Loss of taste/smell

[Usgang]

Hi all, hope we all are OK today, my question is since coming out of hospital a couple of months ago and since been diagnosed with bronchiectasis I've noticed a lack of taste and smell, some days I can't taste anything, my Respritary nurse said she can give me a tablet to get my taste back?? Just wondered if anyone else suffers from this please x

[MoyB]

I also have bronchiectasis, plus asthma and COPD and I go through phases of not being able to taste. My preferences have changed along with my taste and I go for things that are salty or sweet. Bland food just tastes of nothing any more. Sometimes, I taste things and am reminded of what food should be like. Mainly, I eat because it's routine and not because I'm enjoying my food. Food used to be a great pleasure but is now just another chore. The bonus is that I completely went off everything last year and lost a stone which has helped my breathing! Lol!

When I put a similar post on here, people came up with a multitude of helpful suggestions and I'm sure they will rally again for you. xx Moy

[kernowdame]

I was without a sense of smell or taste for some months. A Dr put me on carbocisteine, 6 a day to start dropping to 4. It puts matters right for me. No side effects at all.

[Titian8]

I've also experienced variations in sense of taste and smell and also have Bronchiectasis. Could taste food fine but, peculiarly, sweet things tasted 100 times sweeter and for a while couldn't take anything which included any sugar at all, And I love Dairy Milk chocolate !!! A respiratory consultant advised some drugs can have this effect but I wasn't taking any ??

Sense of smell not good either and I read somewhere it could mean lack of zinc but can't say if that's true or not.

[Leesea]

I was diagnosed with asthma last year having been ill for months with a cough and chest infections.

2 chest X-rays, both clear.

Spirometer rest apparently said asthma and I take Fostair twice daily.

I suffer from constant irritated sinus’s streaming and sneezing, something will just get me. Have to constantly blow my nose!!

I too cannot smell a thing and can’t taste much either.

My sense of smell seems to have just gone.

I’m reluctant to take more drugs though.

I can sympathise too about the lack of taste!

I have not lost weight as I still like eating!!! Very occasionally I smell something, rare though.

[Usgang]

Thanks all for your replies greatly appreciated, have got an appointment with my Resp nurse tomorrow afternoon so will bring this up with her, thanks again, have a great day xx

[Knicho in reply to Usgang]

I had the same problem very rarely smelt anything and my taste was gone too but then I finally got clear of an infection I must have had for some time and it returned! I’m on mucus thinning drugs and long term antibiotics so whether one of those helped sort it out I don’t know x

[agammyt]

I think the mucus thinning drugs will help - as suggested by kernowdame I take Carbocisteine (Two caps three times a day) and, fingers crossed, I don't have taste or sense of smell problems. I have emphysema and bronchiectasis and believe the mucus thinning drug does help.