Help! I lost my sniffer

[Claire]

I've often felt for people who have this problem. Now I do. I caught a cold in the late summer/early fall, and seem to have lost my sniffer. You don't know how much your sense of taste is determined by the sense of smell. I've known people who lost that sense permanently. I'm hoping mine is a temporary loss. My husband doesn't know what to think: I'm getting thinner (nothing tastes or smells good), but the food I cook is going down hill in quality. Many, many years ago my mother used to say she wished she didn't enjoy food as much as she did. I would scold her, "Don't wish that upon yourself!" Well, she has diverticulitis and intestinal cancer, so I was right. Now I cannot smell anything but acrid scents, and my cooking is suffering. Please don't wish this upon yourself, enjoy food while you can.

 

[licia]

Claire, I had that problem a couple of years ago and my sense of smell and taste did come back after a while. I was afraid it wouldn't ever happen. I've heard that one side effect of Zicam (?) is a loss of smell, but I think it eventually returns. I also lost my desire to cook when I couldn't taste or smell anything but fortunately for all of us that isn't a problem now. Hope you are soon over it as well.

 

[thumpershere2]

The last time I had a cold, a few years ago I lost my sense of smell and taste and it was really hard to cook anything good. I hope you get your smeller and taster back Claire. I t would be awful not to be able to smell or taste food again. But i guess their are worse things that could happen. Have you seen a DR. about this? Maybe it's a waiting game you have to go through. My hubby got Paulsey a few years ago and still has it. Some folks get it and it goes away and others have to live with it. Dr. can't do anything about that I guess. Keep your head up and nose in the air.

 

[BreezyCooking]

Claire - do PLEASE go see a doctor asap.

I don't want to sound like the voice of doom, but I went thru this exact same thing several years ago. Not only did I have no sense of smell, but everything I ate or drank tasted bitter &/or rotten. It was awful. After many tests, including a CAT scan, it was decided that it was due to the awful long-lasting end-of-summer cold I had had, & the prognosis was that both my sense of smell & taste would return in its own good time - which it did, but it took about 6 months.

HOWEVER, shortly after that, a co-worker of my husband grilled him about my condition & what tests I had had, yadayadayada, because his wife was going thru the same thing. She went thru the same tests, but unfortunately her CAT scan showed a brain tumor.

Again - I'm not saying this to frighten you, but really - DO see a doctor about this. The variances as to what could be causing it are too widespread.

 

[Reanie525i]

This happened to me awhile ago - I had a CAT scan which showed my sinus were completely closed - I had minor surgery which corrected the problem, You may want to see an ENT specialist or ask your Doctor for a referral to get examined

 

[YT2095]

I had a tooth go Rotten, right through the root through the jaw bone and into the maximal sinus cavity, I can Soooooo relate to that acrid rotten smell that won`t shift, after the tooth was taken out with a part of the jaw bone (all black) it still reoccurs from time to time when I get a bad cold or am generaly run down, I went through 3 different courses of anti-biotics to no effect.
Augmentin did work for my latest bout though.

Smell and Taste are intimately linked, lose the smell component and you`re Lost basicly, the only thing left is sensation, Sweet,Acid,Bitter,Hot etc...
non of the "Good bits".

get it checked out gal! see your GP asap.

I know I wish I Had have done.