How long did it take for your sense of taste & smell to come back?

[ProseccoThyme]

I tested positive on Sunday, despite being double-vaccinated (thanks, ex for taking the kids on holiday to the highest level area of the UK )

Since then, I have had absolutely no sense of taste or smell.

Whilst I think this will help my waistline tremendously, I'm hoping it's temporary.

Anyone else has Covid, who lost their taste & smell - how long did it take to come back?

Mine was gone completely for about 5 days, then came back gradually - it's still not right 8 months later. Taste is mostly okay, but some things I used to like taste bad. Smell is more hit and miss - some things smell correct but faint, some smell different to normal (onions and citrus smell awful), some are still missing completely and I get phantom smells quite often (I smell burning or gas even if there isn't any).

Thanks for replying- I'm glad to hear you've had some return of them - although the alteration sounds strange.

I burned toast the other day & had no idea till the smoke alarm went off.

Lost mine in Jan, came back in April, but nothing smells or tastes as it should and my smell isn't as strong. It's ruined my enjoyment with food.

Day 5 so far & still NADA. It sounds like I need to lower my expectations a bit.

I agree it totally ruins your enjoyment of food and drink. I am finding I've lost my sense of thirst too, so eating & drinking is just a chore.

I have gained weight recently so the loss of interest in food will help. But I wasn't banking on the loss of taste & smell being much longer.

I lost mine on 22 July. It's back and working ok but at about 5 percent of usual. I can smell things if I stick my nose in them, and the smell is correct, but I don't get ambient smells. This appears to be enough for taste to work at about 90 percent. I can't drink coffee or eat avocados, both taste disgustingly bitter.

Week 6 of absolutely no taste or smell here. Really ruined my relationship with food.

@eatsleepdream

Lost mine in Jan, came back in April, but nothing smells or tastes as it should and my smell isn't as strong. It's ruined my enjoyment with food.

A family member of mine had a similar experience. Had Covid last October so 10 months ago now. Smell and taste has somewhat returned but still isn't normal, we don't know if it will ever be.

Total loss of smell, and therefore almost total loss of taste. I agree food is less appealing when it doesn't really taste.

Lasted 14 days- the day that my smell started to gradually come back was so exciting!

I'd say smell is at 90% returned, taste seems normal.

DD still has only 50% smell 4 weeks later.

It sounds like there is a really wide range of experience.

I was hoping because I was double-vaccinated earlier in the year, I might have fewer severe effects......maybe not.

Me - about 5 days, thanks goodness (am also double vaxxed).

DD (13) - still not right about a month later - she lost it completely for about 2/3 weeks, and it’s gradually been returning, although she reckons only about 75% now.

About a week. Then didn't fully come back and three months later went crazy and everything tasted and smelled awful for about another three months. Now some tastes are OK, some aren't, same with smells, and I can't smell or taste some things at all. I had covid 8 months ago

Thanks for the responses; it definitely seems there is a relationship between faster recovery of taste & smell & being doubly vaccinated?

Or is that just wishful thinking?

I don't see why there would be. The vaccine just gives your body instructions to make a version of the spike protein to help it respond if you come into contact with the actual virus. It's not a magic medicine that eases recovery etcas well. And in your case essentially hasn't worked that well as it hasn't prevented you becoming infected and having symptoms.

The loss of smell and taste with viruses is I think something to do with olfactory neurones and them repairing. Smell training can help - as simple as smelling strong smells like lemons, oranges, certain herbs etc and concentrating on the smell and thinking about what it is.

I know many NHS staff who, like myself, were vaccinated early on in the programme (over the Xmas period) who have had Covid despite this (some twice).

I think what I am experiencing will become the norm ie having mild symptoms despite double vaccination.

The vaccines are not 100% protection but reduce severe illness & hospital admissions.

That's what's interesting, it's hard to know. It was fairly mild to me when unvaccinated, but if I'd been vaccinated I probably would have put the mildness down to having had the jab.

It is interesting!

I wouldn't have known it was Covid until I lost my sense of smell/taste - it just felt like a normal sore throat - and DD (8) had a temperate/sore throat/headache - so I only took her for a PCR because of the temperature.