Loss of taste and smell after a bottle of beer

[John1904]

hi.all.

first time writing any post about anything ever but this is really affecting my quality of life.every time I drink even a small amount of Alcohol I loose my sense of smell and taste for a couple of days .my senses return after a couple of days but this has been going on for 2 years now.I had surgery 18 months ago to correct a deviated septum and the problem has steadily gotten worse.does anyone else have this problem and can you please give me some advise on how to get this sorted.I have had a MRI scan and my ent doctor prescribed 3 months nasal spray (dimysta) didn't work..please help...thanks

[daviddivad]

John I lost my taste/smell few years ago reason unknown I just do daily nasal rinse which keeps my nasal passages clear according to QE hospital in Birmingham cause is polyps blocking my olfactory nerve from working but they won't operate to remove them​.What can I do ? David

[samya]

I suffered terrible sinus pains, hay fever and blocked up nose for years but when I gave up alcohol all together, I could breathe better and the sinus pains went. I think the alcohol made it worse for blocked up nose because it inflamed the nasal passages.

[sandybrown in reply to samya]

I found that beer helps me after a bad hey fever day. The first mouth I take I let the grs come through the nose. The same for specie food, mustard in food.

Try cooking fruits and veg for a while and see if this helps. This is because the protein in fresh fruits and veg react.

[samya]

I would like to mention that I also find that pure oregano oil (three drops) in an empty jam jar with 1 1/2 inch boiled water helps to unblock the nasal passage too. Beware though, that it will make you cough and sneeze to start with but will also make you loosen and blow out the catarrh.

[Mini2212]

Hi John, I just seen your post and wondered if you ever resolved the taste issue. I too have polyps and loose my taste maybe 75% of the time . It's so frustrating as we done out with friends and my taste can turn off suddenly.

Did you ever get to the bottom of this subject.

Thanks Colin

[CARLA1965]

ONLY JUST SEEN YOUR POST JOHN.......I HAVE EXACTLY THE SAME AS U.........DID YOU EVER GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS...........ITS REALLY ANNOYING.........MARK A

[Blubberbrix]

Back in November 2019 I had just returned from a trip to Southeast Asia and a few days later I got what felt like a cold coming on (dry itching in the back of throat), I took a bunch of cold medication like I always do to head off the illness but the throat problem didn’t go away. One night I made myself a hot toddy (hot scotch cocktail with lemon juice) and all of a sudden my sense of taste and smell completely went away the next morning. My sense of taste and smell has been spotty ever since. I went to an ENT doctor and found I had a bad sinus infection. Went through months of antibiotics, steroids, and then finally a procedure to clear the sinuses and remove polyps. It helped for a while but after having healed from the surgery I still suffer from loss of smell and taste. From what I’ve researched it’s related to allergies and alcohol just worsens the sinus problems because it dries them out. I would love to be rid of this problem too because I like to mix cocktails as a hobby. I have a lot of good stuff just sitting around not being enjoyed

[Brodeeb]

Hi john, I had surgery did polyps 5 years ago and now I’m back on the train if not being able to taste and smell. Drinking alcohol makes it worse. But some days I can taste just fine and others it’s like NOPE. I’m bummed if I have to have surgery this soon but I can’t live like this- as I imagine you all feel the same way. I’m on the west coast and currently surrounded in smoke from fires, which isn’t helping. Hang in there everyone!

[Baidu13]

This may be due to Sleep Apnea, if you have.. CPAP can give u releif

[stoysville]

Hi John, is this still affecting you? I have exactly the same problem - every time I drink alcohol I lose my sense of smell and taste until the following day. But I've solved it.

Cheers,

David.

[Hemmo123 in reply to stoysville]

Hi David

I have this - the same.

You say you’ve solved it?! What is it?

Thanks

M

[November1899 in reply to stoysville]

hi I have the exact same thing how did you solve it? It’s ruining my weekends

[bluebeard28 in reply to November1899]

has anyone managed to get anywhere with this? I'm still at a loss as to how to solve this issue. It's annoying me.

[bluebeard28 in reply to stoysville]

Hi David,

How did you solve it? I'd love to know.

Thanks,

Adam

[Xtro69]

Hi All

I have the exact same issues as above - I had surgery on a deviated septum several years ago, and ever since I have had severe bouts of loss of smell & taste. My doctor also prescribed Dymista (as someone above had) that did nothing. I finally got a private consultation through a work scheme, and the new doctor prescribed me with Flixonase drops. This was the game changer. I had full sense of smell & taste for the first time in years after 4-5 days on these drops! I now have a course of the drops once a year, and take the Flixonase spray daily. The only time I get a relapse is after too much alcohol. Hope this helps others. Flixonase!

[Blubberbrix]

Hey Everyone!

This is Blubberbrix, the guy who got the bad sinus infection in China back in 2020 (aka patient 0... just kidding). I have found an excellent solution to my problem of lost sense of smell and taste that may work for some of you.

After a few years of struggling with this and trying all sorts of allergy medications, sinus sprays, and having my sinuses drained and polyps removed constantly from my doctor, I was told to get a "sinus implant". After getting my sinuses drained and some more polyps removed and given some steroidal medications in preparation I was given the implant (Sinuva was the brand they used).

It's been 3 months since I've had it implanted and I have not had any major issues with taste or smell besides some conjunctivitis I got from my kid, and it only lasted a couple weeks. So, If you have had sinus surgery of any kind you can qualify for this implant (Sinuva requires this). The implant will fall out after 3 months or so, or you can have it removed from your doctor. The implant is designed to release a small amount of steroid to open the sinus and slowly reduce the size of your polyps over time which is triggered anytime your sinuses contract significantly.

The only side effect that I have noticed is a slight smell or taste in the back of my palate that is probably the steroid working its magic but it does not affect my enjoyment of food or drink (yes i can drink alcohol just fine now without loss of smell or taste). Some info I have read online says that getting this implant surgery does make you more susceptible to getting bronchitis which might explain why i got some bad conjunctivitis as I stated previously.

I still rinse my sinuses with NeilMed every once in a while when I have cold or runny nose, but it's only to relieve myself of the annoyance of a stuffy nose and not because I cannot smell.

sinuva.com/nasal-polyps-tre...