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Some coronavirus patients haven't gotten their senses of smell or taste back yet

wsj.com

131–140 of 191 posts

Re: Some coronavirus patients haven't gotten their senses of smell or taste back yet

#131
Hi there, dutch male, just under 60, overall good health, healthy way of living. Halfway march I noticed light Covid related stuff like higher temp (for just 1 day), headache (longer period, not every day), no energy (6 weeks) and then a loss of taste and smell (not very suddenly as I recall). After 7 to 8 weeks taste came back lightly (like smelling toiletcleaner and strong things) and now after a recovery to +- 25% of smell and taste, it is again getting less (10%). And all the time a totally free breathing through the nose. I can taste salt and sweet but for Instance no garlic. And one other noticable thing, both sides under the back of my tongue feel like they are a bit irritated, lightly swollen salivary glands (for what it is worth).

Re: Some coronavirus patients haven't gotten their senses of smell or taste back yet

#132

I had Covid-19 (confirmed antibodies test, wife had confirmed PCR) in early March. Lost my sense of smell and taste _completely_, almost immediately. I've lost some smell before with bad allergies or a congested nose. This was otherworldly: no smell, at all. Not solvents. Not strong fragrances. Nothing. And this, with a perfectly clear nose. It freaked me out. It lasted for about 2.5 weeks. Around week 3, it started…

For a medical reason not related to Covid in any way, I've lived my entire life not being able to smell anything, whatsoever. I'm getting a surgery in two days that should give me a sense of smell. While I'm over the moon excited to be able to smell... I didn't even think about how it would affect taste...

Re: Some coronavirus patients haven't gotten their senses of smell or taste back yet

#133

I had Covid-19 (confirmed antibodies test, wife had confirmed PCR) in early March. Lost my sense of smell and taste _completely_, almost immediately. I've lost some smell before with bad allergies or a congested nose. This was otherworldly: no smell, at all. Not solvents. Not strong fragrances. Nothing. And this, with a perfectly clear nose. It freaked me out. It lasted for about 2.5 weeks. Around week 3, it started…

For a medical reason not related to Covid in any way, I've lived my entire life not being able to smell anything, whatsoever. I'm getting a surgery in two days that should give me a sense of smell. While I'm over the moon excited to be able to smell... I didn't even think about how it would affect taste...

The La Croix trend will make sense to you once you do.

It won't necessarily appeal to you, however.

Re: Some coronavirus patients haven't gotten their senses of smell or taste back yet

#134

I had Covid-19 (confirmed antibodies test, wife had confirmed PCR) in early March. Lost my sense of smell and taste _completely_, almost immediately. I've lost some smell before with bad allergies or a congested nose. This was otherworldly: no smell, at all. Not solvents. Not strong fragrances. Nothing. And this, with a perfectly clear nose. It freaked me out. It lasted for about 2.5 weeks. Around week 3, it started…

For a medical reason not related to Covid in any way, I've lived my entire life not being able to smell anything, whatsoever. I'm getting a surgery in two days that should give me a sense of smell. While I'm over the moon excited to be able to smell... I didn't even think about how it would affect taste...

There's a lot of great smells out there...and some not so great. Good luck!

Re: Some coronavirus patients haven't gotten their senses of smell or taste back yet

#135

I had Covid-19 (confirmed antibodies test, wife had confirmed PCR) in early March. Lost my sense of smell and taste _completely_, almost immediately. I've lost some smell before with bad allergies or a congested nose. This was otherworldly: no smell, at all. Not solvents. Not strong fragrances. Nothing. And this, with a perfectly clear nose. It freaked me out. It lasted for about 2.5 weeks. Around week 3, it started…

For a medical reason not related to Covid in any way, I've lived my entire life not being able to smell anything, whatsoever. I'm getting a surgery in two days that should give me a sense of smell. While I'm over the moon excited to be able to smell... I didn't even think about how it would affect taste...

What surgery? I know someone with no sense of smell and didnt think there was any hope of fixing it.

Re: Some coronavirus patients haven't gotten their senses of smell or taste back yet

#136

I had Covid-19 (confirmed antibodies test, wife had confirmed PCR) in early March. Lost my sense of smell and taste _completely_, almost immediately. I've lost some smell before with bad allergies or a congested nose. This was otherworldly: no smell, at all. Not solvents. Not strong fragrances. Nothing. And this, with a perfectly clear nose. It freaked me out. It lasted for about 2.5 weeks. Around week 3, it started…

For a medical reason not related to Covid in any way, I've lived my entire life not being able to smell anything, whatsoever. I'm getting a surgery in two days that should give me a sense of smell. While I'm over the moon excited to be able to smell... I didn't even think about how it would affect taste...

My mother has 0% sense of smell. Her cooking skills were... spotty.

Re: Some coronavirus patients haven't gotten their senses of smell or taste back yet

#137
post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I lost most of my sense of smell a few years ago. I've lost much of my ability to differentiate tastes as well. As a former supertaster, lover of bourbon (I used to be able to tell my bourbons apart by smell), serious cook, and total foodie this has been the most depressing experience in my life. Think about the experience that you have when you walk from one room to another, or into a field of flowers. I can't smell…

Err... I'm not trying to sound snarky at all, and as somebody with raging un-curable tinnitus and other severe health ailments, I can definitely relate and feel awful for your loss of smell. But like... are you sure you weren't some sort of super-smeller before hand? I don't appear to have smell issues (I believe) - but I definitely don't experience the subtleties you did, and that's coming from a person who obsesses…

He says in his comment that he was a former supertaster.

Re: Some coronavirus patients haven't gotten their senses of smell or taste back yet

#138

I had Covid-19 (confirmed antibodies test, wife had confirmed PCR) in early March. Lost my sense of smell and taste _completely_, almost immediately. I've lost some smell before with bad allergies or a congested nose. This was otherworldly: no smell, at all. Not solvents. Not strong fragrances. Nothing. And this, with a perfectly clear nose. It freaked me out. It lasted for about 2.5 weeks. Around week 3, it started…

I lost my sense of smell for a couple months for other reasons, and yeah it's awful. Lost a lot of weight because I didn't eat as much, or as often. I've never been a big eater/foodie to begin with but it surprised me how little interest I had in food.

Re: Some coronavirus patients haven't gotten their senses of smell or taste back yet

#139
post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Years ago, I also lost my sense of taste for a few days (toothpaste burned my tongue)... I would also describe it as terrifying and immediately depressing. The next day I had pizza and cake with tons of frosting, but everything tasted like soap. I was really concerned that the damage to my taste was permanent. I was in disbelief for a few days. As I ate my regular meals, I just reminded myself that they were things I…

This is actually a good anecdote, which makes me wonder: Did we evolve our taste mechanism to make meat and everything nourishing to taste good, so we can actively seek and put effort into acquiring next meal that tastes better?

Yes. That is what taste and smell are for. Unfortunately people have figured out how to grow/make/prepare food that tastes good but is not good for us.

Re: Some coronavirus patients haven't gotten their senses of smell or taste back yet

#140

I had Covid-19 (confirmed antibodies test, wife had confirmed PCR) in early March. Lost my sense of smell and taste _completely_, almost immediately. I've lost some smell before with bad allergies or a congested nose. This was otherworldly: no smell, at all. Not solvents. Not strong fragrances. Nothing. And this, with a perfectly clear nose. It freaked me out. It lasted for about 2.5 weeks. Around week 3, it started…

Suspected case here with similar symptoms a few months ago. Eating felt so weird. It's really just sad and bizarre, like your brain is almost reflexively telling you you're eating something inedible because you're not getting the taste and smell feedback of "this is food". I was so relieved when both senses started gradually coming back.
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