Did your sense of taste and smell ever come back?

[Kualma]

If so, how long did it take and did anything help you? A friend of mine had covid back in March 2020 and her taste still hasn’t come back

I had covid in may this year. Still no smell or taste.

I lost my sense of smell and it took about 3 months to start coming back. Things still don't smell as they used to- I now hate the smell of toast, petrol and grapefruit! Weird.

Also had Covid in March 2020. I'd say my taste and smell are back to about 80% overall, but it's patchy. Still can't smell toilet cleaner / bleach unless my nose is directly above the loo and I used to be able to smell it as soon as I walked in the house.

Not the worst situation in the world but goes to show just how debilitating Covid can be

Had it in august 2021, eventually came back but I can't drink coffee anymore or eat curry, tastes awful. Coffee and curry were my favourite things, not together!

Also had covid in march/april 2020 and my taste and smell never returned to what it was. I have some taste but it's different, and i can only smell v strong smells.

My husband and I both lost our sense of smell. I couldn’t even smell a match burning under my nose. It took about a month to come back and initially certain things smelt strange and different to how they had smelt. Now everything smells the same again.

Covid December 2020. My taste is back, my smell started coming back after 5 months preceded by phantom smoke smells, gradually it has improved, but I still cannot smell if food is starting to go off only strong smells.

Should add I did some taste and smell training to help it return.

abscent.org/learn-us/smell-training

For the taste training I tried to spend time eating sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami foods.

I had covid last June and my taste has never really came back. I can't eat spicy at all any more because it took off half my taste buds and it burns.

Yes, thankfully I only lost mine for a few days.

Mine went for a few days, perhaps a week and a month later isn't back completely but much better. The breathlessness seems to be ongoing.

That's really sad, this would upset me a lot! I really hope it resolves eventually.

I tested positive for covid on Friday, I've lost my taste and smell. I hope it doesn't last long.

For dh and dc it took months. Dc still doesn't like meat 18 months later and dh has to have lots of onion and garlic in everything he eats. Its as though their tastes have changed.

Got it September 20, I had the sour onion smell on and off for about 18 months with it slowly getting better. Still can't smell bleach or alcohol (really annoying working in a pub when you can't remember what glass is vodka and what's gin 🤔)
I have this really weird thing where my nose will remember the last bad thing it smelled and I smell it all day eg I catch a whiff of the dog's poop in the morning, later on i should be smelling the bin when I lift the lid but I get dog poop 🤷🏻‍♀️

@MrsJackRackham yep the smell memory thing is a thing!
I had an ENT appt this week ( lost both in March 2020, smell came back but taste not at all other than sweet, salty or spicy). Cursory poke up nose and look down throat , said nothing that can be done. I’ve done smell training with oils, taken prescribed nasal steroids. Kind of got used to it now.

I have ongoing breathlessness too. Had covid in August. Taste still not what it was, nor smell.

I had it at the beginning of February, and last week. I'd say it came back about 70% the first time.

I had spring onions yesterday, nothing, so I guess it's been set back again. 🙄

Had covid Christmas 2021, no smell or taste for 4 months, gradually got bits back, bur everything had an underlying taste and smell of ashtray right up until I had covid September this year. Taste and smell came back without ashtray undertones after a few weeks. Still not 100% but so much better than it was!

@Heaviestdirtyestsoul thats great news

I'm sorry to hear that, miserable isn't it? Weird thing is my oxygen sats seem fine.

Apologies if you've seen them/similar but I've started doing breathing exercises, the link isn't copying properly but they are from Johns Hopkins University and specifically aimed at Covid recovery (I Googled "breathing exercises after Covid) and it is first on page)

Yes it is annoying. My oxygen sats are fine too weirdly. I am pregnant and have had checks, but was told everything is grand, both me and baby have enough oxygen. That maybe I can't get rid of the breathlessness due to the pregnancy. Which is ok, but it is stopping me exercising much and I feel like I am getting weaker when I should be feeling strong.

I will check that out thank you. I am definitely willing to try exercises!

i had it in July, was quite ill but not in hospital etc. I fully lost taste and smell.

Started sitting outside taking deep sniffs in my duvet every day whilst I was ill then rotated sniffing ‘strong’ smells such as mouthwash, essential oils and spices.

It came back intermittently after about 4 days of total loss, then for about 3 months I’ve had intermittent loss of smell and taste; not fully but for example would go to drink tea or coffee and it tastes like hot water, would go outside in the garden or woodland and can not smell ‘fresh air’ or green smells.

Can only smell a few notes of things.

I’m upping things like b12 and a mixed b supplement, magnesium and zinc and trying to help my immune system with eating healthy and walks each day. Sorry to all experiencing this, it’s not nice at all.

I had covid in April I still can't smell bleach properly. It's interesting to read others saying the same.

Does anyone else get phantom smells now?