don't. Does anyone feel burning like sunburn on the surface of their skin also with this? I get that too. The only thing I find helps me with this taste is vinegar, baking soda mixed with warm water. After I take that for a few days the taste goes away.

Carly - yours is the post I identify most with. I thought it was Burning Mouth syndrome, but mine didn't feel like 'burning' either. Just an awful, chemically, menthol, bitter taste. Some days it was minty/menthol and not too bad, other days it was like bitter aloe - just revolting, like the chemical taste of those awful Corodyl mouthwashes that hang around in your mouth for ages. Just vile. Also I had tingling and weirdness on all the soft tissues of the mouth - my lips, inside and out. Mine was also in my sinus and eyes - like menthol vapours rising and stinging my eyeballs, AND YES, that awful feeling on my skin. Cold, and cool like you had rubbed in menthol muscle rub - and yet also 'burny' like a sunburn. It was all over my body, but mostly on the backs of my hands and face. (Like nerve damage?) I found baking soda nasal flush helped enormously (see previous post.) and have been doing your vinegar/soda rinse too. Quite how these symptoms can be all related to simple sinus problems is beyond me, but we both know we are not imagining it.

Post Edited (Philorth) : 1/18/2012 12:07:11 PM (GMT-7)

Hey all....just an FYI I've been on acid reflux rx mess and the taste is almost gone in one weeks time. I'm also getting tested for a bacteria in my stomach. I'll update if it's a yes

Bill, please can you tell me what a 'wrap' is?
many thanks!

I am back in the hope that someone else out there has any idea what this could be. I am still really struggling with this after a month of symptoms.

Still getting the odd sensations and taste which I am aware of as soon as I wake up. It is NOT a 'morning mouth' taste, definitely a chemical/mint taste. (Even that doesn't describe it properly. its sort of like when you get some chemical substance on your tongue at the dentist, or a horrible medicine. It leaves a tingling, almost numb sensation in your mouth. It's almost like that. It just tastes wrong - like poison) Anyway it is not too bad until I eat or drink and then the taste is very strong for a while. Cold, menthol sensation in the nose, roof of the mouth, gums, throat. Stinging eyes like menthol vapour.

I have been to the doctor who thinks it is sinus, and have taken a course of Amox in case it is sinus infection. Has not done a thing to help.
Am still rinsing with Neilmed bottle and saline. Only helps for a while (replaces the 'taste' with the taste of salt and soda until it wears off!)
Inside nostrils and end of nose really tingles at times.

Edit: Forgot to mention I sometimes get a very distinct acrid burning/stale tobacco taste at the back of my throat as well! I stopped smoking ten years ago, but I can remember that taste.

What the heck is going on?

This is driving me INSANE.

Post Edited (Philorth) : 2/2/2012 6:45:06 AM (GMT-7)

Well, I have now been to see an oral pathologist, as I could not stand it any more. He has informed me that my symptoms are indicative of a trigeminal or glossopharyngeal neuralgia, cause by irritation to the main nerves, usually the cranial or vagus nerve. Mine has manifested as altered taste, tingling face, nose, throat, and menthol sensations including the eyes. He asked if I had damaged my jaw recently, and we discussed my dental implants as a cause although he does not think they are the cause. I did have a mild upper spinal injury a few months ago. These symptoms can also present as a result of damage to the nerves further down the spine - so anyone with a back injury might experience this. It is usually self limiting.
I have been referred to a neurologist for further testing and treatment.

Think back to if you have somehow irritated or damaged the nerves in your jaw, neck and spine.

Post Edited (Philorth) : 2/13/2012 3:14:33 PM (GMT-7)

i too have this menthol taste in mouth and fels like it comes from left sinuse in back of mouth.....am not seeing any answers here though

Hi Im new to this forum, but i came across it by googling 'menthol vapour in eyes' and it brought me here! For the past 2 weeks I have had this awful bitter taste that I could only describe as the taste of chewing on orange zest and the smell of when an orange is peeled and it sprays that really zingy juice that you inhale and it irritates your nose. I went to my GP to ask if he knew what it could be as it is really getting on my nerves, im sick of everything tasting of 'oranges'. Over the past few days it has develped more into a menthol taste and i can definately feel menthol vapours actually coming out of my eyes! My nose is clear because of the menthol, its like chewing on one of those airwave chewing gums that really clear your nose up and make you inhale really clearly. There is still this bitterness though as well so its really odd. Basically my GP had no idea, looked at me like I was off my rocker and told me to get used to the taste. I left with a prescription for a mouthwash which I did think I would try but it only helped to numb my mouth then taste even more awful as all the weird tastes blended together.
I have suffered with heartburn before but never needed to take PPIs or anything, just a swig of gaviscon and its usually sorted. I havent had anything like that with this so I was pretty certain it was nothing to do with that. Coincidentally or not though I have noticed I have just had a wisdom tooth start to pop through at the top. Could this have anything to do with it or is it pure coincidence? Since reading this forum, i know im not off my rocker and this is real. Ive started to get this coolness on my skin too, i keep thinking im cold so i get my cardigan and realise my skin is actually quite warm. As i write this the end of my nose is freezing with the cool menthol im breathing. Im booked in at the dentist on wednesday to have my wisdom tooth checked out so im going to ask about this and see what he says. if that fails i'll try my gp again and request a referral if he still thinks im bonkers.
I dont take any medication at all, i have no other medical problems at all, im 32 fit and healthy apart from this. i have been stressed this week though with an ill toddler and trying to finish off a load of work before I start a new job on monday so maybe this does relate to GERD as it seems llinked to the stress, as my stress went up the taste developed and changed and has progressively got worse. Ive never heard of silent reflux before so thats my next bit of research to see what i can do about it in case that is it. This is awful and nobody can understand it as nobody can relate to it...apart from you guys!

I too googled minty taste in mouth because i have been having this now for several days. i have been having strange bowel movements for over a month and am going to submit stool sample soon. I am convinced this stool weirdness and the minty taste are related. why is it no doctor has heard of this? does anyone have any updates. i have no other symptoms, no acid reflux, no stomach pain or indigestion.

Just found this site. I also have the menthol feeling in mouth, throat. It first began a few years ago on my scalp. Moved down to the mouth and now throat.  I dont think Gerd is on the scalp    Have been diagnosed with MS now so I know mine is nerve related.  It is also behind my nose and my eyes and lips.  Its driving me crazy. Was gone for a time. It like I inhaled a huge dose of menthol.

I hope people are still talking about this.  I have experienced GERD/heartburn for years.  I have had an endoscopy and have taken medicine for an ulcer (even though I don't have one) and had been on prescription-strength omeprazole for a few years.  I have noticed a weird minty taste when I belch or hiccup sometimes.  I do take Gas-X pills almost every day and although they are green in color, they are not mint flavored.  I thought I was imagining things too.  I also chew Tums or Rolaids occasionally and I brush my teeth with cinnamon toothpaste.  I don't swallow the toothpaste so it can't be the paste I am "vurping" up.  I am glad to hear that I am not the only person who has experienced this.  Since I am now 11 weeks along in my pregnancy, I can imagine that this GERD is not going to improve any time soon.  The only thing I can do right now is talk to my OB about this but I know she will tell me to just continue taking Pepcid and chew Tums. 

I bet we all had a dollar for every time our doctor's gave that 'you're crazy!' look when they don't have an answer?

That's the look I got from 2 surgeons, my GI AND GP doc's when I mentioned this. It's positively acid related, and I'm not sure if it's caused my meds or not. I haven't had this since I stopped PPI's. I don't get it from H2 blockers or other ant-acids. I've never been able to pin it to a certain food either. This one just has me befuddled truthfully, other than I'm positive it's reflux related. One doc told me it has nothing to do with my sinuses, but I know it does because when my reflux starts to act up my nose runs like crazy (as well as when I have a BM).

Ironically, I have never even heard of LPR until I saw this forum yesterday. After reading up on it it doesn't look like I really have the symptoms of it other than the running nose, but I'm certainly going to ask my GI doc about it at my next appt.