Okay so. Not sure if it’s an age thing, or a hormone thing, or a me thing…
I’m post hysto + oorpho (not due to transition but cancer scare) and I’ve been on hormones for a few years now. Late 20s.
I CAN’T HANDLE SPICY FOOD ANYMORE. I was okayish with peppers and ginger before. Now my mouth explodes if I even get a whiff of the stuff.
Anyone else have changes?
I haven’t gone on HRT, but I’ve experienced huge changes in taste as a result of microbiome changes in my gut. After antibiotics or a stomach-based illness everything tastes muted and metallic to me, like I’ve got half a mouthful of blood in addition to whatever I’m eating. Additionally, after I became vegan six years ago my taste in food totally changed. My working hypothesis is that once the relevant gut bacteria died off, the taste or smell of meat or butter became intolerable. I’m not sure whether hormones affect your microbiome, but if so that could explain it. That said, I don’t think any of these things have affected my ability to eat specifically spicy food, so YMMV.
That makes a lot of sense, at least with what I know about medical stuff (which isn’t a ton I’m just a nerd). I’m allergic to red meat and haven’t eaten it in several years. Used to crave it like crazy but had an accidental taste a few months ago and it tasted like actual shit.
Opposite direction, I found that I could handle more spice after going on E.
That’s so interesting! I’ll have to ask my sis if the same thing happens to her (also trans in the opposite direction lol)
Not trans, but, is there a chance that it’s Covid related? I was always a big fan of spicy things, and I had gotten pretty used to them before. After the 2 worst times I got covid, since I lost big chunks of my sense of taste (almost completely gone now 🥲), spicy things were kinda easier to sense again. Well, I got used to them again, so they’re back to normal pretty quickly, but the profile of spicy foods in my mouth is very different now. It wasn’t something as dramatic as you’re describing, so not sure.
Oh no that also could be it! I was one of the luckier ones that didn’t lose complete sense of smell, but it’s a lot different now. I wouldn’t be surprised if it did fuck with my taste too.
