Metallic Taste in Mouth: 9 Causes and What to Do

If your mouth tastes like metal or old pennies, it may be a sign that you have a medical problem.

There are many different reasons why you might have a metallic taste in your mouth — it may be something harmless like the iron in your new multivitamin, but it can also be a sign of a sinus infection or allergic reaction.

Here are nine reasons why you might have a metallic taste in your mouth, and how to treat each one.

If you don't brush and floss your teeth regularly, bacteria can build up in your mouth and cause gum diseases like gingivitis or periodontitis.

These diseases inflame your gums which can leave a metallic taste in your mouth, says Dr. Natasha Bhuyan, the National Medical Director at One Medical.

Some other common signs of gum disease are:

How to treat it: You can usually treat gum disease with a professional teeth cleaning from your dentist, though you'll need to keep up regular brushing and flossing at home.

If your symptoms continue, see your dentist to make sure you don't need a more extensive procedure like a root canal.

"A metallic taste in the mouth may oftentimes be drug-induced," says Dr. Nesochi Okeke-Igbokwe, MD, an internal medicine physician in private practice.

When your body absorbs certain medications, it may excrete some of the leftover chemicals through your saliva. Some of these chemicals may taste sightly metallic.

Some of the most common medications that can trigger a metal taste include:

How to treat it: If you develop a metallic taste around the same time as starting one of these medications, talk to your doctor to determine if this is the cause.

If your medication is causing the issue, you can talk to your doctor about alternative medications.

If you cannot stop the medication you can try tricks to cover the taste of metal like:

"One of the most common causes of metallic taste in the mouth is ingestion of supplements," says Dr. Lisa Lewis, a pediatrician in private practice.

Just like prescription medications, your body can excrete some of the unabsorbed minerals into your saliva, causing a chemical taste.

According to Lewis, some of the most common culprits in multivitamins include:

How to treat it: If you're bothered by the metallic taste, you can talk with your doctor to see if there are alternative vitamins you can take that might have lower levels of these minerals.

If not, see the list above for tips on how to cover the taste.

"A sinus or upper respiratory infection can lead to nasal congestion, which in turn can cause a metallic taste," Bhuyan says.

This happens for two main reasons:

1. Heavy congestion can interfere with your sense of smell and perception of taste, Bhuyan says.

2. Mucus from your nose may drain down the back of your throat, causing a metallic taste, Lewis says.

"Once the mucus resolves, the problem with altered taste will likely resolve," Lewis says.

Some of the other common symptoms of respiratory infections include:

How to treat it: Sinus and other respiratory infections often go away on their own without any treatment. But if your symptoms last longer than 10 days or become severe, it's best to see your doctor, who can determine if you need treatment like antibiotics.

Some cancer treatments, like chemotherapy and radiation, may also cause a metallic taste in your mouth. This is especially common if you're being treated for cancers of the head and neck.

"While the intention of the therapy is to target cancer cells, they can sometimes damage healthy oral cells and lead to a metallic taste," Bhuyan says.

How to treat it: During your cancer treatment, you can use strategies like sucking on mints to cover up the metallic taste.

"The good news is that our cells can regenerate and restore following these cancer treatments," Bhuyan says, so the metallic taste should go away once your treatment is over.

You may develop a metallic taste when you're pregnant due to changes in your hormones, especially the increase in estrogen, Bhuyan says.

An increase in estrogen is responsible for dysguegia, which is an altered sense of taste or smell. This can impact the cells in your taste buds, triggering a metallic taste, Okeke-Igbokwe says.

Fun fact: This dysgeusia is the reason why pregnant people often report craving foods that they did not like before or being repulsed by their favorite dishes.

Some other common signs of early pregnancy are:

How to treat it: The metallic taste usually happens only during the first trimester of pregnancy. "Luckily, this often goes away by the second trimester," Bhuyan says.

Dementia is a condition caused by "degeneration of the brain, which alters the nerves of the brain," Lewis says.

This nerve damage may alter your sense of taste and trigger a metallic taste in your mouth, Lewis says.

Some other common signs of dementia include:

How to treat it: Dementia is treated differently based on the underlying cause of the condition. The most common reason for dementia is Alzheimer's disease, which has no cure, but can be slowed with medication.

"Not all food allergies cause a metallic taste, but some food allergies, such as shellfish or tree nuts, can cause a metallic taste," Bhuyan says.

Often, a metallic taste is linked to a more severe food allergy, which can turn into a serious reaction called anaphylaxis, Bhuyan says.

Some other signs of anaphylaxis include:

How to treat it: If you have serious food allergies, it's good to always have an epinephrine pen with you, which can help treat an anaphylactic reaction, Bhuyan says.

If your symptoms continue after using an epinephrine pen, or if you're unable to breathe, get medical help immediately, as these symptoms can be life threatening.

People who have chronic kidney disease (CKD) may also develop a metallic taste in their mouths, Okeke-Igbokwe says.

This is because as your kidney function worsens, you may have a buildup of urea in your blood — urea is a naturally occurring chemical usually found in your urine.

This urea buildup "may contribute to the metallic taste in the mouth that those with CKD experience," Okeke-Igbokwe says.

Some other signs of kidney disease include:

How to treat it: Your doctor can help determine the best treatment for kidney disease, depending on what's causing the problem.

For example, you may need treatment for conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure, which can trigger kidney disease.

Very severe kidney disease may require treatments like dialysis or even a kidney transplant.

There are many reasons why you might experience a metallic taste in your mouth.

"Some reasons may be benign in nature, while other causes may be due to a serious health condition," Okeke-Igbokwe says.

"If you have a metallic taste in your mouth, it's important to not ignore it," Bhuyan says. Contact your doctor to determine if you have an underlying condition that needs treatment.