Please tell me some positive stories of your taste and smell returning.

[MovingForwardish]

I'm finding this aspect of the infection really, really hard.
I know in the grand scheme of things I'm lucky in that I have only a mild case of covid and it could be so much worse.

But, the lack of taste and smell is making me feel SO anxious. I'm so worried it won't come back at all! Worried I won't be able to smell a gas leak, spoiled food etc. Aside from the fact it just takes all the joy away from eating. A life without smell or taste just seems intolerable.

I'm scared. Please tell me some positive stories of your sense of taste and smell coming back after covid.

Oh jeez, no one else??

took about 6 weeks for me, only lost smell.

I wish I could be comforting but I tested positive just before Christmas and my sense of smell is still pretty much non-existent. Taste is coming back steadily but I do miss smell.

The only plus side is no longer being able to smell when the cats' litter tray needs seeing to so DH always has to do it 😂

Thanks for replying. I was hoping for a couple of weeks or 3...
Did you find it really anxiety inducing? I'm not sure if its that that's making me anxious, or the isolation with a young child on my own...

It was horrible, but only lasted a couple of weeks. It came back slowly, and smell took longer. A few things tasted odd for several months but it’s all fine now. I remember the delight of being able to enjoy food again. This was this time last year before taste and smell loss were named as symptoms. In fact, I convinced myself it couldn’t be COVID because, as I said to DP, if it was I would still be able to taste things.

It did make me a little anxious when they came out and said it was a symptom because at that point I still couldn’t smell or taste anything and I had no idea if it would ever come back. The whole disease was so weird and unsettling - like a really wonky version of flu, so I was quite stressed about it at the time.

9 months later. Smell is variable - one day it’s ok the next it isn’t

Taste is pretty much ok except for one minor problem.....

I’m a good cook - I cook everything from scratch

And

I can no longer stand the smell of raw onions and garlic. Especially when being cooked.

Following as I lost my taste buds 3 weeks ago which was 10 days after my positive test.

Thanks everyone. I've read the average lost time is 21 days, so hopefully roses2 yours will be back soon.
@TransplantedScouser do you mean you lost your taste and smell for 9 months?? Oh my goodness I just don't know how I'd cope with that!

I had covid in May - taste and smell were gone for at least four weeks

Taste came back but smell is sometimes there and sometimes not.

It’s the onion garlic thing that bothers me the most

Oh 4 weeks isn't so bad, I can do that I think... I thought you meant you'd lost them both for 9 months!
On the plus side, I'm losing weight and haven't smoked for days as it just isn't the same... I needed to give up so I think this might be a blessing in disguise!

Took nearly 2 weeks for anything to return then weeks for some aspects of taste, alas 11 months on I have changed taste buds, some veggies now taste chemically and chilli can't be hot enough!

Oh and avoid pizza, turns out without taste it's revolting, like cardboard. Creamy things were more successful and sweet came back first

I can tell if something is spicy, salty or sweet so I guess that's a good sign its partially there?
Its just the actual flavour I can't detect.

@MovingForwardish

I can tell if something is spicy, salty or sweet so I guess that's a good sign its partially there? Its just the actual flavour I can't detect.

That is a good sign. Your taste buds are still working then but at a very reduced level. I think that's a good sign that they should return in time.

Having Covid is an extremely worrying time. I was ill for 3 weeks and highly stressed throughout as no one knows what is going to happen or how bad it is actually going to get. Try to remember for most people it doesn't become too severe and they fully recover in time.

I've had this condition for 7+ years so an old hand at it now. Sense of 'taste' is the sweet, salty, sour etc but the 'flavour' comes from the point you put the food in your mouth, from the smell of it. Thai food can be quite satisfying but I agree it does make life joyless. Although I am very sorry that Covid suffers are experiencing this it has given much needed publicity and research into the condition in general. For anyone who can't quite imagine the condition just hold your nose and eat something at the same time.

Hope it all returns for you very soon.

Mine came back after about 2-3 weeks (last March/April so can’t quite remember exact timing)
Hubby in other hand still hasn’t got his back and it’s almost been a year. In fairness some distorted taste and smell has started coming back over last couple of months but nowhere near normal.
He finds it all a bit boring but is coping well with it!

Just to add that I don’t know anyone else who has not had their taste and smell fully return! So my husband is in the more rare camp!

Oh goodness @TheDogsMother that sounds really, really tough. Do you know what triggered your condition? I'm thinking that perhaps I do technically have a sense of taste as I can detect salty, sweet etc, I just can't detect the flavour. Perhaps its my sense of smell in the main that's gone?

Gosh, your poor DH @findingschools4myboys! A year?? I'm so impressed he's coping well - is he looking at any treatment?

My son lost his for about 2 weeks, mine took nearly two months to start returning. It’s really affected my appetite, I don’t like loads of foods now, I live off buttered toast mainly and digestive biscuits as they are the only normal tasting things. On the plus side I have kicked my Coca Cola addiction. Don’t enjoy it at all.

To he honest I'm just desperate to taste ANYTHING.
I'm hoping as I seem to have a very mild case of covid it shouldn't be too long lasting. Not sure if that's how it works though 🤔

In the nicest possible way OP I think you should focus on calming your anxiety- you've mentioned it in every post. I know how weird losing your taste and smell is- mine were gone for two weeks and some things still taste a bit strange five months later. The likelihood is yours will return soon so just ride it out until then. I know it's crap!

I know, you're absolutely right - I am ridiculously anxious at the moment. I'm really trying to keep it together.
My friends and family are no doubt fed up of me stressing about it. Just finding it hard as I'm on my own with a young DS, your mind tends to run away with up when there's no one then to give you a slap of perspective.

But point taken, thank you x

I know mine has returned but frankly for someone who cooks for pleasure - finding onions and garlic revolting as a smell is very limiting

Mine is back almost to normal after six months, but there are still things I can’t eat as they taste completely disgusting - onion, anything with lots of soy sauce or garlic, certain crisps, various other things. My sense of smell and taste changed hugely since Covid, but I’m just pleased that I can eat most things now.

I can imagine! Onion and garlic form the base of a lot of dishes!
I hope it improves for you over time