Aa
Don't laugh --- Has anyone's sense of smell become MORE since HCV started?
I'm just asking a basic question - has anyone else noticed that their sense of smell went off the richter scale once HCV transmission occurred?
I'm wondering about this out loud --- because I'm trying to put some pieces of a puzzle together.
When I was pregnant - I noticed that my sense of smell became AMAZING... I mean - I could smell things other people could not...
The scent of beer, alcohol became repugnant to me... I could smell if women who used the restroom ahead of me were menstruating - (ICK YUCK GROSS, I know.. Sigh --- but I'm trying to make a point here) I could tell if they had any type of sickness --- it was a sour"er" smell that lingered in the air... I could "smell" people much more so than before --- especially body odors, mouth odors... I mean --- I have bloodhound senses now in my nose.. I'm the kind of person who could literally be a perfume tester or Wine tester for scents...
And I smoke cigarettes ---- so imagine if I did not...
To this day - I still have issues with getting close to some people... Because of the way they smell.
Don't laugh --- OK?
I have even discussed this with The Monell Institute --- They're stumped with what and whys of it.
I've just learned to tolerate it...
Anyhow --- I was wondering if ANYONE else with HCV --- or anyone else who was pregnant with HCV noticed any difference in their senses.
It happened about the same time I believe I was infected -- which was while I was pregnant.
So ---- anyone else?
I'm asking for a very specific reason.
Thanks for any and all answers --- NO MATTER how silly you get...
Hugs to you all.
Meki
I'm wondering about this out loud --- because I'm trying to put some pieces of a puzzle together.
When I was pregnant - I noticed that my sense of smell became AMAZING... I mean - I could smell things other people could not...
The scent of beer, alcohol became repugnant to me... I could smell if women who used the restroom ahead of me were menstruating - (ICK YUCK GROSS, I know.. Sigh --- but I'm trying to make a point here) I could tell if they had any type of sickness --- it was a sour"er" smell that lingered in the air... I could "smell" people much more so than before --- especially body odors, mouth odors... I mean --- I have bloodhound senses now in my nose.. I'm the kind of person who could literally be a perfume tester or Wine tester for scents...
And I smoke cigarettes ---- so imagine if I did not...
To this day - I still have issues with getting close to some people... Because of the way they smell.
Don't laugh --- OK?
I have even discussed this with The Monell Institute --- They're stumped with what and whys of it.
I've just learned to tolerate it...
Anyhow --- I was wondering if ANYONE else with HCV --- or anyone else who was pregnant with HCV noticed any difference in their senses.
It happened about the same time I believe I was infected -- which was while I was pregnant.
So ---- anyone else?
I'm asking for a very specific reason.
Thanks for any and all answers --- NO MATTER how silly you get...
Hugs to you all.
Meki
Yes, Meki, I know exactly what you're talking about. Kinda anyway. My sense of
smell was odd and unusually intense but maybe not always accurate all the years I lived with hep c. I often smelled scents no one else could detect and took my fair share of the rolling of the eyes from others who thought I was imagining scents. Maybe I was. I'm not sure and don't know much about the science involved which may have contributed to the increased sense of scent. Nowadays though and the fact that maybe because I have cleared this virus the odd scents are gone. I'm acutely aware of the honeysuckle and rose and the scent of line dried sheets and the river and the sea which surrounds me. Maybe I've missed something terribly important but for this moment I'm most happy to live without that extra sense or scents. ; ]
smell was odd and unusually intense but maybe not always accurate all the years I lived with hep c. I often smelled scents no one else could detect and took my fair share of the rolling of the eyes from others who thought I was imagining scents. Maybe I was. I'm not sure and don't know much about the science involved which may have contributed to the increased sense of scent. Nowadays though and the fact that maybe because I have cleared this virus the odd scents are gone. I'm acutely aware of the honeysuckle and rose and the scent of line dried sheets and the river and the sea which surrounds me. Maybe I've missed something terribly important but for this moment I'm most happy to live without that extra sense or scents. ; ]
I began having a very "primal, earthy" smell in my nose around week 4 of TX. It cleared up after I had a blood transfusion but now I'm 8 weeks post-transfusion and the same smell is back. What a bunch of wierd stuff these drugs do to us huh???
Vaso-motor Rhinititis!!!
It is a misfiring of neurons in the brain....basically your sense of smell is over active. My daughter and I both have it. Yes, it does get worse during pregnancy. It is also considered a diagnosis of omission, which is where every other reason for the heightened sense has been ruled out and so they call it that---am I making sense?
I knew I had it before I had HCV. When I was preggo, I had to stop working with patients because I could smell everything---eeewwww. Even today when I walk by people I hold my breath. My kid keeps telling me to stop because people might see that I think they stink, so I do try to be not too obvious!!!
Now 19 years later I find I have HCV. I will know if my daughter has it soon as she gets tested tomorrow.
I didn't read all the posts thru, so if someone already said this-sorry for repeating, I was in a hurry to answer cuz I was excited to see others have this and cuz I finally knew the answer to something!!!! :-)
Izzy
It is a misfiring of neurons in the brain....basically your sense of smell is over active. My daughter and I both have it. Yes, it does get worse during pregnancy. It is also considered a diagnosis of omission, which is where every other reason for the heightened sense has been ruled out and so they call it that---am I making sense?
I knew I had it before I had HCV. When I was preggo, I had to stop working with patients because I could smell everything---eeewwww. Even today when I walk by people I hold my breath. My kid keeps telling me to stop because people might see that I think they stink, so I do try to be not too obvious!!!
Now 19 years later I find I have HCV. I will know if my daughter has it soon as she gets tested tomorrow.
I didn't read all the posts thru, so if someone already said this-sorry for repeating, I was in a hurry to answer cuz I was excited to see others have this and cuz I finally knew the answer to something!!!! :-)
Izzy
thanks for starting this thread because now it all makes sense to me. boyfriend has hepC and could always smell stuff I couldn't smell and even claimed he could smell that I was menstruating after I used the bathroom....I would always just roll my eyes at that one and thought he was nuts!...and now he has complained about a heightened sense of smell since starting tx. AND he is suffering from neuropathy..he's in extreme pain...can't work...12 weeks into tx, type 2. I posted a question recently on the neuropathy issue.
you guys should work at a school... when they start frying all this **** in the morning, it makes me want to puke!
I asked the people in charge,... why do you feed the kids this kind of food?(fried)...
their answer? "The kids like it!" duh.
Marcia - question - can you find the bottled water thread?
bandman
I asked the people in charge,... why do you feed the kids this kind of food?(fried)...
their answer? "The kids like it!" duh.
Marcia - question - can you find the bottled water thread?
bandman
messin' with the kids.... I just like to stare at them... it really freaks them out.
But moving on... one thing i did was buy 4 of these air cleaners (can't remember who makes them, got them at target) ... put them in four areas of the house, run them full time and my house smells great!! I mean when you walk in from being gone for several days , it smells kinda like a new house, but w/o out the smell of paint, etc.... fresh!
I love these cleaners.. but the filters are expensive.... but worth every penny if you hate smells!
bandman
But moving on... one thing i did was buy 4 of these air cleaners (can't remember who makes them, got them at target) ... put them in four areas of the house, run them full time and my house smells great!! I mean when you walk in from being gone for several days , it smells kinda like a new house, but w/o out the smell of paint, etc.... fresh!
I love these cleaners.. but the filters are expensive.... but worth every penny if you hate smells!
bandman
You really got me cracking up, a total deja vu. That sounds so like our conversations, except I take the part of your husband and my husband or the kids takes your part.
Marcia
Meki, I'm glad you started this thread! Who would have thought that there are so many.
Marcia
Meki, I'm glad you started this thread! Who would have thought that there are so many.
well...here's a different response. I've potentially had HCV for about 23+ years .. and I've always had a muted sense of smell. I've never been able to smell flowers the way other people can .. they can hold them right under my nose and unless they're particularly fragrant, I won't catch the smell. Many things are like that for me. Now... during tx, during the nausea phase, all I had to do was walk into the cafeteria at work in the morning and I'd have to hold my arm under my nose...even the smell of paper goods in the office supply store bothered me. And now things are back to my "normal" since the nausea has subsided. It's not that I can't smell anything...its just always been muted.
Then again .. sigh .. there's a reason I've been called an anomaly more than once in my lifetime....
Trish
Then again .. sigh .. there's a reason I've been called an anomaly more than once in my lifetime....
Trish
Wow, you really gave me food for thought.
For years now, I've assumed I have a lousy sense of smell -- because my husband smells EVERYTHING. It's been an ongoing conversation for decades:
Hubby: "Don't you smell that?"
Me: "Smell what?!" (sniffing the air like crazy)
Hubby: "You can't smell that?!?"
And, usually, whatever it was, I didn't smell it...
After a few years of this, I just thought maybe I was losing my smelling acuity. Never thought about the possibility that HIS nose was extra sensitive...
One time, it was the usual:
"Don't you smell that?"
Hubby: "That odor... like... gas."
(That made me nervous, so I check the stove, he goes down in the basement checks the furnace, nothing unusual.)
Me: "You must be imagining it."
Hubby: "I KNOW I smelt gas."
Two hours later the neighbor upstairs comes knocking on my door...
"Can your husband help me? My stove won't go on."
Apparently, the pilot light had gone out. At that point, I just figured he was just way better at smelling things than I was.
hee heee... maybe now I can say " I'm sorry, baby, it's not me, it's YOU!"
~eureka
For years now, I've assumed I have a lousy sense of smell -- because my husband smells EVERYTHING. It's been an ongoing conversation for decades:
Hubby: "Don't you smell that?"
Me: "Smell what?!" (sniffing the air like crazy)
Hubby: "You can't smell that?!?"
And, usually, whatever it was, I didn't smell it...
After a few years of this, I just thought maybe I was losing my smelling acuity. Never thought about the possibility that HIS nose was extra sensitive...
One time, it was the usual:
"Don't you smell that?"
Hubby: "That odor... like... gas."
(That made me nervous, so I check the stove, he goes down in the basement checks the furnace, nothing unusual.)
Me: "You must be imagining it."
Hubby: "I KNOW I smelt gas."
Two hours later the neighbor upstairs comes knocking on my door...
"Can your husband help me? My stove won't go on."
Apparently, the pilot light had gone out. At that point, I just figured he was just way better at smelling things than I was.
hee heee... maybe now I can say " I'm sorry, baby, it's not me, it's YOU!"
~eureka
I've heard of pregnant women developing a super "spidey-sense" of smell before. Not sure why that happens, but offhand I suspect it might have something to do with an enhanced ability to avoid toxic/spoiled foods, or disease/contagion that might threaten the unborn child. Just a guess, but I'm sure mother nature has a good reason for it.
In the meantime if you guys haven't seen this movie yet, it's pretty interesting.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=6NQsCG1NwYg
In the meantime if you guys haven't seen this movie yet, it's pretty interesting.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=6NQsCG1NwYg
Thanks youse guys ---- I'm wondering if HEPA and HEPB folks also have stronger senses of smell.
Very freaking interesting.
Very freaking interesting.
During tx I had an extremely sensitive since of smell. My wife has a Yorkie and he has light “musky” smell. I never noticed this until starting tx. I guess the tx magnified it. I would open windows and turn on all of the ceiling fans. I could even smell it at work (I guess it was in my clothes). Once my son was visiting and I asked him if the house had an odor. He said he couldn’t smell anything. Now that I finished tx, I can barely smell it.
Yes the sense of smell is annoying sometimes like when I burnt microwave popcorn and was ready to throw out the microwave 2 weeks later. I hate to admit this but I have B.O. that I can smell and it drives me nuts. Never had a problem, I don't think I even wore deoderent most of the time-----but now I think I have a warehouse in my bathroom. I think I have tried every kind except the men's super strong but I think that might be next.
BTW the smell of old pot is one thing but the plants hanging to dry (the good stuff) is one of the best smells, I could put a chair in my bro's garage and camp out. I would rather smell that than smoke the stuff.
But back to the sense of smell, I am a nut about smells, I have 2 dogs in the house and I am always thinking that I smell dog get out the rug scrubber and bath the pooches.
BTW the smell of old pot is one thing but the plants hanging to dry (the good stuff) is one of the best smells, I could put a chair in my bro's garage and camp out. I would rather smell that than smoke the stuff.
But back to the sense of smell, I am a nut about smells, I have 2 dogs in the house and I am always thinking that I smell dog get out the rug scrubber and bath the pooches.
Welcome, one more joining our doggy club! Ya, the pot smell. Stale pot in clothes, that's so disgusting. I would be messing with them kids heads too. I love doing that to ppl who just had a smoke, they don't know what's coming... Ha ha
Interesting.
Serotonin Reuptake Enhancers work on Neurons which also include nerve impulses - which are sometimes prescribed for Nerve pains.
Very interesting.
This is getting more interesting --- and may be why Lyrica did not work for me. I cannot take Paxil - it gives me tremors and yawns. Celexa - only mild effects - but I don't like them...
Hmmmm... this leads me to more interesting thoughts on this issue.
Thanks bandman --- don't mess with the kids too much... LMAO!
Meki
Serotonin Reuptake Enhancers work on Neurons which also include nerve impulses - which are sometimes prescribed for Nerve pains.
Very interesting.
This is getting more interesting --- and may be why Lyrica did not work for me. I cannot take Paxil - it gives me tremors and yawns. Celexa - only mild effects - but I don't like them...
Hmmmm... this leads me to more interesting thoughts on this issue.
Thanks bandman --- don't mess with the kids too much... LMAO!
Meki
my sense of smell is so acute that it is annoying.
But I have always been that way and so was my dad.
Perfumes, air fresheners, etc. can drive me batty, and can at times, induce a migraine headache..
But it can also be a great tool... I can always, tell if one of my students has been smoking pot, then I can mess with their head!
I went to a tour of a french perfume factory (knew this was a big mistake) and could smell the factory about a mile before we even arrived! I'm like "hey do you smell that? this is not good! help!"
I lasted about 5 minutes in that place.
About a year ago , I went through a phase where everything was tasting like a cardboard pizza box smells, weird huh?
I convinced my doctor that it was due to depression and occasional migraines... he prescribed topomax and celexa , and guess what! no more pizza box taste! I ramble!
bandman
But I have always been that way and so was my dad.
Perfumes, air fresheners, etc. can drive me batty, and can at times, induce a migraine headache..
But it can also be a great tool... I can always, tell if one of my students has been smoking pot, then I can mess with their head!
I went to a tour of a french perfume factory (knew this was a big mistake) and could smell the factory about a mile before we even arrived! I'm like "hey do you smell that? this is not good! help!"
I lasted about 5 minutes in that place.
About a year ago , I went through a phase where everything was tasting like a cardboard pizza box smells, weird huh?
I convinced my doctor that it was due to depression and occasional migraines... he prescribed topomax and celexa , and guess what! no more pizza box taste! I ramble!
bandman
Thanks for the explanation. I used to be able to stand more pain. I used to get my teeth fixed without shots. Since about 6 years, I cannot do it anymore. My pain threshold has become weaker/lesser. Or however one says it. Things do hurt more than they used to. It's like that with most things. I used to crank up my music that the neighbors complained. Loud music irritates me now. It's like my ears have also become more sensitive, especially to those annoying noises of plastic bags or people turning pages of books when I'm trying to rest. Drives me up the walls.
Let's see, if they are going to come laughing at us for our dog noses and dog ears now, or maybe we'll have a few more bozos join us.
Marcia
Let's see, if they are going to come laughing at us for our dog noses and dog ears now, or maybe we'll have a few more bozos join us.
Marcia
It's when your nerves send out multiple signals instead of just one...
So say a normal person feels a pinch --- they rate it at a 1
Another person with neuropathic pain feels same level pinch at a 10
think fibromyalgia.
Interesting - about the smells tho... I wonder if it's possible?
I guess that's why I kind of asked the question... LOL!
So say a normal person feels a pinch --- they rate it at a 1
Another person with neuropathic pain feels same level pinch at a 10
think fibromyalgia.
Interesting - about the smells tho... I wonder if it's possible?
I guess that's why I kind of asked the question... LOL!
You're awesome yourself, Meki!
You know that our dog noses can be really annoying, but they really come in handy when you buy fruit and other things. We can smell, if fruit is ripe. We can determine with a quick inhalation, i.e. if the milk has gone wrong. When I turned vegetarian, I was still cooking non- vegetarian dishes for my kids, but couldn't taste the food. It was no problem for me, the only ingredient I couldn't smell was salt.
Interesting... You really got me thinking about the smells now. My daughter, the one who also has hep c, has been extremely sensitive to smells since she was small. For example, she cannot stand the smell of melon and gets headaches from it. The melon can be in another room. She has the same with some other smells, but the melon is extreme.
I'm not sure about the pain, but I have for so many years felt like I have the flu, without any cold or anything. Just a slightly elevated temperature and the body aching all over. It comes and goes. But it has never been severe. Nothing to go and see the doctor about.
What is exactly is neuropathy?
Marcia
You know that our dog noses can be really annoying, but they really come in handy when you buy fruit and other things. We can smell, if fruit is ripe. We can determine with a quick inhalation, i.e. if the milk has gone wrong. When I turned vegetarian, I was still cooking non- vegetarian dishes for my kids, but couldn't taste the food. It was no problem for me, the only ingredient I couldn't smell was salt.
Interesting... You really got me thinking about the smells now. My daughter, the one who also has hep c, has been extremely sensitive to smells since she was small. For example, she cannot stand the smell of melon and gets headaches from it. The melon can be in another room. She has the same with some other smells, but the melon is extreme.
I'm not sure about the pain, but I have for so many years felt like I have the flu, without any cold or anything. Just a slightly elevated temperature and the body aching all over. It comes and goes. But it has never been severe. Nothing to go and see the doctor about.
What is exactly is neuropathy?
Marcia
It deals with the neuropathy --- and if it is HCV related - etc.
Sense of smell and your central nervous system.
LOL!
You're awesome Marcia - thank you so very much for saying that --- I too have the sense of smell that drives me nuts....
But it doesn't go away with the end of pregnancy - and just had a hysterectomy - so --- LOL --- I guess it's stuck permanently --- I had thought it might be hormone related...
But after the hysterectomy --- I'm guessing not.
But - methinks it might be related to HCV... was just wondering if ANYONE else had it...
And if so...
might it be an indicator of Acute phase --- or what.. and those that have it increased after infection - are they more likely to have bodily pains such as neuropathy...
I'm on a wild goose hunt here - and really am trying to look outside of the box...
Meki
Sense of smell and your central nervous system.
LOL!
You're awesome Marcia - thank you so very much for saying that --- I too have the sense of smell that drives me nuts....
But it doesn't go away with the end of pregnancy - and just had a hysterectomy - so --- LOL --- I guess it's stuck permanently --- I had thought it might be hormone related...
But after the hysterectomy --- I'm guessing not.
But - methinks it might be related to HCV... was just wondering if ANYONE else had it...
And if so...
might it be an indicator of Acute phase --- or what.. and those that have it increased after infection - are they more likely to have bodily pains such as neuropathy...
I'm on a wild goose hunt here - and really am trying to look outside of the box...
Meki
I've always had a good nose. I have a nose like a dog... It became more sensitive with my first pregnancy and has stayed.
I can even smell stuff people can't, when I got a cold.
More and more is telling me that I probably was infected in 1983. Was on Bali after graduating, we had a lot of fun, got a tattoo with two other friends. This guy was not cleaning his equipment properly. He probably didn't know he should have. Mind you, I didn't know. Also did some drugs. Not proud of it, but it is a part of my history. On that same holiday, I got really sick for three days. I was running a fever and was vomiting all over the place. Ewwww... I could hardly eat anything during those days. I always thought it was because of a shrimp cocktail I had, where maybe some of the shrimps had gone off. Food poisoning. Could have been the non A non B = Hep C.
I am not sure, if my nose got more sensitive after that or after I got pregnant some months later. But I assure you that it was really, really bad with each and every pregnancy. It was the worst when I was pregnant with my twins.
But then I have also head 6 rhogam shots, so who knows...
I hope you will let us know the 'very specific reason'... things like that kill me... you know, having to sit and wonder what your specific reason is.
I'm in a funny mood tonight...
Marcia
I can even smell stuff people can't, when I got a cold.
More and more is telling me that I probably was infected in 1983. Was on Bali after graduating, we had a lot of fun, got a tattoo with two other friends. This guy was not cleaning his equipment properly. He probably didn't know he should have. Mind you, I didn't know. Also did some drugs. Not proud of it, but it is a part of my history. On that same holiday, I got really sick for three days. I was running a fever and was vomiting all over the place. Ewwww... I could hardly eat anything during those days. I always thought it was because of a shrimp cocktail I had, where maybe some of the shrimps had gone off. Food poisoning. Could have been the non A non B = Hep C.
I am not sure, if my nose got more sensitive after that or after I got pregnant some months later. But I assure you that it was really, really bad with each and every pregnancy. It was the worst when I was pregnant with my twins.
But then I have also head 6 rhogam shots, so who knows...
I hope you will let us know the 'very specific reason'... things like that kill me... you know, having to sit and wonder what your specific reason is.
I'm in a funny mood tonight...
Marcia
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Hepatitis C Community
Learn about this treatable virus.
Getting tested for this viral infection.
3 key steps to getting on treatment.
4 steps to getting on therapy.
What you need to know about Hep C drugs.
How the drugs might affect you.
These tips may up your chances of a cure.
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Condoms are the most effective way to prevent HIV and STDs.
PrEP is used by people with high risk to prevent HIV infection.
