How long for taste and smell to come back?

[BitchIAmFromChicago]

I’m 5 days since a positive test and I can taste absolutely nothing, not a thing!

I absolutely love food and finding this the most depressing part of having Covid.

If anyone’s had it, how long did taste and smell take to come back? We go on a UK break in a couple of weeks and the thought of not being able to savour a glass of wine or enjoying a meal out is making me want to cancel it! 😭

It came back after a week for me and DP. It came back as quick as it went. Fingers crossed it is back for you soon

Mine came back after a couple of days was very relieved.

Get well soon.

Ahh you’re giving me hope. I’d read 4-6 weeks online which sent me into a panic 😂.

I was ill last May - lost sensen of taste and smell for weeks. Taste came back after a month or two

Smell can be variable

But and it’s a big but

It hasn’t come back the same- garlic and onion mow smell and taste like rancid ammonia. This is a major problem because I can now detect it in things you wouldn’t think of- prawn cocktail crisps as an example

I’m a keen cook and big foodie but the number of things I can’t eat or smell now is scary

I had a melt down two weeks ago when I could not even eat my favourite Japanese dumplings because of the onion taste

I'm 14 months post covid and still waiting for smell to return

@BitchIAmFromChicago

Ahh you’re giving me hope. I’d read 4-6 weeks online which sent me into a panic 😂.

It is so weird isn't it? I was absolutely ravenous when I had covid too. Everything was like eating cardboard but I still couldn't stop shovelling it in ha. Get well soon

@OliveTree75 that’s what I’m struggling with. I’m starving but just finding eating so pointless! I’m living off smoothies and crumpets!

@NavalGazer how odd! My mum thinks she had Covid during the first wave but wasn’t tested. She has said the same about onions and struggles with them now.

@NavalGazer

I was ill last May - lost sensen of taste and smell for weeks. Taste came back after a month or two

Smell can be variable

But and it’s a big but

It hasn’t come back the same- garlic and onion mow smell and taste like rancid ammonia. This is a major problem because I can now detect it in things you wouldn’t think of- prawn cocktail crisps as an example

I’m a keen cook and big foodie but the number of things I can’t eat or smell now is scary

I had a melt down two weeks ago when I could not even eat my favourite Japanese dumplings because of the onion taste

Omg this, I was about 8 weeks pregnant when I had covid and couldn’t work out if it was morning sickness or change in taste/smell. Can sadly confirm 6 months on that onions/garlic and various other random foods (including eggs and chicken) are still off the list. I’d say though that mine came back fully about 10 days/2 weeks after losing it? All the best OP, hope it comes back soon!

The thought of eating chicken is making me feel a bit vommy. I think it’ll be a while before I have meat again.

I’m going for a 30 course Michelin tasting menu at ynyshir that’s costs 300 quid a head in three weeks time - was booked before covid

DH is a reluctant acccompanier who thinks it’s a waste of money

My fear is I’m not going to be able to eat half of it due to onions
I can’t cancel as it’s non refundable

I’m hoping this will be exposure therapy that might get me over it

OP mine took about a fortnight to come back properly. It was the worst part of it for me, which I know sounds awful considering how ill some people get and here we are complaining about lack of taste.

It took six weeks for mine to return. I was so stressed that it would never come back. Be warned around two months later I completely lost all sense of taste and smell again. I panicked, did a couple of tests which all came back negative. A few days later it came back but everything tasted distorted, quite horrid for a couple of weeks. I feel for you, I found this quite a miserable time. Sending you love.

@kurtwilde I know what you mean. I feel ridiculous for moaning about it!

@KurtWilde

It might seem silly but if you live and work around food and are a foodie - it’s an entire way of life in danger if it’s something as ubiquitous as onion/garkic

Tested positive beginning of feb and still no taste or smell apart from a constant burning smell up my nose. I spray my perfume every day just to see if it's come back, husband laughs at me every morning. I'm struggling with it though, so daft but I'm desperate for it to come back.

@Emsmomma nooooo! Omg that’s horrendous. I’m not surprised you’re struggling.

I think I’d rather no taste or smell than loathing onions !

I lost mine a week after pos test and it came back about 2 weeks after that. Was awful. Because of covid brain fog I kept burning stuff on the hob and not being able to smell it! I kept sniffing string stuff as apparently that is meant to help. I sympathise so much with those who have lost it for months.

Meant to say strong not string!

@Oohhaveabanana

I'm 14 months post covid and still waiting for smell to return

i have this too, its been almost a year of it now. onion, garlic and leek. i cant eat much at all now, its getting me really down....

@NavalGazer

I was ill last May - lost sensen of taste and smell for weeks. Taste came back after a month or two

Smell can be variable

But and it’s a big but

It hasn’t come back the same- garlic and onion mow smell and taste like rancid ammonia. This is a major problem because I can now detect it in things you wouldn’t think of- prawn cocktail crisps as an example

I’m a keen cook and big foodie but the number of things I can’t eat or smell now is scary

I had a melt down two weeks ago when I could not even eat my favourite Japanese dumplings because of the onion taste

quoted the wrong message, this is what i have...

I’m about 4 days post positive result too and lost my sense of taste and smell this morning! I keep trying to find some sort of comfort in food but nothing is hitting the spot! I’ve lost my appetite slightly but I did enjoy the feeling of chewing a biscuit earlier even though I couldn’t taste it!

My sense of taste and smell came back after a couple of weeks but I too am still about onions.
Cooked I'm okay with
Spanish onion/ pickled onions etc not envy.
And I loved them before.

DH can taste things okay but his smell is still definitely not as it should be at all.
I was cooking a curry earlier and he could not smell it.
To me the house smelled (and still does) like an Indian restaurant.

We tested positive in March.

Hmm I’m not feeling too hopeful for it returning before my holiday then. On the plus side…I’m 5lbs down in 5 days 🤷🏼‍♀️