Diagnostic dilemma: After taking a medicine for years, a man suddenly had weird changes in his taste that made food disgusting

The patient: A 61-year-old man in Japan

The symptoms: The man visited a hospital because two months earlier, some foods and beverages began to taste extremely unpleasant to him. Over time, more foods had become difficult for him to stomach. Sour and salty flavors were the first to trigger disgust. Oily foods were next, followed by fresh vegetables, cold water and juice, warm water and, finally, sweets.

The man ate less due to the taste aversions, and he unintentionally lost a few pounds. He told doctors at the hospital that he felt lethargic, they wrote in a report of the case.

What happened next: The patient, who was a physician himself, reported that eight years ago, he had been diagnosed with bi...