This can be a problem for people with certain medical conditions, such as diabetes or high blood pressure. Depression can cause a loss of appetite, but in some people it can cause overeating. A nasty cold, the flu, even bad allergies can cause nasal congestion that renders those senses useless. Loss of taste can cause you to add too much sugar or salt to make food taste better. You may have heard that "taste" primarily smells, and that is true to a large degree. This can be caused by certain underlying conditions or illness, medicines, and dental problems. Why vitamin B 12 is important. Methimazole is used to treat hyperthyroidism associated with Graves Disease, and may cause loss of taste due to zinc depletion. I'm taking them for a very heavy feeling in my head and legs especially. Malnutrition and depression can result from prolonged or untreated loss of taste. In severe cases, loss of taste can lead to depression. When these receptors detect smells, they send a message to the brain. A damaged sense of olfaction is severely disrupting: the joy of eating and drinking may be lost, and depression may result. Loss of smell also leads to loss of taste. A blockage in the nasal passages caused by a polyp or a nasal fracture also is a common cause. If I stop, I'll be back at Square 1. Because sense of smell is required for sense of taste, when patients become anosmic they often lose their sense of taste as well. Subscribe to MedicineNet's General Health Newsletter. Terbinafine may cause loss of taste to the point where it results in weight loss and depression in as many as 3% of folks taking it. Covid-19 isn't the first illness to lead to a loss of taste or smell. Disorders of the nervous system can also cause an altered sense of taste. The other symptoms of COVID-19, such as fever, coughing or shortness of breath, were not shown to cause depressed mood or anxiety. The loss of taste can have health effects on older adults, including a decrease in appetite, poor nutrition and depression. Certain conditions and medications can cause you to be low in vitamins associated with smell and taste, like A, B6, B12, and zinc. This can be a problem for people with certain medical conditions, such as diabetes or high blood pressure. Read on to find out about the symptoms that may mean COVID is attacking your brain. Learn more about the causes and treatment of a loss of taste here. Key points about smell and taste disorders. ENTs study sense of smell and mood. It can also harm the immune system and worsen other medical conditions. Coronavirus . Noticing a loss of taste and smell could help a person identify a previously-undiagnosed case of a poorly functioning thyroid. Taste changes: More than 70% of people report taste changes, such as foods tasting unusually bitter or metallic, a loss of sense of taste, or ... Depression or anxiety: Burning mouth syndrome often co-occurs with depression (30-50%) and anxiety (30-60%), although the directionality of this relationship is unclear. Loss of taste may also result from radiation therapy and medicines, such as antibiotics and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors.   Could you please repost. How Anxiety Affects Taste. The most common causes of temporary loss are colds, flu and sinus problems. There is some evidence (discussed in the 2012 paper referenced below) that stress changes the sensitivity of taste buds, perhaps also altering the way that signals travel between your taste buds and brain. Your nose and an area in the upper throat have special cells that contain odor receptors. A loss or change to your sense of smell or taste could be coronavirus (COVID-19). 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