EVERYTHING tastes awful!!

[ValarieLynn]

I quit smoking early November and since then EVERYTHING I eat or drink just tastes awful!! Nothing that I ate before tastes the same. It is just awful trying to plan a meal or anything because nothing tastes good! Has anyone else had this problem?? I used Chantix to quit and used only 1 month.

[Briarwood Administrator LONG TERM WINNER]

Hiya Valarie and welcome to quit support😊

Congratulations on your quit, terrific achievement so well done to you👏🏼

Our taste buds have been bombarded with smoke and they do come back but it just takes a while. As our taste buds are recovering, food will taste different and you may find that something you liked before, you don't now and visa versa☹️

My secret was black pepper, used to put in on everything and still do. Hang in there coz most side effects eventually pass. Be proud of yourself😊

NOPE not one puff ever🚭🚭

[ValarieLynn in reply to Briarwood]

Thank you for your reply. Its just crazy!! I smoked for 32 years and many times I just wanna start again so that things taste like "they should" to me. I used to drink socially as well and Ive not drank since quitting. None of that tastes good either! I was never one for using spices in anything not even salt so hopefully soon everything will taste good again!

[Briarwood Administrator LONG TERM WINNER in reply to ValarieLynn]

When we quit smoking things get DIFFERENT and then they get better. Right now you're at the DIFFERENT part but the worst is behind you and the future is looking bright and healthy. It's really worth it coz your body will thankyou for quitting, so please don't be tempted😩

[ValarieLynn in reply to Briarwood]

I'm counting on you!!

[Andrew-S in reply to Briarwood]

Are you chaneling the spirit of WillC? 😎

[kamsackkat 3 Months Winner in reply to Briarwood]

Just wondering how long it took for your taste buds to start working right. I cut down to a pack or less a week for a year, then completely & cold turkey on November 3 2019 (3 mos ago) after a 51 year habit. About 2 weeks ago, things began to taste disgustingly odd ... for example, this chicken soup I am eating tastes like spearmint gum drops; the mac & cheese I tried earlier tasted like fish ... a lot of things taste like fish or corn syrup or seriously burnt toast. I can't eat this stuff because of the taste, in spite of being very hungry.

[Briarwood Administrator LONG TERM WINNER in reply to kamsackkat]

Hi kam and welcome to Quit Support

3 months smoke free is great, well done🚭👍🏼

Our taste buds are very sensitive and it can take up to 6 months to repair them. I suggest you have a visit to your dentist for an oral check up as sometimes the nicotine absorbed by your teeth can affect the taste in your mouth. Let us know how you get on😀xx

[KatyNewMe 5 MONTH WINNER]

Hi Valarie, well done for giving up since November!! I'm only on day 3 but I think I'm going to find this.

I bought some rocky road chocolate cake today (that I've eaten loads of times) as a well done me and found it horrible and sickly :/ and instead I now really fancy some fruit (although I've never bought fruit).

Is this the same sort of thing or is it everything you eat?

[ValarieLynn in reply to KatyNewMe]

Than you and that wonderful!! Keep it up and don't give up you can do it!! Are you using anything to help you quit or are you doing it cold turkey?

It's most everything I eat although I do eat more fruit than usual especially for it being the winter . Grapes seem to just be the best thing since I don't know when at this time! But most everything I eat or drink just is awful! I've been very wasteful because I keep trying different things hoping I'll find something I like but so far no........I've looked into smoothies but I can tell you there is NO way I'm gonna eat those!!!

Maybe we can go through this together?? My bf quit regular smokes but still smokes the ecig and he's not having this problem like I am!

[KatyNewMe 5 MONTH WINNER in reply to ValarieLynn]

Yeah, I'm definitely up for doing this together. I'm going cold turkey even though I bought one of those e-cig / vape things. I'll carry it around and use it if I'm really desperate. Figure its better than having a fag.

I was all ready to go out and buy lots of fruit tomorrow and make smoothies LOL. I don't think I'm going to add anything other than fruit but part of me thinks I'm craving fresh fruit to get the vitamins that smoking's been killing off all these years. I'll let you know what it's like

What makes you think you don't want smoothies? What do you know that I don't??

[droopyJ in reply to KatyNewMe]

Hi Katy try adding a little little bit of apple juice to your smoothie...... Makes it not too thick 😊

I think you may be right about the vitamin, unfortunately I obviously lacked sugar when I quit..... Hence the 2 stone weight gain 🙁🍰🍰🍰🍰

Great quit though so keep it up 😊😊

[ValarieLynn]

Awesome!! Wow! I've tried cold turkey and that wasn't an option for me. I have an ecig but I didn't like it. Really nothings like a real smoke!

Well I am very picky...Im not going to put beets chia seeds, flax seed, yogurt, etc together and eat it! I wouldn't eat most of those things by themselves!! You might be on to something there about body craving the vitamins....for me I've got so many other health problems that it's hard to know! Yes let me know what it's like!

I have bought the frozen fruit bars and they are very good! Idk if you've ever frozen just grapes but they are good too and easy to just pop in your mouth.

[KatyNewMe 5 MONTH WINNER in reply to ValarieLynn]

Made a smoothie of apple, orange, slice of pineapple, grapes, spinach, ice and water. It was really really really really tasty. Way nicer than I thought, you've got to give it a go. You couldn't taste the spinach at all.

It wasn't as smooth as I'd liked but I've just spent the last hour looking up machines and just ordered a nutri-bullet YAAAAAAAAAY. Can't smoke for the rest of the month now even if I wanted to... blown my fags budget on a blender

It's going to be my new first thing in the morning routine rather than get up and have a coffee and a fag, I'm going to have a smoothie.

Blimey, gonna be right healthy before we know it

[Briarwood Administrator LONG TERM WINNER in reply to KatyNewMe]

Sounds delicious Katy, I luv smoothies and it's a great start to the day, much better than a cig👍🏼😊

[ValarieLynn in reply to KatyNewMe]

LOL!! Yes those nutri bullets are spendy!!

So tell me just how it tasted?? What did you taste most? And what was your ratio of ingredients??

[KatyNewMe 5 MONTH WINNER in reply to ValarieLynn]

Ahhhh missed this. I don't think I'm getting notifications.

How's the no smoking and your taste buds going?

I've been mixing and matching on my smoothies. I always put an orange in there, but I've been trying with pineapple, frozen berries, apples, grapefruit and banana and a handful of spinach (you can never taste the spinach).

This morning was 1 orange, 1 grapefruit, a ring of pineapple and some ice n water. It was sharp but I really liked it. Felt like a massive vitamin c boost.

I'm thinking of venturing into the veg tomorrow (AAAAAGGGHHH) I'm going to try apple, spinach, cucumber, lemon and mint - who knows. It'll probably be disgusting

[madametobacco49]

omg food tastes incredible--you are lucky--Ive gained 7 lbs--I have never heard of this--Ima eating machine!!!

[ValarieLynn in reply to madametobacco49]

LOL! No eating or drinking machine here!! About the only thing I drink that tastes right is water!

[madametobacco49 in reply to ValarieLynn]

YOU are so lucky--Im doing better with it today--but when it hits =-=its like major munchies xx MmeT

[ValarieLynn in reply to madametobacco49]

I wouldn't like that either!! You'd think there'd be a happy middle!!

[madametobacco49 in reply to ValarieLynn]

im sure there is and we will meet there--but rather be on your end--Im marinating chicken now --oink

[Andrew-S]

Well iv never heard of that. I love food and when I stopped smoking everything tasted amazing. You're probably lucky in some ways as you won't over eat to compensate. Hopefully things will balance out for you in time.

I did notice sense of smell improved a lot and most things I didn't like the smell of. If that's what it's like with food for you you have my sympathy.

Maybe you've been eating vile food for years and never knew. 😎👀😂

[madametobacco49 in reply to Andrew-S]

lol Andrew silly duck

[madametobacco49 in reply to madametobacco49]

always make me laugh--and I need that so thanks

[Hidden in reply to Andrew-S]

😂

[ValarieLynn in reply to Andrew-S]

Maybe you are right that I've been eating vile foods all these years....I'm also in recovery for anorexia so that could be....

[Andrew-S in reply to ValarieLynn]

Well hope u find something u like the taste of I think Iv got the opposite problem 😀

[ValarieLynn in reply to Andrew-S]

Me too because this is awful!!

[Andrew-S in reply to ValarieLynn]

God it must be no cigarettes and no food that you like I would hate that. I was the opposite and thought everything tasted lovely it was like re-discovering things and weird random things like how nice is a kit kat? Maybe it will change for you people change at different times, it was quite a long time before I got better sense of taste back maybe yours will change as well hope so.

[madametobacco49]

what is your new picture? I cant tell

[Andrew-S]

It's Toby lying cutely in his lovely expensive new basket..... Shortly before he ripped it to shreds. He's on an old towel now lol 😎

[glolin LONG TERM WINNER]

Hi Valarie and welcome to quit support.

Like Briar sais, out taste buds got through a lot when we quit smoking..I was the opposite..everything tastes so good now

Hang in there, all symptoms of out body adjusting to life without smokes doesnt last too long..

Can you let us know your quit date so we can add you to the wall of winners..

[ValarieLynn in reply to glolin]

Thank you for your support!! It just seems like forever for body to adjust!

I quit November 2015!

PS can you tell me how to do the emojis on here??

[Jclinton]

I quit cold turkey. Everything tastes bitter. In my mind is the biggest battle. I really hate this

[terri1963 23 Months Winner]

I am having that experience too. I am using the patch and have 23 days smoke free, everything taste really bitter. It does seem to be getting a bit better now.

[monky Administrator 35 Months Winner in reply to terri1963]

Hi Terri1963 and welcome to Quit Support, so your 23 days smokefree now, I hope your very proud of yourself I will add your quit date to our data base as 11th May 2022 if this is wrong, then please let me know

As for everything tasting bitter, if you have read the comments above then you will see it does happen to some of us and I'm afraid we just have to be patient and all should come good again and food will taste nice

We've had some member's go off choccy please just hang in there Terri

[ArizonaCactus Badge pending]

I quit over two years ago and all food still tastes terrible. I am 5’10 and was 160 lbs., 63 years old. Since I quit, I have lost 40 lbs. and am now am around 120 lbs. I feel like I am going to die. Life now is absolutely miserable. I have no strength to do anything any more. Never start doing this nasty thing.

[Sherri1107 Badge pending]

I recently quit smoking myself and I am having the same problem. I have only found 2 things that I like and this is the 3rd week that I have been smoke free. I asked a friend who had also quit smoking if she had anything like this happen to her and she said no. I’m at a loss for what to do. Did you ever find any answers?