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Sense of Taste and Smell are GONE

15 years ago

Well, I tried reading through as many of your posts as possible to be sure I wasn't duplicating a question, but I finally gave up! This is probably the stupidest question ever, but here goes: Have any of you experienced losing all of your sense of taste and smell? I can't explain how bizarre it is to not smell ANYTHING! And I'll sit down to a delicious looking meal and not taste a single bite. It's so disappointing. The thing is, I am also questioning if my nasal polyps (which I had removed 3 years ago) are returning and if THAT is the reason for this problem instead of the menopause.

Comments (3)

catherinet
15 years ago
Hi barb.
Its not a stupid question at all.
First of all, has anything else changed......are you on a new med? Have you had a virus recently?
I had a virus with fever for several days about 19 years ago, and lost alot of my taste and smell after that. I had a big workup (brain) and nothing showed up. I've heard that if your taste and smell doesn't come back in 6 years, it probably won't ever.
I'm not sure about the nasal polyps.
How does your tongue look?
I've also heard that a zinc deficiency can cause this, so try taking zinc for awhile. Take it with food, though, because it can upset your stomach.
Have you seen your doc about it? There is a smell and taste clinic in Chicago, but I never went.
My docs said that some viruses just attack that area of our body, and can destroy things.
I would start with your internist.
I actually went through alot of different stages after I lost those senses.........for awhile I thought I smelled something burning all the time. Very disconcerting.
Yes, it started for me when perimenopause started, but I also developed fibromyalgia, so its hard to know exactly what caused it, but I'm thinking it was the virus.
Some of my favorite smelling flowers, I can't even smell at all anymore. I feel your pain.
But don't give up. You still might get it back.
barbshot
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks for the reply, Catherine. I've made an appointment with the doctor who did my nasal surgery 3 years ago. I'm thinking it must surely be that. I've been taking Nasonex to reduce the sinus swelling and just quit it about a week ago thinking perhaps IT was the problem, but still no sign of taste or smell. It's seriously depressing to not taste anything. My menopause "symptoms" normally last 6 or 7 weeks then give me a reprieve, but this round has been the worst. My head is constantly in a fog and I'm exhausted all the time. I even left work early twice last week because I just couldn't hold my head up another minute. The odd thing is, by the time bedtime rolls around, I start feeling pretty GOOD! Makes no sense at all. I'm sick of this crap.
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Sorry folks, I posted this a while back and it didn't seem super active then, so I kinda forgot about it. Then I got preoccupied by other things and haven't managed to visit the forum so often lately. I didn't mean to ignore it. Thanks for more input on this! I'm not quite so sure anymore that it is the caffeine that does this for me. I've been having caffeine a little more regularly recently and did not have the scent altering experience at all. It's a bit of a mystery. Although, since, as I said, I'm sensitive to caffeine, I try to limit it to one cup of coffee total, and try to space it out so I don't have any more than two days in a row. It's possible that if I go over my limit, I will notice this effect again. I kind of suspect dark chocolate as one of the offenders also. I haven't had any lately, because I tend to overdo chocolate and try to keep it out of the house for the most part. I have also been in the situation where I smelled things that my ex, who has a super sensitive sense of smell, could not. I don't consider my sense of smell the best, and I often don't smell things that others smell, and have occasionally wondered if my sense of smell was faulty. It is why I seek out the very fragrant flowers, because I know I can definitely smell them. So it is odd to me that I have those isolated incidences where I smell notes in the air that others with superior senses of smell do not. Tammy, regardless of whether or not I have caffeine, I cannot handle an overabundance of perfume! It makes me curious why anyone would wear so much. I'm sure that habit has to be expensive, and when it gets that strong it doesn't even smell pleasant anymore. Some Dude, I find synesthesia totally fascinating. I've heard of those who can smell colors, or see music. Sometimes I think it would be really cool to be able to share these experiences via virtual reality thingamajobbers, so the rest of us can know how this feels.
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joann23456
15 years ago
Any chance you're on a new blood pressure medicine? Some of them can do this. I was on one once after a long illness, and it completely took away my sense of taste. It was *awful*, and I sympathize with you.

I hope you find relief soon.

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