Constantly smelling cigarette smoke - 12 weeks after COVID?!

[ChristmasMouseInHouse]

I had COVID about 12 weeks ago. I lost my sense of smell and taste for a bit but they seemed to come back fully after about 3-4 weeks.

For the last few days I feel like I am constantly smelling cigarette smoke. It’s happening at home as well as at work and nobody else can smell it so it seems it’s just me.

Have to regularly LFT for work and it’s negative since my first infection.

What’s going on? Is this COVID related from the first infection or is this something else?! It’s so weird!

Well it was exciting to entertain the slight pregnancy possibly for a night but AF has arrived this morning so that’s out!

So strange that so many are in such a similar position - positive at the end of October and now getting this odd smell!

I had this when I was in early pregnancy too - it's horrible! I know you've ruled out pregnancy but one thing that helped me was really

...really strongly scented hand cream which I applied frequently - then I could raise my hands to my nose and smell that instead when the cigarette smell appeared again.

I have had this several times in my life after sinus infections/nasty viruses. It’s very confusing. It’s definitely a burning smell. I’ve never smoked.

I have had this from time to time for years and never had Covid. Strangely my fil also has it. He hasn't had Covid either. We drive dh mad now.

Smelling smoke is very common after covid. I had it for a while but it started not long after having it and has mainly gone now 6 weeks on. Although things often don't smell or taste right...

It’s horrible! It gives me a headache and makes me feel sick! I’m going to try wearing perfume so I can st least smell something nice. It’s as if my brain is imagining a smell because there is no smell there, if that makes any sense?! If there is something else to smell (cooking etc) then o don’t smell the smoke over the top. It’s when there is no other scent present.

I have this! At night time I can smell smoke. It's driving me daft.

It's quite a new experience for me. I had covid (delta probably) end June 2021. Triple jabbed. Negative LFTs.

I'm just being patient and hoping it will stop/go away eventually.

So the Covid infection has clearly impacted on your brain and other parts of your frontal lobes are compensating now. It takes time.

I hope it's resolved soon.

It's a known syndrome after virus infection, not just covid apparently. Called phantosmia

I had covid last August, fully recovered but a few weeks later started to smell smoke, not cigarette smoke thankfully, it's woodsmoke.

It was just occasionally until I got a cold over Christmas (def not covid, neg LFTs and PCR).

Since the cold I now get this every day from around lunchtime to when I go to bed.

I put it on the ZOE app and they asked me to do another PCR which was negative.

There are whole facebook groups of people with this.

This is odd because I have been smelling it really strongly the last few days, I’m a non smoker. It smelt like I was sat in a smokers house. Incidentally I lost smell and taste when I had Covid in September, they eventually came back but this is very recent….

@Thewiseoneincognito

This is odd because I have been smelling it really strongly the last few days, I’m a non smoker. It smelt like I was sat in a smokers house. Incidentally I lost smell and taste when I had Covid in September, they eventually came back but this is very recent….

Yes same. I lost taste and smell for a couple of weeks when I had covid at the end of October but they recovered fully and this smell has only just started over the last few days.

I had the same after my first Covid infection. It was fresh cigarette smoke like someone had just walked past with a cigarette. Happened at home and work where noone smokes. It lasted for months then finally went. I didn't get it the second time.

yes it is covid-related, start taking zinc and vit A daily until your smell returns to normal + even beyond.

Same thing has happened to me. I had covid at the beginning of November and didn't even lose my sense of smell at the time. Full recovery until about 10 days ago when I started to experience this vile burning smell. It's pretty constant, but changes in intensity throughout the day. Sometimes it is so strong that I can vaguely taste it.
Like you, I can still smell other things, but the burning smell is always there in the background, and takes over when there are no "real" smells around.
It's driving me nuts.

Had this for almost 2 years now (had covid in March 2020).

It's not improving and cigarette smoke is one of the things I despise more than almost anything else on the planet.

*It's not improving and cigarette smoke is one of the things I despise more than almost anything else on the planet.

Same here. So I guess I'm "lucky" that I smell woodsmoke rather than cigarettes as it's not too unpleasant.

I've not had covid to the best of my knowledge but over the last few years I had it a bit on and off, with colds presumably. Bonfire smell is how I'd describe it.
Then with having zero colds due to lockdown and wfh I've not had it (ironically) since covid hit.

I have similar but for me it's Vinegar. Everything seems to taste and smell like Vinegar.
I'm really off food. I can only seem to stomach crackers or soup.
I'm only a week post Covid though