Drug-induced taste disorders
Drug-induced taste disorders
Dysgeusia is an umbrella term for qualitative and quantitative taste disorders. Quantitative disorders are the result of reduced or increased taste perception, while qualitative changes stem from a change in taste perception.
Drug-induced taste disorders are reported for all medicinal product categories. They are particularly common with antineoplastic and immunomodulating substances and systemic anti-infectives.1
The causes of taste disorders include the natural (e.g. bitter or metallic) taste of the medicinal product; impaired saliva flow; the medicinal product acting on signalling pathways, enzyme mechanisms or transport mechanisms2; or direct damage to sensory cells.
Taste disorder, dysgeusia, ageusia, anosmia, sense of taste, gefapixant, celecoxib
Incident data |
Description |
Age group: Adult Gender: Female Active substance: Gefapixant Indication: Cough ADR: Ageusia Outcome: Recovered |
The patient lost her sense of taste about three hours after first taking gefapixant. She discontinued treatment after the second dose. 24 hours later, her sense of taste returned. |
Age group: Senior citizen Gender: Female Active substance: Celecoxib Indication: Pain ADR: Ageusia, anosmia Outcome: Not recovered |
The patient developed an impaired sense of taste and smell nine days after starting celecoxib. Two days later, she completely lost her sense of taste and smell and discontinued treatment. At the time of reporting – four days after treatment ended – the symptoms were still present. |
Summary and recommendation
Individual case reports on suspected adverse drug reactions from Switzerland include just under 1,000 cases of taste disorders. Disorders are reported with non-coincidental frequency in connection with, for example, terbinafine, erdosteine and clarithromycin. Drug-induced taste disorders can impact patients' quality of life and nutritional status and are therefore relevant side effects, particularly in vulnerable patient groups. Early identification helps improve treatment adherence and maintain quality of life.
In cases of suspected drug-induced taste disorders, the priority is to discontinue or replace (if medically possible) the treatment. In the majority of cases, taste subsequently recovers spontaneously.3
1 Rademacher WMH, Aziz Y, Hielema A, Cheung KC, de Lange J, Vissink A, Rozema FR. Oral adverse effects of drugs: Taste disorders. Oral Dis. 2020 Jan;26(1):213-223. doi: 10.1111/odi.13199. Epub 2019 Nov 11. PMID: 31532870; PMCID: PMC6988472.
2 Schiffman SS. Influence of medications on taste and smell. World J Otorhinolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2018 Mar 26;4(1):84-91. doi: 10.1016/j.wjorl.2018.02.005. PMID: 30035266; PMCID: PMC6051304.
3 S2k-Leitlinie Riech-und Schmeckstörungen 01.05.2023 (AWMF Leitlinienregister)
Statutory duty of healthcare professionals to report adverse drug reactions (ADRs)
In Switzerland, healthcare professionals who are authorised to dispense or administer medicinal products are obligated to report severe and/or previously unknown side effects. Reports to Swissmedic can be entered and sent in the Electronic Vigilance Reporting Portal “ElViS” (ElViS login).
Supplementary information
Medicinal product information
