Lost sense of smell after a cold?

So, about a month ago—maybe a little longer, honestly, I lose track—I came down with something. Just a minor bug, a nasty little cold, nothing too crazy. I ended up on Augmentin and using some Nassau nasal spray, and I was pretty much out of commission for six days. Had a fever, too, though nothing wild, just hovering around that 99-100 degree mark. Anyway, you know how it goes when you're sick—at one point, my sense of smell and taste just... vanished. Like, poof. Usually, that’s standard stuff, right? You expect everything to snap back to normal after a week or two.
But here’s the thing: it’s been three weeks now, and I am still not quite back to my old self. It happens more often than not lately—I’ll be eating, and suddenly there’s zero flavor. I could literally be eating a bowl of plain kale—which I absolutely loathe, by the way—and it wouldn't even matter because I can't taste a thing. And then there are those moments where my roommate will mention how good someone smells (or how much that one guy in our building stinks), and I’m just sitting there like, "Uh, I don't smell anything." It isn't happening every single second, but man, it’s starting to get on my nerves.

I’m sitting here having breakfast right now, and I honestly have no clue if this pear is even good or if it tastes like cardboard. This morning, I actually managed to taste the lactose-free milk I had... which was weird enough. wtf? 😕

Basically, people keep telling me that this can happen sometimes after taking strong antibiotics or from using that Nassau spray. And fine, I get it, but a whole month? Has anyone else dealt with this exact same headache?

Not from the list provided. I’m an allergy sufferer, so I know what it's like to go months without smelling anything—or just reacting to flashes of light. For instance, I can't smell Clorox at all; it stings my eyes, sure, but the scent? Nonexistent. I used to overdo it with perfume until I actually noticed it, but now I stick to one spray in three spots and call it a day. Honestly, sometimes the lack of sensation is what gets to me—nobody really helps you navigate it, even though it's just "normal" for someone with allergies.

I found myself facing a remarkably similar predicament, where my prolonged reliance on nasal sprays and drops over several months resulted in a complete loss of my sense of smell within just a few months... However, following a corrective sinus surgery to address the underlying issues, my olfactory senses began to return to me gradually. It has been years now, and everything has finally stabilized. I suspect that things will eventually settle for you as well, though it will likely require a great deal of patience and the passage of time...

Douglas Booth2 said:I found myself facing a remarkably similar predicament, where my prolonged reliance on nasal sprays and drops over several months resulted in a complete loss of my sense of smell within just a few months... However, following a corrective sinus surgery to address the underlying issues, my olfactory senses began to return to me gradually. It has been years now, and everything has finally stabilized. I suspect that things will eventually settle for you as well, though it will likely require a great deal of patience and the passage of time...

Wait, nose surgery? 😲

Please forgive my clumsy phrasing and any misunderstanding on my part...
Dealing with a deviated septum and vasomotor rhinitis meant I was stuck using nasal sprays for quite some time, which unfortunately stripped away my sense of smell altogether. Once I finally underwent surgery to correct the septum, those sprays became unnecessary, and after a period of waiting, my sense of smell eventually returned to normal. It is worth noting that I had been relying on those nasal drops—and similar preparations—for months at a time, so I suspect you won't face any lasting issues with your sense of smell returning... Patience is key...

Douglas Booth2 said:Please forgive my clumsy phrasing and any misunderstanding on my part...
Dealing with a deviated septum and vasomotor rhinitis meant I was stuck using nasal sprays for quite some time, which unfortunately stripped away my sense of smell altogether. Once I finally underwent surgery to correct the septum, those sprays became unnecessary, and after a period of waiting, my sense of smell eventually returned to normal. It is worth noting that I had been relying on those nasal drops—and similar preparations—for months at a time, so I suspect you won't face any lasting issues with your sense of smell returning... Patience is key...

Man, I really hope so because this whole thing is starting to get on my last nerve. Seriously—it was only yesterday, after I’d already polished off half a pint of Ben & Jerry's, that I actually started tasting anything at all... 😁

Well, I suppose you should just indulge in plenty of ice cream then... 🙂 Do let me know how your nose starts to feel as time goes on.

Susan Price said:So, about a month ago—maybe a little longer, honestly, I lose track—I came down with something. Just a minor bug, a nasty little cold, nothing too crazy. I ended up on Augmentin and using some Nassau nasal spray, and I was pretty much out of commission for six days. Had a fever, too, though nothing wild, just hovering around that 99-100 degree mark. Anyway, you know how it goes when you're sick—at one point, my sense of smell and taste just... vanished. Like, poof. Usually, that’s standard stuff, right? You expect everything to snap back to normal after a week or two.
But here’s the thing: it’s been three weeks now, and I am still not quite back to my old self. It happens more often than not lately—I’ll be eating, and suddenly there’s zero flavor. I could literally be eating a bowl of plain kale—which I absolutely loathe, by the way—and it wouldn't even matter because I can't taste a thing. And then there are those moments where my roommate will mention how good someone smells (or how much that one guy in our building stinks), and I’m just sitting there like, "Uh, I don't smell anything." It isn't happening every single second, but man, it’s starting to get on my nerves.

I’m sitting here having breakfast right now, and I honestly have no clue if this pear is even good or if it tastes like cardboard. This morning, I actually managed to taste the lactose-free milk I had... which was weird enough. wtf? 😕

Basically, people keep telling me that this can happen sometimes after taking strong antibiotics or from using that Nassau spray. And fine, I get it, but a whole month? Has anyone else dealt with this exact same headache?

Honestly, it's been that way for my entire life. 😁