[__ Prayer __] Wished it would taste like chicken...

[handy]

About two months ago, I began to realize I was losing my sense of smell. It's gotten gradually worse and it's to the point now where I smell nothing...and I mean nothing. Bleach, sour milk that one of the kids left in a water bottle, my best homemade spaghetti...nada. You need someone to chop up a raw onion...I'm your girl!

Sort of disconcerting, but not really all that disruptive to normal life and with everything else happening, I just didn't think it warranted much concern.

Now...my taste is being affected. I have had the strong taste of sour lemons in my mouth since Saturday. It premeates everything I've eaten or have drank since then. The aforementioned homemade spaghetti, along with Ceasar salad and garlic bread...all tasted like lemon. The $3 Meal Deal Chalupa and Pepsi I had for lunch? Tasted like lemon. A glass of milk...lemon. Iced tea...lemon.

The thing is...I don't even like lemon all that much.

I've got a doctor's appointment tomorrow to see what if anything is causing this or can be done about it. What I've read online isn't exactly encouraging.

I truly don't want to live the next 40 or so years tasting sour lemons...

Prayers for wisdom for my doctor and the ability to identify what is the real issue here will be appreciated.

 

[reba]

A person as sweet as you shouldn't be tasting lemons....

 

[handy]

Thanks for the prayers (and sweet encouragement) Reba!

The lemon taste seems to be gone this morning. Replaced by a taste of strong coffee. My daughter has taken a liking to morning coffee and is making the pot herself...which, bless her heart, I'm glad she's taking the initiative for doing anything that early. However, she still gets a little too strong.

My breakfast tasted quite bland...not like lemon, just sort of like...blah. Then as soon as I was finished eating the coffee taste returned.

Which, I'd rather taste coffee all day than sour lemon!!!

But, something is not quite right. I'm glad I'm going to the doctor's about it. Hopefully it will get resolved.

 

[reba]

It is always best to check these thing out with a doctor your comfortable with..

The stress you have had as of late are bound to have some effect on the ol body.

I 'd take the coffee over the lemons any day so things are improving now if you start tasting we need to move FAST!

 

[stovebolts]

Wow Dora,
I've never heard of such a thing! This time of year my sense of smell is long gone as my nose is plugged because of all my alergies, and I've noticed that food is kinda bland... But lemons and coffee? Wow. that's really strange.

do you think it's just seasonal with the pine trees dropping their pollen? Or do you get that yellow dusting from the pine trees?

Hope you're smelling better later.

Wait... that didn't come across right...

 

[handy]

Wow Dora,
I've never heard of such a thing! This time of year my sense of smell is long gone as my nose is plugged because of all my alergies, and I've noticed that food is kinda bland... But lemons and coffee? Wow. that's really strange.

do you think it's just seasonal with the pine trees dropping their pollen? Or do you get that yellow dusting from the pine trees?

Hope you're smelling better later.

Wait... that didn't come across right...

It's OK Jeff, I know I don't smell so good. Ummm....wait...ing

I also know that this doesn't have anything to do with allergies. I do get allergies, and I even had a 'flu bug for a couple of days that stuffed me up...but I'm over that now. My sinuses are almost completely clear.

And, I spoke too soon about the lemons...that taste is creeping in again. 2

 

[Gazelle]

I hope your loss is temporary, indeed!
​

According to the MayoClinic.com, phantosmia could be an indication of brain damage, schizophrenia or Alzheimer's Disease.

Have you suffered a head injury or mild concussion lately?
Ok, don't laugh, but do you use those room air fresheners???? I've not heard good things about them...

I'm a bit puzzled, you smelled the coffee when your daughter made it strong?

Anyway, your MD is probably going to send you to a neurologist for further testing. And after all that, they may just dismiss it, tell you it may be temporary or permanent and it's a wait and see subject??? I'd take that over an dx though, for sure. Hope you are well with a temp. issue.
​

 

[Christ_empowered]

I'm glad you're taking steps to see if you can work out solution to this problem, or at least figure out the root cause. I'll pray for you.

 

[handy]

Well...to start things off, I'm on a round of antibiotics based on the theory that my loss of smell and the on-set of the overwhelming taste of lemon is due to a long standing bacterial infection of my sinuses.

No tests were done, this is just a "best guess" place to start.

 

[Christ_empowered]

ugh, that's rough, handy. Still, its for the best. Keep us posted.

 

[Gazelle]

Actually, that sounds good. Hopefully one round is all those bacteria need grrr. That could be the easiest fix.

 

[stovebolts]

Wow Dora, that just sounds awful. Keep us posted.

 

[reba]

So hows the lemonade?

 

[handy]

Bleech...still there.

I'm half way through the round of anti-biotics the doctor perscribed and still no tasted but lemon and no sense of smell.

I'll finish the round, then give him a call back. He didn't actually test for anything, he just did this as a likely first step...but, it doesn't seem to be working.

 

[Brokenhearted]

I heard that Zicam will destroy your sense of taste, don't know about zinc lozenges. There are definitely some chemicals that can hamper your sense of smell and taste.

Sometimes not eating for several hours will help your taste return, it's probably something with your sinuses though.