lost taste and smell

[Lynneypin]

So I had a cold in November and I haven’t got my sense of taste/smell back. I tested for Covid twice but negative. It’s actually quite depressing. I get absolutely nothing… not even a hint. Has anyone been through this? I ordered a scent training kit but I’m reacting to this - it’s triggering asthma. 😞

[MostlyWhiteRose]

No help I'm afraid but I feel your pain. It's been 5 years for me, and it is depressing. I have memories of smells which is a bit weird. Thought mine was due to nasal polyps but I had those removed in 2022 and sadly, still nothing. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears (although the Tinnitus is a right royal pain in the bum, too!)

[Gareth57 in reply to MostlyWhiteRose]

One of my brothers had something like this, no taste or smell, no other problems, turned out to be blocked sinuses, I don't know the details but once cleared he could taste again.

[Lynneypin in reply to Gareth57]

Thanks. I do use a steroid nasal spray for non allergic rhinitis so maybe it is sinus related, even though I can breathe through my nose. It does take away some pleasure in life! I love my food normally.

[Poobah in reply to MostlyWhiteRose]

Nasal polyps are the most horrid experience. My SOS came back, eventually, and out of the blue, sometime after I had conquered my polyps (with steroid nasal sprays and Montelukast). Prof Claire Hopkins has made a couple of vlogs about the loss of smell from covid and the approach to restoring SOS is applicable for other causes. Her vlogs are on YouTube.

Still have the tinnitus though and that's horrible when I get viruses now (post covid). I get sound distortion and a type of feedback - it does my head in with the sensory overload when out and about, it's exhausting and overwhelming. So far, normal tinnitus has returned after each virus. But covid definitely ramped up the condition.

[MostlyWhiteRose in reply to Poobah]

Oh wow, thank you for the info regarding Prof Hopkins vlogs, I will check those out asap. It really is debilitating and something i don't think you consider if you've never experienced it. Food is tasteless, luckily I have a creative husband who tries to include nice textures in the cooking, I miss the smell of rain, flowers, bread and coffee...I can only hope for the return of my senses!!

[Poobah in reply to MostlyWhiteRose]

Take heart! The body is amazing, but has its own timetable. It's difficult to remember how long it was before my SOS came back, I just remember the complete astonishment when I suddenly started noticing smells again, though it was far from an accurate sense. Over time, the accuracy of smell returned.

[Simi55]

Hi, sorry to hear about your loss of smell etc. As some have mentioned it maybe sinus problems, I thought you might benefit from a podcast Dr. Brian Moseley did in his Just one thing series, on BBC sounds or iPlayer. "Breathe through your nose". It shows how humming for even just a few minutes, helped clear the sinuses. I tried it and does work, worth a look I think. Good luck.

[MostlyWhiteRose in reply to Simi55]

More excellent advice, much appreciated

[Poobah]

I lost my sense of smell (SOS)for some years, thanks to my aspirin sensitivity (nasal polyps being one of the symptoms). I had been on steroid nasal sprays for an equally long time and sometime after my GP added Montelukast to my prescription, my sense of smell just suddenly came back one day. By then I had conquered the nasal polyps and suspect that my sinuses were still healing.

I agree that you should try the Dr Moseley "breath through your nose" video. Our noses are very specifically designed for breathing and it's important to relearn how to do that, if necessary. Taste is intrinsically linked to smell, so concentrate on getting your SOS back. Prof Claire Hopkins, an excellent ENT consultant, has made a couple of vlogs about loss of smell from Covid 19, that may be useful - on YouTube. There's no magic wand, but retraining your nose to do it's job is key.

Most importantly, don't use anything like Sudafed or Otrivine (decongestants) for more than 4 or 5 days, as they can damage the sensitive tissues of the nasal cavity. And it takes an age to restore things.

[MostlyWhiteRose]

Again, excellent advice, such a great community! Good advice re Sudafed, I'd just been giving that a try, in desperation, I'll stop that!