Anyone Gotten their Taste and Smell Back after Covid in 2022?

Posted by lkirnbauer @lkirnbauer, Nov 3 8:02am

Just wondering if anyone has gotten their taste and smell back after having Covid? I caught Covid in December of 2022 and have had 6 Stellate Ganglion Block Injections and they slightly help initially by giving me a more salty, sweet or sour taste on my tongue, but then after about 4 weeks, nothing again. I am scheduled for another injections, but I’m leary and wondering if there’s something else I should be doing or seeing someone else. Happy to hear suggestions. Thanks!

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COVID in May of 23. Still don´t have sense of taste or smell back, not completely, just a little bit of each has come back. I chared some broiling salmon once because I couldn´t smell the smoke coming from the oven!

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@joanland

COVID in May of 23. Still don´t have sense of taste or smell back, not completely, just a little bit of each has come back. I chared some broiling salmon once because I couldn´t smell the smoke coming from the oven!

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That is one of my biggest fears!! I can be sitting right next to my husband who is smoking a cigar and I can’t smell it! I’m curious if you’ve had any Stellate Ganglion Block injections or are you doing anything at all to get your senses back? Also, a kind of personal question, but do you have Hashimoto’s? I’m asking because I recently met another person who lost her taste/smell with Covid and she has Hashimoto’s. I’m just wondering if the two are related.

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No real change since 2021. Could always sense salty, sweet and sour, but no smell. Recently sensed bacon was smoked, and nearly cried at restaurant. It's hard to maintain a healthy weight. ENT did allergy testing, and a CT-scan. The scan showed likely inflammation in the nasal passages. No cause given.

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Lost taste/smellMarch2020. No return , but know if sweet/salty.....hot peppers zingy. I have 2doz. + symptoms . All 5 senses diminished. All this due to Covid inflammation that activated all immune soldiers fighting it and senses unable to communicate correctly with brain. All tests are deemed normal limits because medical unable to detect&measure by standard of care guidelines precovid. Research was late to the demand. SOMEDAY!!!!!

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I was diagnosed with post covid syndrome in October 2023. Had been sick in September. My main symptom was a strong metallic taste, later turned bitter, when I saw the ENT. He administered a sniff test and discovered that my smell was very poor. I scored very low and was diagnosed with smell disorder. My taste was also affected. I lost a lot of weight, though I wanted to.

My primary suggested scent retaining and I did that on an intermittent basis. I returned to the ENT a couple of months ago and was retested. I scored very high on the test this time! This time I could actually smell the samples. My taste is back too and food is delicious. My weight loss has slowed. I do still have the constant bitter taste. My primary says to hang in there. It may go away…l pray it’s true.

I asked my ENT (Duke) about Ganglion block injections and he said no. He didn’t say why, but I got the feeling he didn’t think it would be helpful.

I hope things improve for you.

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@lkirnbauer

That is one of my biggest fears!! I can be sitting right next to my husband who is smoking a cigar and I can’t smell it! I’m curious if you’ve had any Stellate Ganglion Block injections or are you doing anything at all to get your senses back? Also, a kind of personal question, but do you have Hashimoto’s? I’m asking because I recently met another person who lost her taste/smell with Covid and she has Hashimoto’s. I’m just wondering if the two are related.

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No ganglion block injections and am not doing anything proactive to get senses back. I do not think I have Hashimoto's. I've been on a constant low dose of l-thyroxine for about 40 years with no change in dose. No medical person has ever called it Hashimoto's.
The only way to prevent from getting Long-COVID is to keep from getting COVID.

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@celia16

I was diagnosed with post covid syndrome in October 2023. Had been sick in September. My main symptom was a strong metallic taste, later turned bitter, when I saw the ENT. He administered a sniff test and discovered that my smell was very poor. I scored very low and was diagnosed with smell disorder. My taste was also affected. I lost a lot of weight, though I wanted to.

My primary suggested scent retaining and I did that on an intermittent basis. I returned to the ENT a couple of months ago and was retested. I scored very high on the test this time! This time I could actually smell the samples. My taste is back too and food is delicious. My weight loss has slowed. I do still have the constant bitter taste. My primary says to hang in there. It may go away…l pray it’s true.

I asked my ENT (Duke) about Ganglion block injections and he said no. He didn’t say why, but I got the feeling he didn’t think it would be helpful.

I hope things improve for you.

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Is scent retaining the same as aroma therapy/smelling essential oils? Thanks!

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@lkirnbauer

That is one of my biggest fears!! I can be sitting right next to my husband who is smoking a cigar and I can’t smell it! I’m curious if you’ve had any Stellate Ganglion Block injections or are you doing anything at all to get your senses back? Also, a kind of personal question, but do you have Hashimoto’s? I’m asking because I recently met another person who lost her taste/smell with Covid and she has Hashimoto’s. I’m just wondering if the two are related.

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I am Hashimoto’s/ hypothyroid c.20 years, with LC 4 1/2 plus years now. Lost my sense of smell with first infection gradually getting it back a bit after say 6 months only to then loose it for following years after second infection. My sense of taste as in sweet, sour, bitter, salty, umami etc is largely there but without the subtlety of flavours being correct. Texture is much more important, and some food loves like a good wood fired pizza now seems unpleasant. So I too burn things left on the stove as I can’t smell it! My smell problems seem rather minor in the hierarchy of LC symptoms ( completely fainting from postural hypotension)…just a few hours ago I had to lie on the floor of a shop without a chair/ bench as I had a dysautonomia ‘turn’, so I have followed DIY improvements. I recommend you look at the free membership ‘Abscent’ website with huge range of tips, discussions, personal reflections, on line courses etc. I have tried the Italian research of the supplement Glialia ( very finely ground um PEA-LUT) designed to pass the brain barrier, with a protocol of Alpha Lipoic Acid and smell training…look up the Prof. Arianna di Stadio talk etc. I did the first couple months, then just having the recommended break…I had some improvements from just the ‘one smell a day’ external smells, to some personal smells but not obviously food I am eating. But difficult to tell whether this is the Glialia regime or time/ coincidence! Though Hashi/ hypothyroidism does have a lot to answer for I have been made by my Gp to alter my thyroid hormone dosages as he was convinced I was ‘overtreated on levothyroxine’ ( I take T3 too) making my HR high, but yesterday got a specialist endocrinologist interested in cardiovascular - thyroid interactions, said ‘ no’…and on different doses did not notice any difference in my smell/ taste senses.

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@wilsonanderson

I am Hashimoto’s/ hypothyroid c.20 years, with LC 4 1/2 plus years now. Lost my sense of smell with first infection gradually getting it back a bit after say 6 months only to then loose it for following years after second infection. My sense of taste as in sweet, sour, bitter, salty, umami etc is largely there but without the subtlety of flavours being correct. Texture is much more important, and some food loves like a good wood fired pizza now seems unpleasant. So I too burn things left on the stove as I can’t smell it! My smell problems seem rather minor in the hierarchy of LC symptoms ( completely fainting from postural hypotension)…just a few hours ago I had to lie on the floor of a shop without a chair/ bench as I had a dysautonomia ‘turn’, so I have followed DIY improvements. I recommend you look at the free membership ‘Abscent’ website with huge range of tips, discussions, personal reflections, on line courses etc. I have tried the Italian research of the supplement Glialia ( very finely ground um PEA-LUT) designed to pass the brain barrier, with a protocol of Alpha Lipoic Acid and smell training…look up the Prof. Arianna di Stadio talk etc. I did the first couple months, then just having the recommended break…I had some improvements from just the ‘one smell a day’ external smells, to some personal smells but not obviously food I am eating. But difficult to tell whether this is the Glialia regime or time/ coincidence! Though Hashi/ hypothyroidism does have a lot to answer for I have been made by my Gp to alter my thyroid hormone dosages as he was convinced I was ‘overtreated on levothyroxine’ ( I take T3 too) making my HR high, but yesterday got a specialist endocrinologist interested in cardiovascular - thyroid interactions, said ‘ no’…and on different doses did not notice any difference in my smell/ taste senses.

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Thank you so much for taking the time to respond. I will be looking into the Absent website and Professor Arianna di Stadio. I’m willing to try anything at this point! Thanks again!

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@joanland

No ganglion block injections and am not doing anything proactive to get senses back. I do not think I have Hashimoto's. I've been on a constant low dose of l-thyroxine for about 40 years with no change in dose. No medical person has ever called it Hashimoto's.
The only way to prevent from getting Long-COVID is to keep from getting COVID.

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May I ask why you’re not doing anything to regain your senses? I have hashimoto’s and hypothyroidism and take 100 mcg of Synthroid. I have eliminated gluten, dairy and soy from my diet and have lost about 20 lbs all together over 2 years. I also had a food sensitivity test done so I now know what not to eat and I feel much better. You have to do a separate test to find out of you have hashimoto’s. It’s a TPO Antibody test and your levels are suppose to be 0 and mine were almost 600! It was an eye opener!

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