Re: Anything help sense of smell?

[Guest guest]

Nick,

I didn't know that loss of smell or taste has any connection to PSC. I've never

read it any where and don't remember anyone having that problem as a symptom of

PSC. We have talked about an altered sense of taste. I have a lot of problems

with my nose/sinuses/throat/ears as the result of another disease process that

is unconnected with my PSC (except that they both affect the other in a flare).

I'm interested if someone has other information about it as well. Cheryl ID PS

I have known people that have lost or altered sense of taste because of meds.

Anything help sense of smell?

> Okay, I've had PSC for about 10 years now and I have absolutely no sense of

smell/taste. On the one hand, if I was to lose sense, I'm glad that it is it,

but I do miss tasting food or smelling things. I can't even smell a skunk.

>

> I suppose that this sort of thing is normal with liver disease but I am

wondering if there is anything that has helped alleviate these symptoms.

Anybody know of anything?

>

> -Nick D.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

>

> Okay, I've had PSC for about 10 years now and I have absolutely no sense of

smell/taste. On the one hand, if I was to lose sense, I'm glad that it is it,

but I do miss tasting food or smelling things. I can't even smell a skunk.

>

> I suppose that this sort of thing is normal with liver disease but I am

wondering if there is anything that has helped alleviate these symptoms.

Anybody know of anything?

>

> -Nick D.

>

[Guest guest]

>

> Okay, I've had PSC for about 10 years now and I have absolutely no sense of

smell/taste. On the one hand, if I was to lose sense, I'm glad that it is it,

but I do miss tasting food or smelling things. I can't even smell a skunk.

>

> I suppose that this sort of thing is normal with liver disease but I am

wondering if there is anything that has helped alleviate these symptoms.

Anybody know of anything?

>

> -Nick D.

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Nick;

Sorry about my blank message earlier ... I hit the wrong key on the keyboard by

accident.

Your loss of taste and smell could be due to vitamin A deficiency.

Although these are pretty old papers, they show that vitamin A is involved in

taste and smell (olfactory sensing), and that advancing liver disease can cause

taste and smell sensation losses that might be reversed by vitamin A

supplements:

______________________________________

Acta Vitaminol. Enzymol. 7: S45-S54 (1985)

Vitamin A deficiency and sensory function.

Biesalski HK, Wellner U, Stofft E, Bässler KH

Morphological investigation of tongue, olfactory epithelia, trachea and inner

ear in vitamin A deficiency are reported. The results support assumptions

concerning the loss of sensory function as been at least a secondary effect of

alterations of the neighbourhood of the sensory cells caused by vitamin A

deficiency. Taste buds are hindered in function by a dense layer of squamous

cells and olfaction is decreased by atrophy of the surrounding respiratory

epithelium. Inner ear functionality seems to be affected by vitamin A status via

a stabilizing effect on the endolymph-perilymph barrier. PMID: 3916045

______________________________________

Hum. Nutr. Clin. Nutr. 38: 203-214 (1984)

Impairment of taste and olfaction in patients with cirrhosis: the role of

vitamin A.

Garrett-Laster M, RM, Jacques PF

Taste and olfaction sensory modalities and the response to vitamin A

replenishment were studied in 37 vitamin A deficient patients (determined by low

serum levels and abnormal dark adaptation) with stable alcoholic cirrhosis.

Among this group of patients, 11 also had low serum zinc levels which ranged

from 45 to 63 micrograms/dl. Initial taste and olfaction mean detection

thresholds for all test substances were significantly higher (less sensitive) in

all patients as compared to 21 sex-matched healthy subjects of the same age

range (P less than 0.05). Twenty-seven patients including the 11 patients with

low serum zinc were treated with oral vitamin A (10 000 micrograms/d) for 4

weeks. Among the vitamin a deficient patients there was significant improvement

following vitamin A treatment in the mean detection and mean recognition

thresholds for bitter and salty taste (P less than 0.01) and for pyridine

olfaction (P less than 0.05) regardless of zinc status. Improvement in taste and

olfaction correlated with a reversal of serum vitamin A levels and dark

adaptation toward normal. The mechanism whereby vitamin A affects specific taste

and smell (ie salty and bitter taste; pyridine smell) modalities is at present

unknown. PMID: 6746322

______________________________________

PSC is frequently associated with vitamin A deficiency, even in early stages,

and it tends to become more severe in later stages.

Therefore, it might be worth having a blood test to see if you have vitamin

deficiencies, and work with your doctor to correct these.

Best regards,

Dave

(father of (23); PSC 07/03; UC 08/03)

-- In , " ndaehn " wrote:

>

> Okay, I've had PSC for about 10 years now and I have absolutely no sense of

smell/taste. On the one hand, if I was to lose sense, I'm glad that it is it,

but I do miss tasting food or smelling things. I can't even smell a skunk.

>

> I suppose that this sort of thing is normal with liver disease but I am

wondering if there is anything that has helped alleviate these symptoms.

Anybody know of anything?

>

> -Nick D.

>

[Guest guest]

I assume we cannot take the reverse for granted, IE if our taste and smell is okay that we do not have a vitamin A deficiency?

 

Ian (52) PSC 89 

Hi Nick;Sorry about my blank message earlier ... I hit the wrong key on the keyboard by accident.Your loss of taste and smell could be due to vitamin A deficiency.Although these are pretty old papers, they show that vitamin A is involved in taste and smell (olfactory sensing), and that advancing liver disease can cause taste and smell sensation losses that might be reversed by vitamin A supplements:

______________________________________Acta Vitaminol. Enzymol. 7: S45-S54 (1985)Vitamin A deficiency and sensory function.Biesalski HK, Wellner U, Stofft E, Bässler KHMorphological investigation of tongue, olfactory epithelia, trachea and inner ear in vitamin A deficiency are reported. The results support assumptions concerning the loss of sensory function as been at least a secondary effect of alterations of the neighbourhood of the sensory cells caused by vitamin A deficiency. Taste buds are hindered in function by a dense layer of squamous cells and olfaction is decreased by atrophy of the surrounding respiratory epithelium. Inner ear functionality seems to be affected by vitamin A status via a stabilizing effect on the endolymph-perilymph barrier. PMID: 3916045

______________________________________Hum. Nutr. Clin. Nutr. 38: 203-214 (1984)Impairment of taste and olfaction in patients with cirrhosis: the role of vitamin A.Garrett-Laster M, RM, Jacques PF

Taste and olfaction sensory modalities and the response to vitamin A replenishment were studied in 37 vitamin A deficient patients (determined by low serum levels and abnormal dark adaptation) with stable alcoholic cirrhosis. Among this group of patients, 11 also had low serum zinc levels which ranged from 45 to 63 micrograms/dl. Initial taste and olfaction mean detection thresholds for all test substances were significantly higher (less sensitive) in all patients as compared to 21 sex-matched healthy subjects of the same age range (P less than 0.05). Twenty-seven patients including the 11 patients with low serum zinc were treated with oral vitamin A (10 000 micrograms/d) for 4 weeks. Among the vitamin a deficient patients there was significant improvement following vitamin A treatment in the mean detection and mean recognition thresholds for bitter and salty taste (P less than 0.01) and for pyridine olfaction (P less than 0.05) regardless of zinc status. Improvement in taste and olfaction correlated with a reversal of serum vitamin A levels and dark adaptation toward normal. The mechanism whereby vitamin A affects specific taste and smell (ie salty and bitter taste; pyridine smell) modalities is at present unknown. PMID: 6746322

______________________________________PSC is frequently associated with vitamin A deficiency, even in early stages, and it tends to become more severe in later stages.Therefore, it might be worth having a blood test to see if you have vitamin deficiencies, and work with your doctor to correct these.

Best regards,Dave (father of (23); PSC 07/03; UC 08/03) -- In , " ndaehn " wrote:

>> Okay, I've had PSC for about 10 years now and I have absolutely no sense of smell/taste. On the one hand, if I was to lose sense, I'm glad that it is it, but I do miss tasting food or smelling things. I can't even smell a skunk.

> > I suppose that this sort of thing is normal with liver disease but I am wondering if there is anything that has helped alleviate these symptoms. Anybody know of anything?> > -Nick D.>

-- Ian Cribb  P.Eng. (6...