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Post by twistedscissors on Mar 27, 2022 0:29:31 GMT
Since I had Covid in Sept I have been having lots of phantom smells. It started out with cigarette smoke but I have also smelled chewing tobacco, chicken noodle soup, and spaghetti. Lately I smell burnt rotten garlic, so strong it makes me nauseous. š¤®
I only lost my taste and smell about 4-5 days in Sept. I can smell most things normally. But other things I canāt smell as strong as I know they are. Like I had four Scentsy warmers going in my house and I couldnāt smell them.
Has anyone had this? Is there anything I can do? Its really getting to me!
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Post by vsimone on Mar 27, 2022 0:47:41 GMT
Burnt wood/charred smells are often related to sinus problems. Maybe you have a residual sinus infection?
I have no sense of smell at all except for a couple of times a year when I'm taking steroids to manage my allergy induced asthma. But I do get burnt wood smells sometimes. I get a lot of sinus and chest infections.
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Post by natscraps on Mar 27, 2022 0:54:11 GMT
I never found anything that worked. It took about 10 months post covid before certain things (especially peanut butter and hand soap) didnāt smell rancid to me.
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Post by twistedscissors on Mar 27, 2022 0:57:26 GMT
Burnt wood/charred smells are often related to sinus problems. Maybe you have a residual sinus infection? I have no sense of smell at all except for a couple of times a year when I'm taking steroids to manage my allergy induced asthma. But I do get burnt wood smells sometimes. I get a lot of sinus and chest infections. Iām taking antibiotics for ear infection now. I have been doing nasal rinse twice daily. Taking allergy meds cause everything is blooming here. |
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Post by twistedscissors on Mar 27, 2022 0:58:19 GMT
I never found anything that worked. It took about 10 months post covid before certain things (especially peanut butter and hand soap) didnāt smell rancid to me. At least it ended so that makes me hopeful! |
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Post by sunny1016 on Mar 27, 2022 3:52:10 GMT
I didn't have covid, but have been dealing with parosmia and phantosmia for about 5 years now. Its quite maddening! The only thing that seems to work for me is steroid nasal sprays.
The problem is- they give me nose bleeds, headaches, wheezing and a hoarse throat! lol
But what I do now is use them for a few days and I will usually get relief for a while. Then when it starts happening again I will use them again for a few days. This seems to be working (about 95%), and I have to say I am so glad! I really was starting to lose my mind. You have no idea how important smell is till yours is wonky!
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AllieC
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,052 
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Post by AllieC on Mar 27, 2022 3:52:54 GMT
I get the smoke smell often as part of a migraine prodrome - I donāt get visual aura but this plus frequent ruination is common. Itās so frustrating!
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christinec68
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,119
Location: New York, NY
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Post by christinec68 on Mar 27, 2022 4:05:04 GMT
My ENT suggested smell training to retrain my senses but was never consistent with it to say if it works or not.
Good luck!
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Post by voltagain on Mar 27, 2022 5:15:09 GMT
Since I had Covid in Sept I have been having lots of phantom smells. It started out with cigarette smoke but I have also smelled chewing tobacco, chicken noodle soup, and spaghetti. Lately I smell burnt rotten garlic, so strong it makes me nauseous. š¤® I only lost my taste and smell about 4-5 days in Sept. I can smell most things normally. But other things I canāt smell as strong as I know they are. Like I had four Scentsy warmers going in my house and I couldnāt smell them. Has anyone had this? Is there anything I can do? Its really getting to me! The sensy warmers may have "lost" their smell because smells that are always in the air are typically things your brain starts to ignore after a time. That is why people are oblivious to the fact they are wearing a very strong perfume. They keep applying it because they stop smelling it so assume no one else is either. |
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peabay
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,594
Jun 25, 2014 19:50:41 GMT
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Post by peabay on Mar 27, 2022 11:07:27 GMT
I have found that making sure Iām super hydrated helps with the occasional phantom smells I get. I think the dryer my sinuses are, the worse they are.
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Post by Spongemom Scrappants on Mar 27, 2022 11:48:52 GMT
I donāt have a strong sense of smell anyway. I never lost my sense of smell with Covid. And I didnāt really lose my sense of taste. Things just tasted āoffā ā sort of metallic tasting like when youāre taking antibiotics.
Hopefully your phantom smells will resolve soon.
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Post by PenandInk on Mar 27, 2022 12:18:53 GMT
You might want to see an ENT. I had a phantom smell problem a few years ago, not covid related. Off and on I would smell a āpoopā smell. It was awful because I thought it was me that smelled. Anyway, my doctor thought I might have a fungus in my sinuses and sent me to an ENT. Turned out one whole side of my sinuses was completely blocked with rock hard stuff, I assume mucous? I did need surgery, but it was easy and it was so nice not to have the smells!
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Post by kelbel827 on Mar 27, 2022 18:59:31 GMT
I lost my sense of smell and taste in 2017. My taste was off for a year but eventually returned. My ENT told me what I had after a year would probably be what I'd have forever. I've got year round allergies, too. Weird thing, in November of 2021, I got my sense of smell back. I still have phantom smells. Also, the first day I could smell, the cashier checking me out smelled like shit. Nice reward after 5 years of not being able to smell.
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Post by KiwiJo on Mar 28, 2022 0:17:01 GMT
I didn't have covid, but have been dealing with parosmia and phantosmia for about 5 years now. Its quite maddening! The only thing that seems to work for me is steroid nasal sprays. The problem is- they give me nose bleeds, headaches, wheezing and a hoarse throat! lol But what I do now is use them for a few days and I will usually get relief for a while. Then when it starts happening again I will use them again for a few days. This seems to be working (about 95%), and I have to say I am so glad! I really was starting to lose my mind. You have no idea how important smell is till yours is wonky! Oh, Iāve been having phantosmia and parosmia for about 5 years too! I havenāt tried the steroid nasal sprays so I shall keep a note to ask my doctor about it next time. I seem to have an episode or two each year and I havenāt found any common trigger that might cause them. Itās always a burning chemical sort of smell. At first I thought it was something in my car because I always noticed it while or after driving; then I thought it was me who smelled and I would take showers, change my clothes a few times a day etc. I had to go to my dentist during one episode and said I had something a bit unusual to ask her but I really wanted an honest answer - she would be someone I know, who gets right up close to me, and who could tell me the truth professionally. She said she truly couldnāt smell anything on or around me at all. As you say, itās so maddening! |
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Post by twistedscissors on Mar 28, 2022 0:28:56 GMT
I didn't have covid, but have been dealing with parosmia and phantosmia for about 5 years now. Its quite maddening! The only thing that seems to work for me is steroid nasal sprays. The problem is- they give me nose bleeds, headaches, wheezing and a hoarse throat! lol But what I do now is use them for a few days and I will usually get relief for a while. Then when it starts happening again I will use them again for a few days. This seems to be working (about 95%), and I have to say I am so glad! I really was starting to lose my mind. You have no idea how important smell is till yours is wonky! Oh, Iāve been having phantosmia and parosmia for about 5 years too! I havenāt tried the steroid nasal sprays so I shall keep a note to ask my doctor about it next time. I seem to have an episode or two each year and I havenāt found any common trigger that might cause them. Itās always a burning chemical sort of smell. At first I thought it was something in my car because I always noticed it while or after driving; then I thought it was me who smelled and I would take showers, change my clothes a few times a day etc. I had to go to my dentist during one episode and said I had something a bit unusual to ask her but I really wanted an honest answer - she would be someone I know, who gets right up close to me, and who could tell me the truth professionally. She said she truly couldnāt smell anything on or around me at all. As you say, itās so maddening! Iāve asked my husband multiple times if I stink, or smell different. He said I smell the same as I always have. Apparently thatās not like rotting garlic ššš |
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Post by mrsscrapdiva on Mar 28, 2022 2:05:44 GMT
In 2012 I had adenoid removal and sinus surgery and during my recovery I got a horrible sinus infection. I lost my sense of taste and smell for at least 4 months. Since then, nothing has been the same. The phantom cigarette smell is terrible, more at night and so annoying. Other times, things smell like burnt onions. Smells/odors really effect me.
I have not found anything that perfectly fixes it. But temporary fixes that seem to work: having something else to smell that smells nice (like a cloth with fabric softener), sometimes washing my face with a very warm washcloth, keeping my nasal passages moisturized, nasal spray and sometimes I smell vicks vapor rub and put a little under my nose.
Sorry you are going thru this.
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Post by twistedscissors on Mar 28, 2022 2:21:19 GMT
In 2012 I had adenoid removal and sinus surgery and during my recovery I got a horrible sinus infection. I lost my sense of taste and smell for at least 4 months. Since then, nothing has been the same. The phantom cigarette smell is terrible, more at night and so annoying. Other times, things smell like burnt onions. Smells/odors really effect me. I have not found anything that perfectly fixes it. But temporary fixes that seem to work: having something else to smell that smells nice (like a cloth with fabric softener), sometimes washing my face with a very warm washcloth, keeping my nasal passages moisturized, nasal spray and sometimes I smell vicks vapor rub and put a little under my nose. Sorry you are going thru this. Iāve been using Vicks under my nose and it seems to help, especially at night. |
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