The AN-related taste thing is weird. Because my experience is somewhat different than most, I'll offer it here for the sake of expanding the discussion a bit and demonstrating that while AN patients have similar experiences, none are exactly the same. Ah, diversity!
Prior to my diagnosis, I pretty much lost my sense of taste and with that, my appetite. The result was an alarming weight loss of over 35 pounds in 8 months (from 170 to 135...I'm 5'7"). Fortunately, although weight was never an issue for me (I was blessed with a high metabolism rate) I had experienced some middle-aged weight gain and could afford to lose the 35 pounds (my 'pot belly' disappeared) but at that point, more weight loss would have been unhealthy and dangerous. Post diagnosis, my neurosurgeon urged me to try to eat and gain some weight before my surgery. I didn't. Its hard to eat when you have absolutely no appetite and all food tastes like cardboard. I also felt 'full' after eating just a little bit, even of my heretofore favorite foods.
Post-surgery, my sense of taste slowly returned. I retained a small 'numb spot' on one side of my tongue but it didn't really affect my taste sensations. Granted, not everything tastes exactly the same as it once did. Sometimes I actually sense a 'sweetness' to foods that aren't sweet at all, but nothing tastes really bad. Fortunately, I got used to eating small portions and have kept the weight off. My primary care doctor said that occasionally, when the body experiences trauma, such as brain surgery, hormones are secreted that can affect metabolism. O.K., doc. In my case, they apparently kicked my metabolism back into it's former high rate and although I don't 'diet' or do formal exercises, I am active. Fortunately, I've been able to keep my weight at about where it was 20 years ago (140). My wife grumbles about how 'lucky' I am as she dutifully counts her Weight Watchers points every day We don't talk about weight too often, for obvious reasons.
![Wink ;)](https://www.anausa.org/smf/Smileys/classic/wink.gif)
I count my (unintended) weight loss as one of the very few positive things to come out of my AN experience and I intend to keep the weight off.
Jim