Hi fellow BA’s. Just wondering if anyone has ever had a bitterness to all beer after surgery? I last had a beer a little over two weeks ago on Aug 14th and two days later I had my tonsils surgically removed. I asked the doctors office a week later when I would be able to have a couple beers a night again as beer has become a hobby of mine and my beer fridge was half filled with my favorite style, Oktoberfest. I was told for sure after pain meds and it would be best to wait a few weeks after. So no more pain meds, I am back to work, food and other drinks are tasting the same etc. I figured tonight would be a great time to have a couple but literally everything had a much more profound bitterness to it. Started with a light lager and it seemed bitter and skunked. Moved on to a Jai Alai IPA and that was horribly bitter. I ate a few crackers and tried a Pilsner, Wit, AAL and an Oktoberfest. All much more bitter than before. Is this normal?
No beers for a few weeks can really reset your palate all together. Within a couple more weeks of readjusting your tastebuds back to beer you should be a-ok!
Totally agree. There is absolutely no way that your taste buds were affected in having your tonsils removed. Be patient.
No way to know if it was a palette reset from abstaining, pain/antibiotic medication, anesthesia, or the surgery itself. Maybe all of the above. You can probably get used to it again, either dive into the deep end with some 150IBU monsters, or ease back into it with oktoberfests or other low-IBU beers.
Consider yourself blessed - you get to experience the IPA with eyes wide open, just like the first time!
Yes. I would agree with @mambossa that you had a palate reset and that things are slowly getting back to normal. People who intentionally don't drink beer for a period of time (a month every year type thing) report similar experiences. I had surgery on my nose in April to fix an old football injury and I had a similar experience -- I had a NEIPA that was brewed to not come off as bitter, but to be juice, and I puckered a little at the perceived bitterness. It goes away. I'm well back to my "I wish this NEIPA had a little more bitterness to it" complaining.
Thanks for the advice everybody! Over the last couple of days of AALs I had an Oktoberfest and Pilsner last night and they were tasting much nicer than before. Still not fully there yet from before the surgery but definitely a step in the right direction. I think I am just going to hold off on IPAs for now.
Probably a reset from taking time off but there also is the possibility that your taste is off because you had something removed. I would give it a month, my guess is by then you will be back to normal. Cheers and happy drinking again!!
I've had 3 surgeries in the last 4 years and each time it has affected my taste for beer. It took about 3 months before my beer palate completely returned to normal. Don't know if it's the anesthesia or what but something definitely affected my taste buds.
