Sense of smell.: Are there many others... - Pernicious Anaemi...

Pernicious Anaemia Society

32,672 members24,066 posts

Sense of smell.

Plucky1976 profile image
6 Replies

Are there many others that have lost their sense of smell? I have never been so excited to cry over cutting an onion today!

Written by
Plucky1976 profile image
Plucky1976
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
6 Replies
BlueBoyMico profile image
BlueBoyMico

Oh dear, has no one told you cutting onions makes everyone cry lol

Well done on your progress!!!!!

I suspect you had a nice meal last night?

Gambit62 profile image
Gambit62Administrator

loss of smell is associated with B12 deficiency - as can be a distorted sense of smell.

Martin_12 profile image
Martin_12 in reply toGambit62

I lost my sense of smell. I realized it was gone when I was tidying the garage and couldn't tell the difference between acetone and petrol. When I put my nose right into one of the containers all I got was pain. The medical literature I found suggested it put me at greatly increased risk of Alzheimer's and early death! My sense of smell returned with a couple of weeks of starting hydroxocobalamin injections, and is now better than ever. I can detect a dirty nappy on my grandson at 50 paces!

Plucky1976 profile image
Plucky1976 in reply toMartin_12

I'm glad yours has returned as well!!

Some years ago a friend lost his smell following a load of soap powder falling off a lorry onto him - it was his lorry. He was in a coma for a couple of weeks and when he recovered the only permanent damage was this loss of smell.

He eventually returned to lorry driving until a couple of years later when he was stopped by the company as he had burned the clutch out on several as he couldn't smell the burning.

We met up with him and his wife in southern Bavaria where we stayed in a German guest house on a working farm. They keep the cows in the barn and mow the grass to take into them - it keeps the grass clean of droppings - and there are machines for clearing up the cows exhaust. He got me to join him on his daily visit to the barn where there was a rather sweet young calf. We went in the normal sized door and as I followed the stench of fresh cow droppings and pee hit me, my lungs rolled up and would have nothing to do with it, my nose clamped shut and it felt as if my eyes were being etched. It was awesome. Harry, my friend, turned to me with a wide grin on his face and said 'I told you, lovely and clean, I really enjoy coming in to visit the cows.' I was just about able to get into the open air, not fresh because the ambience was still noisome. He laughed his head of when I said, 'It's mind blowing you silly old b----r, you can't smell just how bad it is!!!' Obviously he couldn't smell anything if he could tolerate that.

I have always had an excellent sense of smell and I inherited it from my mother. My father had a poor sense of smell. They went on holiday to a flat which was supposed to be pet free and when mother walked in she immediately announced, with disdain, there had been a dog in it. I was told she went on about this dog until 3 days into the holiday when she held up in triumph a single dog hair. 'I told you there had been a dog in here,' she declared and my dear dad replied, 'Hilda, I never knew anything smelled until I met you.'

So, chop your onions with pleasure Plucky11966 but keep clear of German cow sheds and get yourself and automatic car, like my friend did.

Plucky1976 profile image
Plucky1976

Lol!!!😊 Thanks kcbrecks! I needed that and I will definitely keep chopping the onions.

Not what you're looking for?

You may also like...

making sense of blood results..

I got my last three years of bloods from the nurse today when I went for my b12...
patmackfin profile image

Sense of touch seems off

Hello everyone, I usually do not post on these kinds of forums so this is relatively new to me. I...
Hipster123 profile image

Make sense of my results

Hi My levels seem to be in range but I still having symptoms of tingling / pins and needles in my...
Lyndsay80 profile image

Anyone lost their sense of touch?

I know 'altered sense of touch' is one of the symptoms of B12 deficiency, but can't find any posts...
morebeans profile image

What’s the economic sense?

I am not writing this as a moan I promise. I genuinely don’t understand and would love someone to...

Moderation team

See all
Gambit62 profile image
Gambit62Administrator
Foggyme profile image
FoggymeAdministrator
taka profile image
takaAdministrator

Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.

Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.