Dental Health Forum - Foul Taste And Smell?

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Bad breath can often be the first sign of a disease. But how do doctors define bad breath and what are the major causes of bad breath?...

Q: Foul Taste And Smell?

asked by: Bryn on April 20th, 2007

New User

A little less than a week ago I woke up with a migraine and a REALLY foul taste at the back of my throat and smell in my nose. The migraine went away in a day, but the taste/smell is still there. It smells rather like a rotten potato, and tastes the way I would imagine a rotten potato to taste. A friend said that it might be a cavity, so I have a trip to the dentist planned next week, but I'm wondering if it might be some sort of sinus infection, since I occasionally have to blow my nose and there's a thick milky pale yellowish-green fluid coming out. Every time I blow my nose, it smells like someone is shoving a rotten potato into my face, so I can't tell if the smell is coming from the fluid I blew out or not. I've been brushing like crazy and rinsing with Listerine, but that doesn't make the taste go away completely, and it keeps coming back.

Can anyone help? I'm almost scared to go to the dentist only to find that he can't fix it.

Replies(6)

doubtful

replied on April 20th, 2007

Experienced User

I would still go check for the cavity no matter what. Another thing that it could be though...

I get this from time to time. Your tonsils have "pockets" in them that like to collect food/infections etc... when i push on the tonsil small white balls of junk comes out of them. they smell just like the horrible taste in my mouth.
http://www.pedisurg.com/PtEducENT/tonsils. htm kinda explains what im talking about if you scroll down to the table, its the 3rd row of info.

Bryn

replied on April 20th, 2007

New User

doubtful wrote:

As wonderful as my luck is, yesterday I was chewing gum and one of my fillings came out. So I have to go to the dentist anyway ~_~

As for the white junk, sometimes I'll be swallowing and the swallow will kinda reverse, and I'll end up with this little bit of pale orange junk that can range from the size of a sesame seed to as big as a pea - it doesn't happen often, but when it does the orange junk always smells really nasty, like bad breath. But what I have now has more of a sour taste, and the orange junk has never affected my nose before or made whatever I'm eating have the rotten-potato taste. *shrugs*

What a time to be without health insurance *sigh*

amiel5enriquez

replied on May 2nd, 2007

New User

Maybe you have post nasal drip. You should watch your diet, stay away from sweets and dairy products. They'll make those bad bacteria overgrow in your tonsils causing those tonsil stones which smell like bad breath.

Bryn

replied on May 2nd, 2007

New User

amiel5enriquez wrote:

Yeah, that's what I was kinda figuring it might be. Sometimes it really sucks to be a frustrated insecure average unmarried female ^_~

But yeah. I was noticing that the smell and taste kinda went away for a little time, and then when I binged a little on sweets it came right back full force. Will follow your advice.

Meredi

replied on August 4th, 2009

New User

Foul Metallic Taste in Your Mouth? Maybe it's from Pine Nuts!

HAVE YOU EATEN ANY PINE NUTS RECENTLY?
There have been a lot of reports of people experiencing "pine mouth" - - which is basically a foul metallic taste in the back of your mouth that just won't go away and is worsened by sweets. It is brought on by eating mini pine nuts from China (in foods like pesto, etc) and lasts up to a couple of weeks. I HAVE IT RIGHT NOW. Mine came on with a migraine as well. Apparently it's not due to a poison, but rather an oxidation of the nuts (going bad/rancid). Apparently not everyone will react to it, so a few people can eat the same meal but perhaps only one will get sick. What is helping me as a remedy is eating organic wild blueberries and drinking strong green tea with ginger slices (I figure if it's an oxidization problem, then a strong antioxidant like blueberries might help.) CHEERS AND GOOD LUCK. HOPE YOU FEEL BETTER SOON.

warddrake8989

replied on August 7th, 2009

New User

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