A metallic taste is usually harmless and has an everyday cause: gum disease, a medicine, a cold or sinus trouble, indigestion, or pregnancy - the NHS lists all of them.
A changed sense of smell can do it too, because taste and smell work as one system. It often clears by itself once the cause is treated. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, and can help you run through the list.
What to do
Common questions
Why do I taste metal?
A metallic taste almost always has an everyday explanation, and the NHS is reassuring: it is usually nothing serious. The common causes are gum disease (the most frequent - brushing, flossing, and a dental check-up every 6 months is the fix), certain medicines such as metronidazole or zopiclone, cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiotherapy, colds and sinus infections and other airway problems, indigestion, and pregnancy, where the taste is temporary and clears by itself. A lost or changed sense of smell can do it too, since smell and taste work as one system - the reason a heavy cold can make everything taste like coins. What you do depends on the cause: dental hygiene for gum disease, a word with the pharmacist about any medicine you suspect (but never stop a prescribed medicine without medical advice), stronger-tasting foods like ginger during cancer treatment, and simply waiting out a cold. The taste from indigestion fades once the indigestion is treated. The two reasons to see a GP, per the NHS: a metallic taste that does not go away, or one with no obvious cause. Persistent unexplained taste changes occasionally point to something that needs checking. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, that can help you run through the list.