Lost my sense of smell

[Char M]

So I have been on AP for 2 years 3months and I am doing great. My last blood results from Jan. 2011 are so very close to normal I can almost “taste” it! The problem is I can’t smell much of anything. Since being on AP I have noticed a heightened sense of smell, ( I could smell the cat using the litter box before she knew she needed it ❗ ) Then, the end of April I got a bad cold/flu; sinus congestion, dry cough, headaches, I couldn’t smell much. I knew I didn’t have a sinus infection because of all the antibiotic I am taking, so I called Dr. F’s office and he sent me some supplements to ad to my regime. I started clearing up almost immediately how ever I wasn’t smelling anything or tasting! I questioned the supplements which were, beta glucan, immunoglobulin, vit c. olive leaf extract and garlic. But Dr. F couldn’t find any correlation between any of them and the loss of smell. I did read online that some people have been know to loose their sense of smell after a rhinovirus, great 🙁 . So I followed up with my primary who only offered up that, that was very rare and sent me on to an ENT. My 5 minutes with the ENT basically told me everything I had read online, other than he did look into my nose with the endoscope and confirmed that there is no tumor or polyps, so I guess that’s something. He did suggest smoke alarms and that if I’m lucky my smell would return. Some sense of smell has come back but very little and it isn’t what it should smell like.
So I went went from a heightened sense of smell to practically none. Has anyone else ever experienced this on AP? What did you do?
Thanks for any help,
Char

[Krys]

Hi Char,
I cannot relate to it and have no knowledge of rhinovirus. All I can offer is some loose thoughts.
Is your sense of taste back? Do you have any neuropathies? Any numbness, tingling? If you run the fingertips gently over your face, scalp, do you notice any areas with diminished feeling?
If it had been me, I would search for acupressure points for the nose / loss of sense of smell and do massage on those points, maybe I would do all the face once I got started; it cannot hurt.
This one mentions your problem: http://www.gwinslow.com/gw/headache.html about 1/3 down, below the first picture:
Disturbances of smell and taste. Like the common cold, a sinus condition can block the nasal passages. This often leads to anosmia, the loss of the sense of smell. If you lose the sense of smell, you are also likely to lose at least some of your sense of taste. Foods may seem less interesting than they once did. Less commonly, a sinus condition can bring on a condition called parosmia, in which you seem to smell peculiar odors that are not really there.
But it will nor really be a solution, as it aims at relieving headaches due to sinus problems.
This one relates to anosmia: http://www.horseqi.com/anosmia.html

I think that a visit with TCM doc could be helpful. Most do acupuncture on the whole body, some just on the acupressure points on the ears. I don’t know which one would be better. But as it is possible that there is some blockage on meridian involving the nose, acupuncture could get it “unstuck” and restore the normal nerve functioning. That is just a guess on my part that I myself would follow.
Warm wishes, Krys

[Krys]

Interesting: http://www.earthclinic.com/CURES/smell.html

Acupressure points for loss of smell: #19, 23, 32: http://onlineartdirector.com/pointfinder/acupoints.html

Keeping my fingers crossed for you, Krys

[Maz]

@Char M wrote:

So I have been on AP for 2 years 3months and I am doing great. My last blood results from Jan. 2011 are so very close to normal I can almost “taste” it! The problem is I can’t smell much of anything. Since being on AP I have noticed a heightened sense of smell, ( I could smell the cat using the litter box before she knew she needed it ❗ ) Then, the end of April I got a bad cold/flu; sinus congestion, dry cough, headaches, I couldn’t smell much. I knew I didn’t have a sinus infection because of all the antibiotic I am taking,

Char, what fabulous news to hear you’re so close to remission you can almost taste it! Don’t forget to send us your testimonial – it’s such a great way to “pay it forward” to newcomers. 🙂

One thought that came to mind was candida in the nasal passages. This isn’t always recognized by mainstream med and could have been missed by the ENT, depending how far he took his scope to check you out. This video is kind of graphic, so not for the faint of heart, but I found it just fascinating….the BeeGees playing in the background lightens the mood, too. 😆

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAHLM4M2z6w

It’s just a thought, though, and may not be relevant in your case (no signs of polyps, etc), but just wondered if Dr. F might also try you on an anti-fungal, like Diflucan for a while to see if it might improve things?

Do you use Neti-Pot with a mild saline solution?

Way to go with your AP!!!! So happy to hear your news.

[Parisa]

Char,

I have a co-worker who lost her sense of smell after getting a nasty cold. I believe she said it lasted a couple of months. I think the fact that you are starting to recover a little of your sense of smell is a good sign that it is slowly coming back.

[Char M]

Krys, Maz, Parisa,
Thanks for all the good thoughts and suggestions.
Maz, that video was very interesting and informative. It would make sense that candida would be the culprit. I’m not surprised it isn’t recognized by the mainstream, like I said in my post I had all of 5 minutes with the ENT, (he was behind schedule), and he basically said there is nothing one can do for it. 🙁 I will give Dr F’s office a call and will also look into getting a Neti-Pot.

Many, many thanks to all for caring!
Char

[spfister]

Char:

Hi! I was researching posts to see if there was anything on the lost of smell. I also have that problem and was wondering if you found anything to help? I am going to the ENT also in a few weeks. I also went from a heightened sense of smell to no smell. I had the heightened sense during the flu of all things. Now I can’t smell anything. It comes back from time to time. I am already on a antifungal medication because my Pulminologist can see aspergillious in my sputum from time to time. So my thoughts is it’s a fungal infection also.

Does anyone know how much taking Minocin 100 3 x week can contribute to getting fungal infections in the nose/lungs ect.?

Thanks,
Shari

[A Friend]

Char M,
I’m running but wanted to add that a certain deficiency or two may be part of the problem. I had the same thought that Maz mentioned, and think it is very likely you have a fungal problem going on, as well as possibly a zinc deficiency. There are many links about this, including on Cure Zone. This is one I copied and am pasting below. It will be interesting to learn about the return of your ability to smell. Do let us know…

http://www.ehow.com/list_6854686_treatments-loss-sense-smell_.html

AF

[Char M]

Shari, AF,
My sense of smell has taken an odd journey. I tried the neti pot and around that time, the smell that was coming back disappeared again only to be replaced by the most foul/acrid odor that I liken to the smell of burning hair mixed with a new vinyl/rubber backing, like from a new rug. (No smell was much better) Every new room I walked into, getting into the car every where, I would get hit with this pungent smell. It would kind of dissipate, but hit again if I changed rooms. Weird, Right?! Knowing I was going out of town, I stopped anything extra, (neti pot, supplements) and the acrid odor has lessened, I’m starting to smell some odors and my taste is coming back. The acrid odor is still there but not as intense, heat or what I’m calling “Low” odors still smell acrid like coffee, perfume, the cat box. Hard to explain. I have a call into Dr. F’s office regarding the fungus and now that I’m back home I will see my primary care as well. I will definitely look into a zinc deficiency. I have the mindset that my sinuses are slowly healing, that the cold back in April wreaked havoc, but they are slowly recovering. 😉
I will keep you posted if anything should change.
Char

[A Friend]

@Char M wrote:

Shari, AF,
My sense of smell has taken an odd journey…….Char

Char wrote: I tried the neti pot and around that time, the smell that was coming back disappeared again only to be replaced by the most foul/acrid odor that I liken to the smell of burning hair mixed with a new vinyl/rubber backing, like from a new rug. (No smell was much better)

AF replies: My thought is that when we begin addressing fungal problems, and if/when changes/herx-type things begin to happen and, perhaps, this period is when (if it is a fungal infection) that things begin moving and changing and this may have stirred things up allowing you to smell purulent material from it.

[Way back in the 1990’s when I had been sick two years and didn’t know fungal overgrowth, caused by two years of abx (not AP abx, just many 10-day RXes of abx and not being told to replace good flora with probiotics), had gone systemic. I’d never ever had a yeast infection in my life.) When a new knowledgeable friend with a health store had me read about and begin Dr. Wm Crook’s program, each night after going to bed, I began having chills, fever, and nightsweats for a long time; and each morning during this period of time I would actually feel much better — I was getting rid of toxins. (And right before I began this program, I had begun to think I was not going to make it, as I had become a listless, lifeless vegetable after the two years of constant illness. Turns out I was on the right track with the yeast program, and the pediatric allergist who is known for his 12 to 14 books on the yeast connection helped guide me through it.

Mayo Research has much on this subject which has been published, and wrote that a huge percent of sinus problems are of a fungal origin. Maybe a search for this work, or some of Dr. Crook’s work, would help you rule it in or out.

Good luck with solving this.
AF

[Author]

Posts