Loss of Smell/Taste and Nasal Polyps

[gindie]

Went to the ENT specialist for a month-long loss of smell/taste. Looked into the nose and saw polyps (also had a sinus CT that showed blocked sinuses).

ENT gave me a 6-day pack of Prednisone (4mg) and Rhinocort nasal spray. Got 4 days of smell and taste back (ate everything in sight ), then gone again.

Question...Anybody else have the same thing/treatment with better results?

 

[MikeD]

Did you eat everything in sight because you could suddenly smell it or because you were feeling hungry?

When I first got my transplant I was on 60 mg/day of Prednisone and I couldn't stop eating. I actually had really long dreams about going to the store to buy food, preparing it, and then eating it. That stuff made me obsessed with eating.

My dose is tiny now, 5 mg every other day, so any food thoughts are my own fault.

Mike D.

 

[gindie]

MikeD.

I'm positive that it was because I could smell/taste it. I wanted to experience all that I could before it went away again, which it did.

 

[Martha]

A friend of ours found the prednisone/nasal spray treatment did not help. He ended up getting the polyps removed in a day surgery procedure. That was a week ago. The day after surgery his sense of smell returned. I spent the weekend with him and his wife. He sure spent a lot of time blowing "interesting" things out of his nose. Including a piece of tape.

 

[Sue J]

I have just about no sense of smell and very little sense of taste. But it's not polyps, I've just always been this way. So far I haven't sought a cure. I've just gotten used to this.

Cooking, without burning, is a challenge. I tend to be a fairly plain cook since spices don't make much sense. I noticed I don't like a lot of noise when I cook, I need to hear the bubbling and sizzling.

I had to visually check for dirty diapers or signs of food gone bad, things like that. If I find a questionable item in the refrigerator I have someone else smell it for me, or I just throw it out. I am our household's designated litter box scooper.

We replaced our old gas stove that had pilot lights because if the pilot light went out I could not smell the leaking gas. A few months ago I was home alone and vacuuming, the family came home and started yelling at me to STOP, that something was burning. It was the rubber vacuum belt, which they said was a horrible smell. I was absolutely clueless.

I know I can taste sweet and salty and texture is important. I'm probably better off not knowing what I'm missing. If this doesn't come back for you, you can get used to it.

I hope you can get it back. I imagine it's like going from color to black and white.