Hi Janice…I lost my taste and smell after my COVID infection in 2022. As soon as they came back, I developed parosmia, and smelled smoke all the time, and by all the time, I mean, even in my sleep.

I went to an ENT, who did allergy tests (all negative), then a dose of prednisone, then a year of Flonase, one dose in each nostril every morning.

I also did smell training.

More than two years later, it’s about 95% gone, but it comes back when I settle into bed. I keep a vial of lavender oil on my nightstand and sniff when the smoke smell gets to be too much.

Have you addressed the inflammation you still have with an ENT doctor? I don’t like steroids myself, but perhaps there is another anti-inflammatory you can take.

I hope it gets better for you soon. I asked my ENT: if I get COVID again, how likely is it I’ll lose taste/smell for good, OR, will the parosmia get worse?

He answered that they simply don’t know, so I’m masking still, because I don’t want to find out, and I certainly don’t want COVID again.

Wishing you well. I’m sure it’s quite unsettling ten months later.