Loss of taste and smell experiences please...

[Badtasteflump]

Hi, I tested positive a couple of weeks ago. My first symptom was total loss of taste and smell, which came on overnight. I am now starting to get a faint smell of any really strong smells (menthol etc) but taste is pretty much limited to recognising anything bitter or sweet. Anybody else who has experienced this - how long did it take for your sense of smell and taste to return?

Mine was around 8-9 weeks before they were both nearer to normal. A friend had Covid in March and still isn't back to smelling/tasting normally.

I had the same. Total inability to smell anything even say white spirit. Faint taste only
For me it took a month for smell to start to come back, and sense of taste to return. They gradually improved further over the next month. The fatigue is still with me though....

About two weeks before my sense of smell returned somewhat. Still not 100%
Totally lost my appetite

Taste - never lost it

Smell - lost it around day 5, it came slowly back after about 3 weeks and it’s normal now (a month later)

Mine came back after about a week.
My work colleague still can smell 5 weeks on

Had COVID March 2020 as lockdown hit and lost smell and taste a week in . My taste has not returned at all other than the sensation of sweet or savoury . My anosmia morphed into Parosmia early August before it was widely reported as a condition and the foul smells were pretty bad but less so now, but I still have no sense of smell other than the faintest whiff.

I’ve done smell training , was prescribed nasal steroids by an ENT in October , nothing so far but I live in hope.

I am on a number of Facebook support groups and there are thousands of people in the same boat.

Hopefully yours will come back much sooner OP.

Didn't really lose taste. But smell was gone for 2 weeks. Only came back today.

Thanks for responses - and sorry to hear some of you have been experiencing this for months :(. Weirdly at the moment I can taste orange - ie oranges, orange juice or orange matchmakers - but nothing else, not even slightly.

I either could taste nothing or it tasted completely of salt. I ended up only being able to eat satsumas/oranges and drink orange juice.

Two months now and I still can’t smell a single thing. It’s getting me down now as it means I can’t taste anything properly either.

My ds had covid about 2 months ago and his sense of smell has not returned.

For those struggling with this problem you may want to try high dose zinc supplement. It helps in some cases, I’ve heard.

I have read many different replies online, so I think it's just a case of 'wait & see'?

A friend of mine lost taste & smell fatter a car accident many years ago. His never came back, (but yours should!!).

If I were you I'd do the 'training' the BBC have shown a few times.

HERE

You can buy a kit or make one yourself & they say the sooner you start, the better.

Good luck!!

I lost mine in September. Still haven’t got it back. I felt really down about it initially, but I’ve got used to it being my new normal now. I use steroid nasal sprays a few times a day. I’ve also heard about taste training, but tbh I’ve not heard any success stories on that front. I don’t think people appreciate how rubbish it makes you feel not being able to taste or smell. I found people were sympathetic at first, but I feel they think I’m making a big drama of it. I just cling to the hope that it’s going to return. Hope yours comes back soon op.

Just thought I would post a bit of an update. Firstly, a week or so ago my sense of smell and taste started to return - probably to about 50% of what it used to be, so I could smell and taste strong flavours/smells but nothing subtle. Then a few days ago I kept thinking I could smell cigarette or pipe smoke, but nobody I my house is a smoker. I kept asking everybody else if they could smell it (they couldn't) and finally the penny dropped when I googled and found it's a common post-Covid symptom. So for days I've been using perfume and various stinky things (olbas oil etc) to disguise the smell. But now today I have had a disgusting rank bitter taste in my mouth which is there constantly and it's worse than the smell was 😟. I'm wondering if the fact that it's changing could be a good sign... But has anybody else experienced similar? I hope those if you who posted on here with the same problem are getting better anyway...

I'm pretty sure I have covid, just waiting for my test results to come back.

I haven't lost my sense of smell or taste, but I keep smelling "off" smells - yesterday I kept getting notes of rotting garbage (like when the bin needs emptying), and vinegar.

Today I keep smelling ripe cheese - like stilton.

Anyone had this?

I've not experienced those smells myself, but I've definitely read about the random rotting veg smell when I've been googling for answers. Anyway I hope you're ok.