Metallic Taste in Mouth During Pregnancy

You might want to try eating with plasic utensils until it goes away. I've had no experience with this symptom but eating with plasic may help reduce the taste.

It could also be your prenatal vitamins. But I have heard many moms experience this. It is normal.

J. Z.
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Yes thats very common, and no I never found a cure for it. I have been pregnant twice and had it both times. The first pregnancy I lost the baby at 17 weeks. The second pregnancy went fine, my little angel is sitting right next to me at 1 month old tomorrow! I tried all kinds of gum, mints, and eating stuff. All I can say is drink lots of water. I found that there were this tin of pomagranate lemonade mints I think made by icebreaker that kind of masked it because they were sour. Just tough it out, it will go away in a few weeks!

yes!! I had that with my second child. I looked on the internet everywhere trying to figure out what it was. I could never find a good answer. All I can tell you is it does go away. I can't remember how long it lasted, but it finally did stop. I just chewed a lot of gum. However, you are the first person besides myself who has this happen to them that I know of. That makes me feel good, I thought I was the only one. Good luck to you.

I think that the other moms who responded about prenatal vitamins and iron levels could be right on target, but I thought I would mention one alternative experience that I had. You did not mention the use an antacids, like Tums, but when I was pregnant the first time, I used some toward the end. The heartburn and reflux were just unrelenting. Anyway, I found that if I took a Tums before bed, as was usually the case so I could sleep, I found that the next day, I had a metallic taste in my mouth for the entire day, no matter what I ate. It was the most pronounced, though, when I drank plain water. I just figured it had something to do with the mineral make-up of the Tums. I hope you find some relief soon.

Hi Julia, It sounds like there's a good possibility that it's from your pre-natal vitamins. I've had a touch of that with my last pregnancy and I've had friends who've had that since they first found out they were pregnant. Maybe it's just A LOT of iron!? Hope you figure it out. -J.

Hi Julia,
When I was pregnant I was on Progesterone suppliments vaginally for 16 weeks to keep the pregnancy alive.
During this time I experienced this same problem.

It's most likely your progesterone levels increasing and decreasing (hormones) which is why you're having this taste.

At 3 1/2 months pregnant the placenta has taken over and your progesterone levels need to be at a certain level to maintain the pregnancy. It appears that all is well. I would mention to the Dr when you see them in two weeks, but it doesn't appear to be a life or death worry.

Good luck and congratulations on your pregnancy!
H.~

Yes I had that. I was told it was b/c of the Prenatals (but its so important to take them). What I ended up doing after 5 months of it was just taking them every other day and CONSTANTLY eating/chewing fruity gum or candy. It didn't get rid of it but somewhat helped. Good Luck!

Dear Julia:
Congrats on the new baby! All of the other responses were good responses but the main thing that I didn't recall seeing was that the only real reason you have the tinny or metalic taste in your mouth is all because of HORMONES and nothing else and is a typical sign of pregnancy (among one of the top ones, actually). Yes, of course, please make sure you are taking your prenatal vitamins but other than that, there is nothing you can do to get rid of it. It's normal. :-) Good luck with the pregnancy! :-)

It's funny that you mention the metallic taste. I am 10 1/2 weeks pregnant and have just started noticing it. I don't have it all day, mostly in the morning. I don't know what to tell you about helping it go away. Maybe milk or bread. I am curious to see what advice other moms give you.
Good luck!

I had the metallic taste with my son too and although it was probably from the iron I was having to take (two supplements plus the prenatal vitamin). Even with all the iron, I was having trouble getting and keeping my iron level up. So the taste seems more indicative of the intake level than your actual hemoglobin level. The taste is bothersome but nothing to worrry about.

Yes that is very common. In fact, it is an early pregnancy sypmtom for a lot of women. I am currently TTC and that is one symptom I always read about (and hope for every month, lol!). It is not totally from prenatal vitamins because many women get it before they even know they are pregnant and aren't on prenatals. Or I know many women to get it once they get pregnant but had been taking prenatal vitamins for months while they were TTC and never had it until they were PG.

I found this article on it:

Metallic Taste (Dysgeusia) Does it seem like you've been sucking on pennies in your sleep? Here's what you need to know about that metallic taste in your mouth, and how to make it go away. What it is: Dysgeusia is the medical term for a change in your sense of taste; most often, you'll get a sour or metallic taste (yuck!) that persists even when you're not eating. What causes the metallic taste: Hormones, and in particular estrogen, seem to play a role in controlling and moderating our sense of taste. And when you're pregnant, estrogen levels ? and hence your sense of taste ? may fluctuate widely. Plus, your sense of taste and your sense of smell are intimately connected, so pregnancy-related changes in your sense of smell may also lead to dysgeusia. What you need to know about it: For something we don't hear much about, dysgeusia is surprisingly common in pregnancy. Like morning sickness, it should get better (or, if you're lucky, disappear altogether) in your second trimester when those hormones begin to settle down a bit. What to do about it: Try banishing that metallic taste with acids. Focus on sour flavors such as citrus juices, lemonade, and ? assuming your tummy can handle them ? foods marinated in vinegar (pickles anyone? After all, you are pregnant). All these foods not only have the power to break through the metallic taste in your mouth, they also increase saliva production, which will help wash it away. You might also talk to your practitioner about changing your prenatal vitamin; some seem to lead to metal mouth more than others.

Hi!
I had the same taste too... it was disgusting; it seemed as if I had pennies in my mouth all day long! I chalked it up to morning sickness, but have also heard pre-natal pills can cause that awful taste. I uses preggie pops or mints to combat the taste (to little avail!)
Concgrats on the pregnancy & best of luck ~ K. :)

it's the iron in your pregnancy vitamins and minerals you take, don't worry.

Hello Julia,

My name is Iris from Stafford Virginia. I am a mother of two, a sweet boy and girl. During my first pregnancy with my daughter, I experienced many changes in my mouth. I learned that the metallic taste in my mouth was due to the higher levels of iron in my blood due to the increased vitamins (pregnancy specific vitamins and minerals). I also learned that you have a greater chance of getting "Gingivitis" on your Gums (Which caused bleeding of my gums everytime I brushed). I was told by my doctor that the pregnancy increases our blood flow much more than we are used to. The taste of metal in your mouth may not seem to go away because it may be produced by iron. Call your doctor or dentist or a FREE 800-Nurse line for your area and ask them about iron levels. You may want to have your "Hemoglobin levels" checked. If your iron levels are too high, you may need to reduce the intake of iron fortified vitamins and replace them with non-iron (that is what my doctor told me to do).

Excessive iron in the blood could cause your baby to be intolerant to your breastmilk (causing excessive spit up) or intolerance to Formula with Iron.

Do not stress over it, you are doing great by asking and sharing your concerns. For now try eating citrus daily (oranges and if you can stand it, Limes) The limes worked best for me, it made the metal taste go away. My child stills loves limes! Best Wishes.

It could be that you're a bit anemic - low red blood cells. Try eatting some red meat or veggies that are higher in iron. I became anemic when pregnent with my daughter. The dr. had me take an otc iron suppliment.

Yes, and I checked with a friend at the time who had the same taste with her kids. I could no longer STAND diet soda, and at the time I was addicted to the stuff. Everything tasted weird with that taste in my mouth.

I had that with both of my pregnancy, my daughter is now 3 and my son now 5 months. I think it went aways some time in the 2nd trimester? But in some books they say it happens and my doctor said, as always your body does strange things, I never heard of it being the vitamins, I had the taste both times before being on prenatal vitamins?? anyways, your not alone :)

This does happen on occasion in pregnancy. Your Dr. might have a different take on it than I do. I, along with other holistic practiioners see it as an imbalance in your system. My first guess would be either you are not absorbing nutrients and or your mineral balance is a bit off. The best care providers that I refer my clients to are acupuncturists and chiropractors. They both have very good knowlege in this area. Please feel free to contact me if you have more quesitons and or would like a referral to someone in your area.
Hope this helps.
L.
Birthbliss
HypnoBirthing childbirth education and doula sevices

I don't want to scare you at all, but to ease your mind get your blood tested for metals, especially lead. If you've ever been exposed to lead paint or dust, it may have settled in your bones. Sometimes the body mistakes lead for calcuim and it comes out during pregnancy because the body uses the calcuim to nourish your baby. I hope this helps. If you do have metals in your system, the doctors will know what to do.