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Foul Smell in Nose AFTER Sinus Surgery

I've been reading a lot of posts about "smells" in the nose, but I haven't seen anything with my particular circumstance.
Three weeks ago, I had sinus surgery. I had thickening in the frontal and maxillary sinuses, and a couple of polyps removed. Recovery was going fine until yesterday when I began to have this smell in my nose. I have a relative who has chronic bad breath. The only way I know to describe the smell is to say that it smells like my aunt's bad breath. It can be very faint, but at times will come on very strong like opening a garbage can and getting an intense wave of bad smelling stuff. I'm also getting a lot more drainage down my throat and have actually had to blow my nose more these last two days than I did the first three weeks after surgery.

I have been using saline spray numerous times a day since my surgery, so I can't figure out why I would start having these problems now.
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Avatar universal
I had surgery almost 3 months ago. I started noticing the smell about 1 month ago. It smelled like stinky feet but only on the right side. I felt there was something in there. I have been using saline sprays and rinses since my surgery. Today after blowing my nose I continued to rub my nostrils and loiw and behold it finally came loose. It wouldn't blow out though, it was kinda stuck in the back of my nose. At one point I sucked in and swallowed and it fell out to the back of my throat. I spit it out onto tissues and it was huge! Green and slimy butbrubbery. About the size of a half dollar and pretty thick too!  I am happy to say the smell is finally gone!
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Avatar universal
Hi Lucy,

I have had the exact same symptoms as you have described from last year!
Has it got better for you?
I had my sinus surgery in December 2014 and now 8 months on I have the 'stuff' coming out of my nose nearly every month!
Bad smell, gets worse, then out it comes!
Reading this forum has helped but my symptoms have continued 8 months on!
I put it down to years and years of 'stuff' building up and making its way out!



Thanks!
Zara in the UK
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Avatar universal
This would have to be the weirdest and grossest forum on the net! But, reassuring, (that so many people have the same problem), but it has also increased my concern a bit too! My smell started 10 days after my op- also transphenoidal surgery- for a pituitary tumour. My understanding was the ENT surgeon went into the sinuses and cut out a piece of the sphenoid bone, the tumour was removed, then put the bone back in place, and packed it with a dissolving packing "material", (like dissolvable stitches), while the bone reattached. Until now, I've just assumed the smell/taste was just the packing was breaking down. I'm now 2 months post-op, and the smell keeps recurring. At my post-op consult with the ENT, he said the smell was "normal" and it would take "a while" to go away... I wonder how long is a while? LucyEvony, at the time, your question  in this forum was posted 7 months after your operation! 8 months has now passed. Did it eventually go away? Hope it has, (for your sake- and mine), and for everybody else in this forum.
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Avatar universal
This would have to be the weirdest and grossest forum on the net! But, reassuring, (that so many people have the same problem), but it has also increased my concern a bit too! My smell started 10 days after my op- also transphenoidal surgery- for a pituitary tumour. My understanding was the ENT surgeon went into the sinuses and cut out a piece of the sphenoid bone, the tumour was removed, then put the bone back in place, and packed it with a dissolving packing "material", (like dissolvable stitches), while the bone reattached. Until now, I've just assumed the smell/taste was just the packing was breaking down. I'm now 2 months post-op, and the smell keeps recurring. At my post-op consult with the ENT, he said the smell was "normal" and it would take "a while" to go away... I wonder how long is a while? LucyEvony, at the time, your question  in this forum was posted 7 months after your operation! 8 months has now passed. Did it eventually go away? Hope it has, (for your sake- and mine), and for everybody else in this forum.
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Avatar universal
Hi,

I have been suffering with similar symptoms to yourself for the last 4years.

do you by any chance use any medication for your problems?
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Avatar universal
Just want to post a follow up - I went to see my ENT Dr. last night, after I called regarding the smell they suggested I come in to get checked out.  When I had gone for my 2 week post op exam, there had been some scabbing in my right nostril that had been stubborn and the doctor hadn't wanted to irritate it then and cause bleeding, expecting it to eventually come out.  Unfortunately it did not, and created a road block on that side, backing everything up behind it - hence the smell.  He removed it (super gross) and it was a huge difference right away.
I still occasionally get a faint whiff, but there's probably still some tissue there that needs a few more sinus rinses to clean out.  It is a huge improvement though.
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