# Anyone else lose taste and smell to this?



## Pointless1 (Mar 20, 2021)

Wasn’t diagnosed with C-19 but last fall lost my taste and smell. Still can’t smell a thing. I can taste salt, sweet, umami, but no subtlety. Just a yes it’s there kind of thing. Still enjoy cooking, and fortunately have done it long enough that I can do 99% unassisted though my wife now needs to taste for salt and pepper.

At least the phantom cigarette smoke smell went away after a couple months. That reeeeeally sucked.


----------



## Koop (Mar 20, 2021)

It happened to me when I was undergoing head and neck radiation and chemotherapy. Took a long time to recover and it's never been the same. Now I suffer from gustatory sweating and don't tolerate hot, spicy food like I once did.


----------



## M1k3 (Mar 20, 2021)

I've recovered my sense of smell and taste. I have random phantom scents pop up from time to time. Burning rubber, cheese popcorn and my favorite when it happens at work, burning paper.


----------



## Pointless1 (Mar 20, 2021)

Glad you got it back! I’m hopeful but not optimistic if that makes sense. On the bright side, scooping litter boxes has no effect! On the down side, I have to wait for chemicals to affect me before I realize they’re there. Oh well.


----------



## RonB (Mar 20, 2021)

It's been reported that some of the so called long haulers that were suffering long term effects frmm Covid have fully recovered after receiving Covid shots. You might give that a shot, (pun intended), when you are eligible.


----------



## Ochazuke (Mar 20, 2021)

I got COVID suuuuper early in the pandemic - like when they were still telling people NOT to wear masks. I lost my sense of smell and taste for about 4 months before it gradually started coming back.


----------



## Michi (Mar 20, 2021)

RonB said:


> It's been reported that some of the so called long haulers that were suffering long term effects frmm Covid have fully recovered after receiving Covid shots. You might give that a shot, (pun intended), when you are eligible.


There is some evidence that even if someone has had Covid already, getting the vaccine is beneficial because it likely boosts the immune reaction more than the infection itself. There is also still not enough data to know how long any naturally acquired immunity will last, and the vaccine will most likely extend the period of immunity.


----------



## Corradobrit1 (Mar 20, 2021)

UK PM just got his first jab of the AZ vaccine and he was hospitalized with Covid last June. Nobody knows how long the Ab's remaining effective at fighting reinfection, weeks, months or years after contracting the disease. No reason not to get the immunization.
OP were you tested for Covid? Which test? How many times? Lateral flow or PCR? These tests are not 100% definitive, especially the former. You may well have contracted the virus, and been asymptomatic except for the loss of smell/taste.


----------



## Barmoley (Mar 20, 2021)

RonB said:


> It's been reported that some of the so called long haulers that were suffering long term effects frmm Covid have fully recovered after receiving Covid shots. You might give that a shot, (pun intended), when you are eligible.


I’ve read this too, that for people that suffer long term affects of COVID vaccine helps sometimes, about 30% or so. Definitely worth a shot, pun intended. I got my taste back, but smell not so much, only very faint and not all smells, it’s been a little more than a month.

I hope you get yours back. It is one of those where you don’t realize what you had until you loose it. There are some benefits like you said, cat litter and such, but in general would be good to get it back.


----------



## Pointless1 (Mar 21, 2021)

Corradobrit1 said:


> OP were you tested for Covid? Which test? How many times? Lateral flow or PCR? These tests are not 100% definitive, especially the former. You may well have contracted the virus, and been asymptomatic except for the loss of smell/taste.


Never got tested for COVID because I never had symptoms during the known pandemic. Interestingly, I had COVID-like symptoms and issues in Feb-March but they were similar to the pneumonia related issues I had the previous year so I don’t think doc even considered Covid. Heck, don’t even think there was a test at that point. I also had long-haul like symptoms for several months but again, before we knew that it was a thing. Who knows. 

As for getting a shot, Floriduh opens to 50+ on Monday and I was able to get scheduled on Tuesday! I am hugely pro-vax so I look forward to helping the herd.


----------



## DDCarter (Mar 25, 2021)

Doing without the smell and taste for over 10 days already, getting back to normal slowly could have been worse


----------



## why-am-i-bleeding (Apr 1, 2021)

That's absolutely terrifying. This virus is like the perfect kryptonite for all restaurants and restaurant workers


----------



## Pointless1 (Apr 1, 2021)

Yeah if I had to rely on these two senses I’d be SOL. I can’t make sauces or salsas that are seat-of-the-pants without a taster standing by. And I’ve way over-salted a few things. Stay safe and get the shots is all I can say.


----------



## why-am-i-bleeding (Apr 1, 2021)

Pointless1 said:


> Yeah if I had to rely on these two senses I’d be SOL. I can’t make sauces or salsas that are seat-of-the-pants without a taster standing by. And I’ve way over-salted a few things. Stay safe and get the shots is all I can say.



I've also oversalted a lot of stuff lately.... dear god.....


----------



## Lucretia (Apr 15, 2021)

We're convinced that I had covid back in the fall. My sense of smell and taste have been off and on--when I was sick it would swing between smelling nothing and being really sensitive to some things (especially things that smelled bad.) I wasn't able to drink beer or wine for months--it tasted horrible. Beer came back first, then red wine. (Coffee was bad at first but came back quicker than beer or wine. Thank goodness.) I haven't been able to drink white wine at all it's tasted so bad. Had my 1st vaccination 2 weeks ago, and about a week ago I tried some white wine--and it wasn't horrible. Tonight I tried again, and it was actually good! It might just be my sense of taste coming back, but my vision is also a little better. It went really bad while I was in the hospital--I've printed out an eye chart and couldn't even make out the top line. Now I can mostly see the top line and can make out some (not all) of the next line. Keeping my fingers crossed for more imrovement with the next shot!


----------



## Pointless1 (Apr 15, 2021)

Glad it’s improving! I’ll happily keep my loss of smell and reduced sense of taste over the altered senses I’ve heard about. That would be worse In my book.


----------



## captaincaed (Apr 19, 2021)

Hey, I'm a COVID contact tracer, and long-term loss of taste/smell is definitely an issue, and can definitely happen in absence of respiratory symptoms. So far there isn't much ability to predict for whom those senses return, and when. It might be worth your time to get an antibody test to see if you've ever had it. If you've been vaccinated, that test won't tell you much, however. 

On another note, my taste went nutty after chemo too. For me, most things tasted off, some tasted fine, but I couldn't really say why. Coca Cola was the litmus test for when everything was back to normal.


----------



## SeattleBen (Apr 19, 2021)

My brother and sister in law both lost both. Brother in law got both back pretty quick, sister in law still doesn’t have either. Though she’s having olfactory hallucinations where she gets sewer smells periodically through the day.


----------



## childermass (Apr 21, 2021)

captaincaed said:


> It might be worth your time to get an antibody test to see if you've ever had it. If you've been vaccinated, that test won't tell you much, however.


This depends on the target antigene the respective test uses. If the test uses the spike protein as target there is no way of diminishing if your antibodies are from vacciniation or from an actual infection. There are test out there using different target antigenes which are only positive if immunisation was due to infection. The lab should know which they use or best case have both in their portfolio and do both during diagnostics.

Sorry to hear all your problems with taste/smell, hope you get it back soon.


----------



## captaincaed (Apr 21, 2021)

childermass said:


> There are test out there using different target antigenes which are only positive if immunisation was due to infection.



That's a great point, thank you.
CDC antibody test info

You do also want to consider test sensitivity and specificity when you get a test, as well as the time that's passed since you first noticed symptoms/got vaccinated.
Sensitivity: If you had an infection, what's the % chance the test will return positive?
Specificity: If you didn't have an infection, what's the % chance the test will return negative?


----------



## big_adventure (Apr 25, 2021)

There seems to be no rule as to how it works out.

A friend of mine got covid, had about 10 days of solid symptoms (fever, weakness, headache), lost taste and smell a week after testing positive, then got it back fully within 2 weeks from there.

Another friend only realized he had covid when he lost taste and smell, it took about a month and a half to get it back, and he had weird once-every-three-days serious-symptoms for two months outside of the loss of taste and smell.

My girlfriend lost taste and smell a week after testing positive, and she had only had 2 days of mild symptoms before that. She started to get sense back after maybe 10 days, she's still not all the way back after two and a half months.

Covid is weird.


----------



## Kawa (May 12, 2021)

Tested positive. Got it from the hospital where we got our newborn.
The symptoms arent that bad for both of us (luckily), although with the few hours of sleep due to the baby it still is annoying

I dont taste or smell a single thing. Applejuice or benzin, i'd both drink it like its water right now...
About a week now..


----------



## M1k3 (May 12, 2021)

Kawa said:


> Tested positive. Got it from the hospital where we got our newborn.
> The symptoms arent that bad for both of us (luckily), although with the few hours of sleep due to the baby it still is annoying
> 
> I dont taste or smell a single thing. Applejuice or benzin, i'd both drink it like its water right now...
> About a week now..


Hope you have a speedy recovery!


----------



## big_adventure (May 12, 2021)

Kawa said:


> Tested positive. Got it from the hospital where we got our newborn.
> The symptoms arent that bad for both of us (luckily), although with the few hours of sleep due to the baby it still is annoying
> 
> I dont taste or smell a single thing. Applejuice or benzin, i'd both drink it like its water right now...
> About a week now..



Sorry to hear you are sick. My kids and I didn't lose taste or smell. My GF lost taste and smell completely, it took about 10 days until she had the slightest hints, and after about 3 months I'd say she's at about 80-90%. Other people I know who lost it got it back in anywhere from 10 days to 2 months.


----------



## luuogle (May 12, 2021)

Was tested positive for covid-19 back in early February. Almost fully recovered by now there is no loss of taste that came back after a week or two. The only weird thing is sometimes I get phantom smells of something burning or kind of chemical.


----------



## M1k3 (May 25, 2021)

I got my first shot 2 days ago. Been feeling a bit lethargic. Internet says people who had covid can get reactions on first dose and I did. Otherwise I'm doing well. The rollout here is at all adults now.


----------



## Barmoley (May 25, 2021)

Had first shot too a few weeks back, felt pretty sick after, body aches, chills, felt like my fever was getting up there, but it wasn't. Not looking forward to the second one. Smell is not 100% back from being sick early Feb. Felt like smell improved a bit after the first vaccine though, might be a coincidence.


----------



## M1k3 (May 25, 2021)

Barmoley said:


> Had first shot too a few weeks back, felt pretty sick after, body aches, chills, felt like my fever was getting up there, but it wasn't. Not looking forward to the second one. Smell is not 100% back from being sick early Feb. Felt like smell improved a bit after the first vaccine though, might be a coincidence.


From what little Google results I went through, if you had covid before, reaction on first shot happens, second shot usually not. I think it's the spike in antibodies over a threshold. Once over, you're generally in the clear. As far as I understand without being an actual professional studying it.


----------



## Barmoley (May 25, 2021)

M1k3 said:


> From what little Google results I went through, if you had covid before, reaction on first shot happens, second shot usually not. I think it's the spike in antibodies over a threshold. Once over, you're generally in the clear. As far as I understand without being an actual professional studying it.


Hoping for that, but have friends that had covid and felt bad after first and fine after second. Also have friends that had covid and felt bad after both shots, even worse after the second than the first. Just no rule to these things we are all similar yet different.


----------



## Kawa (May 25, 2021)

Its a strange virus with all kinds of people reacting in all different ways. Hard to give more then a general clinical picture.

My dad got a bit ill after his first shot, same as barmoley descibes. He was covid free till that point. Too bad i gave him covid a couple of days later anyway... He got mildish ill, same as I did (kinda flu feeling, without having actual fever). Im very glad, since he is 62. He came to see his newborn grandson the day before my wife and me got symptoms.. I felt horrible.

My brother in law had his first shot a few weeks ago (age 34) and got a little more ill then I did. Nothing bad, but still a lot of symptoms for someone who had a working half-vaccination I feel like...

My mother had both her shots (she works with elderly people, so she was in the front line) and got tested positive, bot she didnt get any symptoms.


----------



## Kawa (May 25, 2021)

So, we shared the virus with all our loved ones... father, mother, sister, brother in law...only my sister in law stayed clean.

I hope Im still allowed to sharpen their knives


----------



## captaincaed (May 25, 2021)

M1k3 said:


> From what little Google results I went through, if you had covid before, reaction on first shot happens, second shot usually not. I think it's the spike in antibodies over a threshold. Once over, you're generally in the clear. As far as I understand without being an actual professional studying it.


Here's a nice little cartoon that helps with intuition around timing vaccine boosters. Avidity means how well your antibodies recognize viral protein. The time-gap between your first infection and the vaccine may have something to do with your response, but you may still get pretty tired from a second dose.


----------



## M1k3 (May 25, 2021)

captaincaed said:


> Here's a nice little cartoon that helps with intuition around timing vaccine boosters. Avidity means how well your antibodies recognize viral protein. The time-gap between your first infection and the vaccine may have something to do with your response, but you may still get pretty tired from a second dose.
> View attachment 128612


Thanks. I think I understand it.

If I had my shot closer to when I had covid, my reaction would be less severe or non-existent?


----------



## captaincaed (May 25, 2021)

M1k3 said:


> Thanks. I think I understand it.
> 
> If I had my shot closer to when I had covid, my reaction would be less severe or non-existent?


I would think that a shot 14-90 days post infection would lead to a robust response from your immune system. I’m not a good enough immunologist to know how you’ll respond to a second dose, but I’ll say that most of the PhDs and MDs I know just shrug when I ask. Everyone’s pretty noncommittal. I’d say leave yourself a day after. The shot is designed to maximize an immune response from your body, keep that in mind too. The makers WANT you to feel like crap for a day. Means the medicine is working. Go get a spoonful of sugar to go with it.


----------



## Barmoley (May 25, 2021)

M1k3 said:


> Thanks. I think I understand it.
> 
> If I had my shot closer to when I had covid, my reaction would be less severe or non-existent?


I don't know about that. Anecdotal evidence suggests otherwise. A few people I know who took a shot a few weeks after recovery had very severe reactions to the first and second shots. Some claimed the vaccine reaction was as bad or worse than the covid itself, but the duration of time of the symptoms was much shorter. Again just stories from people i know, so no science here.


----------

