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Post illness loss of smell

(17 Posts)
nandad Wed 28-Dec-22 18:15:56

Tessyo, so pleased your sense of smell has returned.
I didn’t want to reply earlier as it would have sounded so negative. Since covid in October 2020 I have lost my sense of smell and taste, but also suffer from parosmia and phantosmia. Parosmia means that although I can’t smell most of the time, every now and again something will trigger a really bad smell. Coffee, wine, peppers, chemical cleaners, artificial flavours all smell disgusting.
Phantosmia means that I smell cigarette smoke or diesel when it’s not present, to the point that it gives me a sore throat and headaches.
The loss of smell is trivialised but the distress it causes shouldn’t be underestimated.

Normandygirl Wed 28-Dec-22 15:01:44

A new study from Stanford has found that people who lose their sense of smell with Covid, develop a much higher immunity to the virus than those who don't. Always a silver lining. smile

DianaLouise Wed 28-Dec-22 14:42:13

I had the cold virus going around certainly not covid and I could not taste a thing

Tessyo Wed 28-Dec-22 14:27:36

Thanks for all the messages - it has returned & I am very grateful! Good luck to all who may still be without x

DianneAngel Wed 28-Dec-22 13:49:19

Sorry, I had covid at Christmas 2019, I still can't smell or taste much. I have a bland diet due to IBS. I hope you recover your sense of smell soon. hugs

Skomer Wed 28-Dec-22 10:34:28

Lost my sense of taste and smell after a bronchial infection, still haven’t got it back. This was 1980.

Lathyrus Wed 28-Dec-22 10:25:02

I had Covid in August. My sense of smell has been haywire ever since. I can smell things that nobody else can - good and bad🤭

josephalex Wed 28-Dec-22 10:03:53

Hi, following the COVID-19 infection, some people have hyposmia (a diminished sense of smell).The good news is that, for the most part, it's just temporary. Thanks

Tessyo Thu 22-Dec-22 19:34:11

Seems like it might be rather luck of the draw and not much I can do. I already miss it incredibly - for e.g. the lovely soft, musky smell of my dog’s fur 😢 And as for the lovely St Eval candles I bought for Christmas time!

MerylStreep Thu 22-Dec-22 19:29:56

I lost taste and smell in December 2019 with a virus that nobody had put a name to 😉
I haven’t got them back, yet but I’m on a course of Acupuncture.
Having some very informative conversations with the Chinese Dr.

Cold Thu 22-Dec-22 19:19:28

When I had Covid in February I lost my sense of smell and taste for around 6 weeks

Esmay Thu 22-Dec-22 19:15:07

I went through loss of taste , but not smell .

But the sense of taste came back .
Don't despair .

Whitewavemark2 Thu 22-Dec-22 18:08:02

Yes I also lost my sense of smell and taste (although not completely).

It came back.

Pudding123 Thu 22-Dec-22 17:27:53

I lost my a mar of taste and smell after asymptomatic
covid March 20 ,I looked at everything on the internet for many months and did smell train ( sniffing various scents numerous times a day)I have regained my sense of smell but sadly not my full sense of taste .
I think most people have recovered but if not
Abscent which you can look.at on line maybe of help to you.

Tessyo Thu 22-Dec-22 13:32:31

That sounds more hopeful than my Google research at least! Thanks for letting me know & I wish you a full recovery of senses very soon

Gardenersdelight Thu 22-Dec-22 13:05:33

I've recently had covid and have still not fully got my sense of smell and taste back over two weeks on but is slowly getting better

Tessyo Thu 22-Dec-22 12:38:30

I’ve had a cold/flu/possibly COVID type illness for the past week and am thankfully in recovery stage now…. but I realised today that I’ve completely lost my sense of smell 😱 Not uncommon post virus I know, but it seems it can take ages for it to return! Has anybody on GN had a similar experience & can you give me some hope please? I feel very discombobulated without it