I have had lyme for over 20 years. Lost my sense of smell many years ago. Still smell some things like popcorn but not much. Anyone have same loss of smell symptom or know of any literature connecting lyme or co infection with loss of smell?
Posted by Gabrielle (Member # 5329) on :
I know for sure today that my grandmother had Lyme probably all her life (she had nearly all of my symptoms). She probably also had Bartonella (e.g. burning feet at night). At around age 45 she lost her sense of smell and didn't get it back until she died at age 89.
She was never diagnosed nor did she ever get abx. I often wondered if her sense of smell could have come back with treatment.
Myself, I lost my sense of smell for one week only, when I had a bad bronchitis shortly before I got very ill with Lyme.
Gabrielle
Posted by lymebrat (Member # 3208) on :
Hi,
For me, my sense of smell has become even better than before. Sometimes this can be a nuisance as things like walking by a candle shop or a person wearing perfume makes me want to gag..
But I have heard of others who have had a loss of smell as well, that they think is lyme related...
~LymeBrat
Posted by Jillybean (Member # 8071) on :
My sense of smells come and go, but worse, my sense of taste. I'm a chef, it's my life and what I do for a living (self-employed), and not being able to taste the dishes I create is a real bummer. Try telling your customers you have Lyme disease and their food is over seasoned because of it....NOT! I can't begin to tell you how frustrating this is! Thanks for letting me vent! Jill
Posted by duke77 (Member # 5051) on :
I have lost most of my sense of smell too. Which is good and bad. Its good when going into a public bathroom, but bad when walking through a meadow. Jillybean I am a chef as well. So having no smell effects the taste as well so its harder to cook IMO. When I lose my sense of taste I will have to quit I guess.
I know I have had Lyme for years. Weird but seems like 8-10 years ago I used to have an exaggerated sense of smell I could smell everything. Which may lead me to believe it is Lyme at play and it may be reversible.
Posted by brighty (Member # 6808) on :
There are definately advantages to not having a sense of smell. I can clean out garbages, pig pens - happily....
However, I can't smell smoke if we have a fire... and I don't know what my 8 year old or my wife smell like.
Does anyone know if this lose of smell may be reversable with long term abx.
Posted by Andie333 (Member # 7370) on :
I'm with Lymebrat -- my sense of smell is stronger than it's ever been since I was dx.
It's been pretty difficult for me. I often have to move in restaurants, when there are people with strong perfume near me.
I used to eat fish several times a week and now can't get past the smell.
Andie
Posted by Lymester (Member # 5848) on :
I have taste and smell sensitivity. I cannot stand the smell of shrimp or fish either Andie. It's almost the same sensation that increased when I was pregnant.
I cannot eat anything in a marinade which my husband is very good at bbq-ing with and I used to adore. Now we cook everything in separate manner.
Posted by Andie333 (Member # 7370) on :
Lymster, the litter box (normally benign) just reeks to me now.
Thankfully, I can still eat shrimp. I cook for someone part time, and I was worried that my acute sense of smell would affect my cooking. We've got people in my block who are sick, including my SO. So I made two pots of soup -- lentil and a chicken and wild rice.
The chicken tastes good, but I can't eat the lentil, now that I've cooked it. Everyone is saying it tastes great, but, again, there's a smell I can't get past.
As a result of not being able to eat much, I've lost about 20 pounds since June.
It's gotta be especially maddening, Lymster, not being able to eat your husband's marinade. Feel free to show him my post, so he'll know it's not personal!
Andie
Posted by pab (Member # 904) on :
Jordan has not been able to smell much for the past 5+ years. I think his is neurological because he can smell things for awhile after he has a lumbar puncture.
Jake has a hyper-sensitivity to smells.
Posted by millymollymandy (Member # 7703) on :
Hi All, My sense of smell seems to be very sensitive too - haven't had the loss of smell. My partner says that I ought to make a living out of my hooter by sniffing wine or tea for a living!
One strange thing that I do get and this is not particularly nice to describe; My left nostril sometimes gets a bit snotty (!) and this has a particularly 'odd' smell - it doesn't do it all the time but goes though say a week of doing this and then goes away again....
I think that sinus problems can be signs of other co infections - my LLMD is about to test for chlamydia pneumoniae as I had a history of bad catarrh when I was a child.
Posted by Marnie (Member # 773) on :
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