Covid Recovery/Side effects

[Bullseye_Gotcha]

It has been about 3 weeks since recovering. About Two weeks since tastes and smells returned.

I have found that I suffer from parosmia. Phantom smells are often a side effect after recovery.

My phantom smell is cigarette smoke. I haven't smoked since I was 23 so... 32 years ago. I have no friends that smoke.

Everywhere and anytime there is no known odor (like cooking for instance) I smell second hand cigarette smoke! Driving me crazy. I hate that smell.

Anyone else having this side effect?

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It has been about 3 weeks since recovering. About Two weeks since tastes and smells returned.

I have found that I suffer from parosmia. Phantom smells are often a side effect after recovery.

My phantom smell is cigarette smoke. I haven't smoked since I was 23 so... 32 years ago. I have no friends that smoke.

Everywhere and anytime there is no known odor (like cooking for instance) I smell second hand cigarette smoke! Driving me crazy. I hate that smell.

Anyone else having this side effect?

I searched the internet, there are many references to other people experiencing the same thing.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/22/style/smell-covid-dating-parosmia.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/22/styl ... osmia.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/22/style/smell-covid-dating-parosmia.html

"The exact number of people experiencing parosmia is unknown.
 One recent review found that 47 percent of people with Covid-19 had smell and taste changes;
of those, about half reported developing parosmia."

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https://www.webmd.com/brain/what-is-phantosmia">https://www.webmd.com/brain/what-is-phantosmia

"If you notice phantom smells, talk to your doctor about it. They may do a thorough physical exam and ask about your medical history to make sure you don't have another underlying cause, like a brain tumor.

Doctors may also have to rule out another similar smell disorder called parosmia. In this condition, your nose detects odors that are different from what's actually there. For example, you might see a banana but smell rotting flesh. Parosmia usually happens when an upper respiratory infection damages tissues in your nose and nasal cavity.

COVID-19 and Phantosmia
Many people infected by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, lose their sense of smell and sense of taste. Reports also link COVID-19 infections to phantom smells like "burned toast" or unique scents that are hard to describe."

[YoDoug]

Before getting Covid my wife had an extremely sensitive sense of smell. Even the faintest of perfumes or potpouri smells could end up giving her a migraine. When she got Covid she lost her sense of smell and taste. It took almost 6 months before she started to get her smell back. She says it has actually been a blessing in disguise. She went from getting  a couple migraines a month to not getting any at all. She just recently had her first semi-migraine since Nov 2020 when she got Covid. Her Covid was mild, no fever and regular flu-like symptoms. She has joked about wanting to get Covid again so she can lose here sense of smell again.

For me, I like spicy foods, my wife does not. For a few months while her sense of taste was gone I could make food as spicy as I wanted. There were times I made dishes that I almost broke a sweat over how spicy it was and she would just smile and say she thinks she could taste something.  

[neurosis]

Anyone else having this side effect?

When I first started to recover, I had a lingering cough that took about 2 months to fully go away.  I was also getting winded really easily.  I typically do a lot of working out and walking.  I wasn't able to do much during that time and I can feel it. I'm still working on getting my energy back.  

My taste and smell disappeared for about 3 days.  I got lucky there. It did take a bit for my taste to get back to normal. Some things tasted very salty to me. Coffee tasted really bitter.  Now everything seems to be fully back to normal other than the energy level.

[Jim at Gentex]

Anyone else having this side effect?

My wife and I both had COVID back in September, but neither one of us lost our sense of taste and smell.

However, she had some really weird smell experiences while she had COVID, mainly that when she woke up in the morning she swore she smelled brownies baking in the oven!

She hasn't had it happen since, but I thought that was a weirdly random thing to phantom smell.
I told her at the time to look at the bright side.
It could have been rotting fish or some other nasty smell, but instead she smelled delicious brownies!  

[RobertELee]

For me, I like spicy foods, my wife does not. For a few months while her sense of taste was gone I could make food as spicy as I wanted. There were times I made dishes that I almost broke a sweat over how spicy it was and she would just smile and say she thinks she could taste something.  

Been wondering about that. I'd just assumed they couldn't taste the spicy things, however the actual heat could still be felt. Your wife's experience proves otherwise. Interesting...

[Shazam/TPP]

my wife had Covid early September and last two weeks is experiencing abnormal hair loss, freaking her out!! She has(had) thick, thick hair and now really thin. Doctors say this can last up to six months and is a side effect of Covid.

also lost smell and taste but those are coming back.

[Del.]

my wife had Covid early September and last two weeks is experiencing abnormal hair loss, freaking her out!! She has(had) thick, thick hair and now really thin. Doctors say this can last up to six months and is a side effect of Covid.

also lost smell and taste but those are coming back.

I've heard of the hair loss side effect.

[Bullseye_Gotcha]

Never heard of the hair loss side effect. My wife would have freaked out.

During the time when my taste and smell were gone, I would use those essential oils (peppermint, eucalyptus) having put them right under my nose and fairly a faint whiff.
I boiled raw ginger root in a 1/2 cup of water twice a day and added honey and drank that daily. Ginger was one of the first smells to come back. I did eat a bunch of Halloween candy but I could barely taste sweet and nothing different between any except texture.

[pmartin]

Wow, with those side effects it's no wonder that people are choosing to not get vaccinated.

[Dan_AKA_ROY23]

Interesting. Glad all involved seem to have gotten over it. This is a tough virus to figure out, as we all know. Everyone reacts differently. Some older people get mild symptoms that pass quickly or even no symptoms (asymptomatic) at all. Then you read about a younger person who dies. Much rarer incidence, but still scary.

I will venture to say I probably got covid in late DEC of 2019. Still having doubts since that was so early on and at that time I never even heard of covid, some news stories out of China began slowly trickling in by late DEC 2019. Anyway, going on the assumption I did have it... I got the vaccine. Didn't want to get that sick again! (neurosis, about 2 1/2 to 3 months for me to get my breathing normal again. No issues since)

[Shazam/TPP]

Wow, with those side effects it's no wonder that people are choosing to not get vaccinated.

news flash people that are vaccinated have even gotten these side effects, according to my wife's doctor

[Shazam/TPP]

Never heard of the hair loss side effect. My wife would have freaked out.

she is freaking out, Covid itself was no more than a bad cold/flu (fever, down for 2-3 days, soreness). after effects are pissing her off (hair is everything to a woman)

[Del.]

Hair will grow back. Get her a wig and have a fantasy