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Covid

Anyone stil waiting for smell to properly come back??

51 replies

Chocqueen99 · 30/04/2020 21:33

5 weeks since i lost my smell completely it came back slightly after about 2-3 weeks could just smell vinegar & perfume!

Ive no idea if it was corona but started at the same time a hell of a lot of people lost their sense of smell aswell a lot related to corona.

So now can only smell anything if its right up at my nose & still cant smell smoke or bleach when cleaning, & i know a lot of people have theres back i just seem to be stuck here for weeks barley being able smell or taste owt
Wondered if anyone elses was taking this bloody long.

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UntamedShrew · 30/04/2020 21:54

So glad you posted this! I’m the same, no sense of smell really since 26th March.

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Chocqueen99 · 30/04/2020 22:05

Thats exactly when mine started its bizarre isnt it! Its just everyone elses seemed to have come back within 2 or 3 week lol & im stil here doing sniff tests everyday

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BillyAndTheSillies · 30/04/2020 22:20

Snap, sense of smell first disappeared March 18th and still not properly back.

Stood and cooked bacon yesterday and didn't smell it. DH is also convinced that I keep passing DS2 to him for a cuddle just as he poohs on purpose but the reality is, I can't smell when he has done one.

If I concentrate I can smell things, so purposely opening a bottle of shampoo to sniff it, yes. But no "ambient" smells.

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Chocqueen99 · 30/04/2020 22:25

Same here @BillyAndTheSillies i cannot smell my babys nappys at all hes 11 weeks on saturday so its not to strong anyway lol

No nothing unless its right under my nose. Luckily it says in nhs website if u lose it it can take weeks or months! So it still might go back to normal

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WomanIsTaken · 30/04/2020 22:27

I had a shocking bout of sinusitis (which I moaned about on here) which started on Valentine's Day, and completely took out my sense of smell and taste. And, I'm sorry to say, it's still not back properly, 10 weeks later. But it was the mother of colds! I hope yours comes back soon!

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DragonMamma · 30/04/2020 23:51

I’m 5 weeks from when it started. My taste has come back somewhat (around 75%) but my sense of smell is really poor still. I can smell really strong things but apart from that, nothing.

Praying it comes back Confused

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augustusglupe · 01/05/2020 00:46

So glad you’ve posted this!! Starting to think we were the only ones with it for so long. My taste & smell disappeared on March 20th, DH’s went a week later. Has come back a little bit for both of us, but not fully yet.
We were both very ill with Sinusitis a few weeks ago, prior to that had just felt rough, sore throat, slight cough but nothing much, since Mid March.

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Inkpaperstars · 01/05/2020 03:44

I'm in a similar position, maybe not quite as long as you but nearly, it is coming back and it is better but nowhere near normal. Like you I don't know if it was covid related but it was not like anything I have ever had because for almost two weeks it was complete loss, just nothing. Really strongly scented toiletries, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, burnt toast, dishwasher tablets...whatever, it was all completely void of smell not matter how hard I sniffed. Also there was an odd 'stripped' feeling inside my nose , quite high up, so that breathing in almost stung a bit sometimes...anyone else have that?

Before now, I have only lost smell when I have had a cold with very bad congestion, and then it is just a case of severely compromised rather than total, and only for the worst day or so of congestion. It clearly gets worse and then better as the congestion eases. This was not like that.

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Inkpaperstars · 01/05/2020 03:45

I had no preceding sinusitis btw.

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Chocqueen99 · 01/05/2020 09:57

Nope your not the only ones i thought i was do we think it will return to normal? My smell is probably about 10 % honestly i have to have the item under my nose to smell it.
Womdered if mine was sinusitis or hayfever but ove never suffered with any of those things. I think i know what you mean about the stripped sensation i could sort of smell the chemicals when i tried ro smell perfume when it was totally gone...

My taste is ever so slightly better than my smell but not much.

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SAS95 · 03/05/2020 01:52

I had very mild symptoms the 1st week of April and tested positive for Covid 19 the 2nd week of April ironically after my symptoms had gone. And am now exactly 21 days with no sense of smell/ taste which is now making me quite miserable. I cannot smell or taste anything including raw garlic, onion and lime but can tell when things are sweet, savoury, salty, bitter etc. It’s really bizarre !!

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Inkpaperstars · 03/05/2020 02:31

Yes, my taste was not impacted in the same way as smell but it hasn't been right. It was actually the first thing that I noticed, I was eating some cheese which just seemed like chewing rubber. Some foods I usaully eat a lot I just can't face at the moment. I can't believe I have had Covid though, I do wonder but DP didn't get it which seems very odd. He is convinced he wouldn't be asymptomatic, but maybe if people just have be mild symptoms they are not as infectious.

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IamEarthymama · 03/05/2020 03:09

I will join in!

I would tell you when I first had coronavirus/virus symptoms (not been tested) but it's the middle of the night and I can't remember. Anyway it was in the first weeks of lockdown. I didn't have a constant cough but had bouts of unstoppable coughing that made me choke and vomit. All the stomach problems, aching joints that exacerbated my arthritis, the raging temperature, oh, it was all such fun.
I have been left with awful breathlessness, I am on my second course of steroids.

To turn to sense of smell I have chronic sinusitis so often suffer dreadfully from a poor sense of smell. I live with it so don't take much notice.
Third week of being ill, DW says whilst in the kitchen, what's that smell? Finding out is usually my job as it doesn't affect me as badly.
I sorted through the fridge, the vegetable boxes, the oven, dishwasher, washing machine the drains, nothing but even I was getting a slight whiff of something vile while DW was near fainting. We have been trying to up all the fresh food so could not work it out.

Our Tupperware is stored in baskets on open shelves under the vegetable storage boxes. I decided to (unsuccessfully) pair up lids and containers. I found the most vile, reeking, rotting sludge in a plastic wrapper!

It was the evil remains of a spring cabbage that had slipped down out of sight...Dear Goddess, it would have awakened the dead...or so DW tells me! I found it mildly unpleasant but she was nearly sick. Thank heavens she lives here or the neighbours have been round looking for the dungpile! I have bought some KeepFresh bags to prevent a reoccurrence 😷🤧😱

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Chocqueen99 · 03/05/2020 21:21

Yes you think it will return to normal? @Inkpaperstars
Mine started first week of lock down aswell, has anyone rang doctors? Is there any point?
I was wrong about my taste being better i cant actually taste anything i think ive just got used to it, i can taste salty or sweet but no flavour. I think ive jusy gotten used to it. Had enough now

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Inkpaperstars · 04/05/2020 09:26

Choc it was more a general yes than specifically about it coming back.

But yes I think it will, if I had to make a layperson's guess. We have seen many cases where it has recovered, and I haven't yet heard of anyone where it is confirmed not to be expected to return. I haven't really looked for such cases admittedly.

I don't think they entirely know what is causing it in all cases, so it's hard to say but I expect you will follow the path that many others have of gradual return.

I don't really think the GP would do anything other than say wait, but I could be wrong and I think no harm calling to discuss it if you aren't seeing any improvement. Probably a good idea to call if there is still no change. Sorry it is dragging on for you.

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Chocqueen99 · 05/05/2020 22:32

@WomanIsTaken do you have any improvement? & are you thinking it will come back?

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Chocqueen99 · 05/05/2020 22:39

Yes i may ring them @Inkpaperstars see if they have any advice, more or less 6 weeks now n its not much better.

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thewheelsonthebus23 · 05/05/2020 22:50

My nurse friend lost her sense of smell and then tested positive for CV. That was her only symptom.

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WomanIsTaken · 05/05/2020 23:16

It's been a glacially slow improvement, but only partial. I burned a the bottom of a stew casserole the other night, couldn't smell it for the life of me, nor the freshly baked loaf of bread this morning (breadmaker over night) so was convinced breadmaker had failed. The tastes and smells I think I can percieve all feel somewhat muffled.

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Nearlyoldenoughtowearpurple · 05/05/2020 23:20

Yes same
Probably 6 weeks on now, it’s better as in about 75% taste and 50% smell.
Really notice it when I put zoflora in the sink 🤣 and was very sad when I used my lovely expensive lavender bubble bath last night and could barely notice it 😢

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Inkpaperstars · 05/05/2020 23:31

I've been deliberately using up shower gel I don't like the smell of.

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Chocqueen99 · 05/05/2020 23:38

@WomanIsTaken i cant smell any foods cooking either its mainly perfumed & scented things i can smell, but strangely thing like bleach i cant smell & @Nearly i sniff the zolflora everyday and its stil onky faint!

Things have to be really under my nose.
And i can sort of taste fruit and chocolate but never my meals that i really wnat to taste! I really hope this is not how it will be forever lol although i cant smell any bad smells at all which is nice.

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HeadacheAgainToday · 05/05/2020 23:39

Wow! I came on here to post almost exactly the same question!!!

My sense of smell went, along with taste, about 6 weeks ago. Taste almost back, but smell only back to about 50% if that. I used to have a v good sense of smell so I hope it returns at some point ....

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DPotter · 05/05/2020 23:45

Both smell and taster went completely day after lockdown started - both are coming back but slowly. So like others about 6 weeks

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Chocqueen99 · 05/05/2020 23:52

God how bizarre that it started for us more or less same time!
Yeah i had a really gopd sense of smell aswell, i miss it almost more than the taste, maybe my taste is better than i think! I just think sometimes im imagining that i can taste an thinking its the memory of the taste maybe oh i dunno..

Yeah my ex said i was like a sniffer dog Grin

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