Can hormones change taste?

[Allie Jayne]

I have been on Estradiol patches for a couple of weeks and the only thing which has changed is my taste. I was a Cokeaholic and now it tastes terrible. Not a big problem, but curious if this was caused by the E or maybe something else is happening.

Allie

[Quinn]

For me it didn't change my taste but I can taste more now, My sense of smell is so much better now at first is was a bit overwhelming, I would smell things I never noticed before and some of them I wish I couldn't smell now lol. There is also a possibility that your sight may change for better or worse.
You will start to notice changes over time but they will just become the new normal.

[Allie Jayne]

Actually I have noticed my smell is maybe a bit more sensitive, and smell and taste are connected. I had a glass of coke today and it tasted awful. Part of my job involves cutting up fish and I have noticed the smell a bit more. If it gets too sensitive I may struggle with fish!

Allie

[LizK]

I have always loved chocolate but after starting HRT that went to a whole new level...I can't pinpoint why but it is beyond amazing and I have to be careful that I don't start as I won't stop until I finish it. 

[Allie Jayne]

Liz, I love chocolate, but I haven't had any since I started HRT. I do hope that doesn't taste bad now, especially with Easter coming soon!

Allie

[CynthiaAnn]

For me it didn't change my taste but I can taste more now, My sense of smell is so much better now at first is was a bit overwhelming, I would smell things I never noticed before and some of them I wish I couldn't smell now lol. There is also a possibility that your sight may change for better or worse.
You will start to notice changes over time but they will just become the new normal.

I could have wrote these words above, well put.

When I started estradiol HRT one of the first things I noticed at about 3 weeks, was the smell of all the flowers and plants when I was out on a walk (summer time) was more intense and meaningful, it was my first realization things are changing.

As far as sense of taste, I seemed to notice more fine details in tastes today, and find myself wanting to try new foods, before I was just kinda stuck in rut.

I also noticed colors (visual) seemed to take on new meanings (subjective), I noticed more details in colors of things.

Chocolate is heaven...

C -

[KathyLauren]

My sense of smell is more accute now.  Though taste and smell are inter-related, I haven't noticed a change in my taste so much.

Chocolate is more than amazing, but then it always was.  I now see it as a sign that I was always programmed to be female.   Long before I started HRT, I knew what women meant when they said that chocolate was better than sex!

[Margrit]

Oh yes, I think that is absolutely possible.

Mine did. :-)
I am more sensitive to the taste of all kind of food. Everything has become much more tasteful to me.
An other thing I noticed is, salt food like Chips and staff has become more attractive to me. Before I started HRT eeevverything had to be sweet or even more sweet and a lot of sugar was needed in aaaalllllll food. Now not anymore.
I would say also my nose is since I am in HRT sensitiver.

[Linde]

For me it did!  I really loved the taste of beer, specifically the taste of Pilsener style (mostly German) beer.  I now have two 6 packs of the stuff in the fridge and don't care for the taste of beer anymore!
I simply don't like beer anymore!  But I know many women who don't like beer either!  Could it be that estrogen is the big beer taste killer?
I am afraid to tell anybody that I don't like beer anymore! 

[Northern Star Girl]

The biggest change for me was a penchant for salty things, dill pickles, olives, potato chips, salted nuts, etc... originally it was more than likely due to the Spiro that I took early in my transition...

I have always loved chocolate and very fortunately I still do!!!!   

[Margrit]

How very interesting 

By the way I never ever liked beer at all buuuut I love red wine and Champagner.

[Linde]

How very interesting 

By the way I never ever liked beer at all buuuut I love red wine and Champagner.

I had that salt/sour taste preference, too!  But I was not even on spiro, just on E.  My therapist told me that seems to be pretty common, the body creates something like a pseudo pregnancy, because of the new hormones.

I don't like champagner/sekt, much either.  I always liked red wine, and the taste for that has not changed!  But I always liked a nice Pilsener the most, and that like is gone with the wind (or better, with estrogen)

[Allie Jayne]

Thank you all for your responses! It seems these changes may be permanent? Or maybe just related to the period of puberty we are going through. I'm glad the consensus is that chocolate is is unaffected, because that would be a serious cost to transition. On the positive side I am losing weight!

Allie

[Kylo]

I don't think so. I still have a good sense of taste/smell. Not a smoker or anything for many years, I think that helps in keeping the senses sharp.

[GordonG]

I have experienced no changes to taste or smell. What's wrong with me! 

[Tabitha.1]

For me, HRT significantly changed my sense of tast and my food preferences. Before HRT, I almost  never eat chocolate and never really went out of my way for salads, but afterwards, they became mainstays of my diet. Curiously, after starting HRT, I lost about 20 lbs without trying!

Edited: spelling error