I can't even smell TCP!

[middleager]

Or perfume...

If there was any petrol left round here I'd ask DH to wave a can of it under my nose just to triple check.

I can taste a bit, but smell...nothing!

It's freaking me out.

I tested positive on Tuesday.

What is everybody else's experiences?

Is it preferable to losing your sense of taste? How do those of you who've lost both get on?

After some experimentation:

Smell: Nothing. I can't even smell the teenagers' toiletries (ranging from Lush to Lynx). My sense of smell is usually very acute so this is a new experience for me.

Taste: Very muted. I can tell the difference between sweet, spicy etc but no subtle differentiation between flavours.

I’m double vaxxed and lost both sense of smell and taste since last weekend although starting to get tiny bits back. DD who is 10 has just lost her sense of smell. We keep wandering around the house testing ourselves to see if we are improving!

Faircastle so true about the muted taste.

For lunch, I had a spicy soup. I was aware of the spice but couldn't taste flavour.

Just, I tried a bowl of chips. I doused them in salt and vinegar. I was aware of salt and acid, but nothing. I doused them some more. Nothing.

I sniffed the vinegar bottle, nope. I poured vinegar on my hand and licked it, just the sensation of something acidic but that's all.

I thought my taste was sort of there, but apparently not.

I'm on day 13 and previously lost all smell (including bleach) and all taste (including Indian) maybe at about day 6 or so. I can now smell bleach normally and I can smell my lemon squash a bit. Taste initially came back so I could just tell sweet, salt, sour, spice now it is coming as a muter flavour so hopeful things are returning. I am just about to try burgers and will be interesting to see if I can taste them as relatively bland food, before meat was wierd just the texture so went off it. I have found Chinese has been good, like vegetables in sweet and sour sauce and pancakes with duck. Indian I just tasted the spice.

I can't smell a sodding thing. I can taste in as much as there is nothing wrong with the taste receptors on my tongue (ie I can distinguish between salty, sweet, bitter because of how they feel in my mouth) but nothing has any actual flavour.

O lost my sense of smell in July with a bad sinus and chest infection. I only realised when I had an essential oil diffuser on and could smell nothing and my husband asked me to turn it off because it was too strong! I did a pcr and repeated ltf and they were all negative.

Being a primary school teacher it was quite nice not smelling the toilets as I walked past or the effects of baked beans at lunch on my class in the afternoon!

I could taste the onion rings normally and onions in the burger, rest not so much but it is coming back. Feel pretty awful still though but strange half the day feel really ill, half feel OK.

I'm worried about how long it will take to come back, given some of your experiences.

I barely have any taste - some things taste salty. I've been getting DH to make really textured dinners, because otherwise it's so dull. I'm finding textures seem to stimulate the memory of taste, so even though I can't taste it, my imagination is sort of helping me to think I can. Makes no sense, I know

And even though I can't taste things, they still have the same effect, so toothpaste makes my mouth feel cold, chilies make my mouth burn, even though I can't taste them. It's all very odd.

One benefit: I no longer have to hold my breath when walking past DS1's door...

One benefit: I no longer have to hold my breath when walking past DS1's door...

I was thinking the same about my teen DS1&2

My COVID resulted in a bout of explosive diarrhoea and this is how I realised the sense of smell was gone, too..
But it came back fully after 5 days.

@Onegingerhead TMI!!!!

I had covid in June - after being double vaxed and still have no smell so would classify I suppose as long covid, I can smell a couple of things but they smell disgusting and would prefer not to. Puts me off food, I find it difficult to cook for my family and end up just picking at food as can't seem to eat much, there's no joy in food at all now 😞

@jajabanks

I had covid in June - after being double vaxed and still have no smell so would classify I suppose as long covid, I can smell a couple of things but they smell disgusting and would prefer not to. Puts me off food, I find it difficult to cook for my family and end up just picking at food as can't seem to eat much, there's no joy in food at all now 😞

Sorry to hear that. Sounds utterly depressing.

Wondering if there's any treatment/research going on or if there are any support networks?

I know we've been joking about certain aspects, but I cannot imagine life without those senses over a significant period of time.

Ah thank you, it's a real pain, you just don't realise how much smell affects eating. Making a roast now (my fave) and the chicken make me want to throw up (it is fresh 😆) . I think they just say to smell things and should hopefully bring it back 🤞. On the plus side I am losing weight 🌈 😃

I lost my sense of smell on Tuesday, I can taste but clearly it isn't quite right. As a PP said, I can tell if it's spicy or sweet or salty but the rest is missing. I'm eating feta, olives, chutneys as I can taste these best (or they are salty etc anyway so I don't notice the change).

Smell- I stuck my nose in Vick and neat Zoflora and nothing. However, I am haunted by a perfume smell- more like a memory than an actual smell. I've used different deodorants, different washing detergents etc and the smell doesn't change. I don't recognise it but have been smelling it for about 3 days.

I tested positive last weekend.

Yes, I've been reading about 'smell training' to smell well known/favourite smells for 20 seconds or so every day and remembering the aroma.

I'm hoping weight loss is the only silver lining .

Day 6 here and I think I’m starting to get some sense of smell returning (thought I could smell some garlic sauce earlier and possibly some perfume) I also keep ‘smelling’ what I can only describe as an ‘eggy’ smell which is bizarre. Can smell it on and off all day. Taste wise I can tell if things are sweet/salty/spicy but no actual distinction between flavours. Can only manage small bites of food now and again and the thought of a large meal makes me heave. Hoping things improve and soon.

Can I ask,do anyone of you also have a blocked nose. I have a blocked nose,developed a cough last night and lost sense of smell and taste yesterday. Been for a test today.

I usually get a blocked nose with a cold but can usually smell stuff like lemons if I blow it/unblock it for a short period of time. But this time I really can't smell/taste anything at all

Yes to blocked nose - also sinus pressure and a blocked ear.

Four weeks in and all I can taste is pineapple. Still can’t really smell anything

I had Covid last November... but been able
To taste or smell
Since...

This is weird cos I could smell TCP earlier where there was no TCP.

I don’t think there’ll be any weight loss here-keep eating chocolate to see if I can taste it! Does anyone else sometimes smell/taste things initially and then next sniff/bite get nothing? I smelt the fabric conditioner a little bit today when I stuck my nose in the bottle but only on the first breath in. Same with shower gel.

wonderstuff (fellow Stuffies' fan here)

A blocked nose was present throughout the early days.

Good luck with the test.

Frl how odd!

Day 10 double vaxxed sense of smell just beginning to return….had been an unpleasant experience and I have been quite unwell, triggered my asthma amongst other things. I would not have like to encounter it unvaccinated