Lost Smell and Taste after COVID

I am so happy to find this site. I had Covid back in Dec 2020. It is now March 2022 & I still can't smell or taste. If something does have a smell or taste it is like diesel fuel mixed with chemical & some kind of death. The only things that I can TASTE is certain plums so besides that all I eat are potatoes, white fish, broccoli, raw spinach & oatmeal. The only seasoning I can use is salt. I cannot tolerate any flavor @ all. And I can only drink water & plain tea. Since all of this, I wound up in the ER with possibly digesting CLR cleaner on accident. Well, we thought it was from me accidentally doing that because it was the only thing we could think of. But now that I see all these GI issues, I am wondering if this ALL has to do with Covid I have had 2 trips to the ER for diarrhea & vomiting for 12 hours straight. (I have not been to a hospital since I was born in 73) They did CT scans & both times they saw different things. I went for upper GI & am told I have upper GI problems with I have never had. I went for colonoscopy & had a seizure during anesthesia & wound up @ ER AGAIN so didn't get answer from that. Now I am told that there might be something wrong with my Liver & have to go for an MRI on that & go see some Transplant Dr. What is happening??? I have also been told that I have chronic sinus infection which is why I have daily headaches. I do have smell therapy training that I have been doing for about 9 months & I also go to acupuncture. ANY help with ANY issue would be appreciated. Now I go to all kinds of dr’s & no one seems to know. And even worse, some don't even believe me. It sucks because it seems like my entire body is falling apart on me @ all once.

It seems to me, loss of taste and smell can only truly be appreciated by someone who has experienced it. I had Covid in 2020 too. It took about a year before making coffee made sense again. Until that point, it was like drinking hot water with brown food coloring. Based on my experience, my advice to you is to acknowledge that doctors are human beings. They are trying to figure things out about a virus they had never seen before. It is a guessing game for them. Ordinarily, a doctor is presented with a description of symptoms, which he/she uses to “guess” at an initial diagnosis. Unless it’s quite obvious (like a broken bone, concussion, or late stage pregnancy) tests are then done to confirm the initial guess. Problems arise from multiple sources. 1. Patients expect doctors to be omniscient and never make mistakes. 2. Tests can easily result in false positives or false negatives 3. Insurance coverage is dependent on a diagnosis 4. New variants of viruses occur frequently and without warning. 5. All drugs have side effects making a cost/benefit analysis part of every prescription 6. Patients take insufficient care of their own health, despite knowing they should practice good nutrition , exercise, sleep 7-8 hours, avoid illegal drugs, avoid excessive drinking, and avoid smoking. I completely understand your frustration. I feel it too. Take it one day at a time and be sure to find a reason to smile everyday. Don’t let what ails you control you

Thank you for your kind & wise words. Much appreciated. And yes, finding a reason to smile every day helps alot. I always try to stay positive about everything but when you are sick for so long & get no answers it's just frustrating...

I heard a “Tom’s Talk” by a military officer (whose name I’ve forgotten). He said, basically, if you want to have a good day, start by making your bed. That way, you start off with an accomplishment before anything else happens. Also, doing that means you end your day in a nice orderly way, no matter what else happened during your day. Makes perfect sense ! I suspect he did not live with dogs though. Mine seem to LOVE making the bed according to their own personal preferences. I call them my “Housekeeping Staff”. I always make my bed when I get up in the morning. My thumbs give me an unfair advantage

I have had this for 2yrs. Once in a while I get a brief session of 50 to 75% return, but it doesn’t last. I can detect if salty or sweet, or bitter. Can usually taste ketchup, red wine....other pungent flavors. I have become a poor cook, and very diminished appetite. Sent for “smell therapy” kit $40+. No help. My husband had brief bout but it resolved within weeks. Avoid eating out because I crave what menu desribes ,but usually just end up after a few bites taking boxed home.

Hi Betty! I can certainly identify with you. I lost my ability to taste and smell in February 2021. I truly enjoyed cooking and eating good food, especially when my husband was alive. After his death over four years ago, I pretty much quit cooking really great meals. I did however look forward to having a good meal when going to restaurants or my daughter's house. Now it's hoping I'll be able to taste something. Sometimes I can, other times I can't or the first couple of bites I can taste and then after that nothing. Many things have taken on different tastes than how I remember. Yes, it is quite frustrating and at times depressing. Smell therapy has done nothing for me because sometimes I can smell I can smell the oils and then other times I can't. I guess we can only hope and pray that one day things will get better. Until then, it is what it is. Right now it is getting to be that I can barely taste sardines which was one of the things I could taste after losing taste and smell. It's all a matter of trial and error, but even that changes. Blessings to everyone!

I had the Delta variant in August 2021. My smell and taste returned in Feb 2022, but VERY limited. Food just does not taste good. Once in awhile I smell rotting food and think something is in the fridge or dishwasher or garbage disposal and I clean and disinfect everything nothing rotting in this kitchen. Just my brain misshapen by covid. Regarding sinus infection….ongoing since last Sept. mucus like glue, wakes me at night like I am choking. Headaches? Everyday! Low ferritan yes, found by “ mistake” on iron and vitamin C supplements. Sorry , the fatigue still with me. Total body pain, digestive issues blah blah blah. Sick of telling doctors who just notate and have no answers.

What goes one loose smell

Welcome, @emmanuelkererut. I moved your question about losing you sense of smell after COVID to this existing discussion:
- Lost Smell and Taste after COVID https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/smell-and-taste/

I did this so you can connect with others like @ilovemary4749 @chrissy188 @bettyjackson @strongevergreen and others who have also experienced losing their sense of taste and smell.

Emmanuel, how long has it been since you had Covid and lost your sense of smell? Has any of it returned over time?

I have had Covid 4 times now, 3 times regular, the last time, May 10th was a B variant. The #3 Covid was the one l lost my taste after 25 days the 6 days later the smell. Still have issues and strangely, my food taste the same way yours does. Bad news for both of us, l met a associate at Walmart with taste & smell issues for over a year!!! Surprisingly, food taste the same way and as we disgust smells, some of the things she smells, so do I. So I guess we’re long haulers now as they say.