DEAR DR. GOTT: I have a friend who has MS. She has a new problem that the many tests she has taken have shed no light on for the cause or remedy. Everything she eats tastes salty, and she has a salty taste in her mouth all the time. Needless to say, this has affected her appetite and is causing her much anxiety. She only takes medication for high blood pressure, as well as a monthly vitamin B12 shot and a recently added weekly vitamin D shot. Do you have any idea what would cause the new symptom? What can she do to get rid of it?
DEAR READER: Multiple sclerosis is generally considered to be an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system. From your brief note, it is my guess that your friend has had the condition for some time. Therefore, I must interpret her symptoms are related to one of the following: dehydration with inadequate daily fluid intake; antithyroid medications; neurological disorders; or sinusitis and postnasal drip. Saving the most likely cause for last, I feel she is, in a sense of the word, “overdosing” on B12, because many supplements contain a recommended daily value of 200 percent.
