Everything smells and tastes like chemicals!

[Ninster]

I am a woman in my early 40s, and I have been suffering from a rare disease/infection, which is hard to describe. One year ago I lost my sense of smell and taste after a bad cold or flu.I can smell and taste things, but everything smells and taste like chemicals. I have ... [More] tried several doctors and dentits, but none of them can help me find a cure or any medicine which helps. If any one has the same symptoms or any information, please be kind and contact me ! Thanks!


This discussion is related to Everything tastes and smells chemical like.

[LynnyDD]

I'm 53 and most fragrances on other people smell the same - awful and coca cola/sprite and other soft drinks taste disgusting - like the perfumes. I am smelling! What on earth is going on?

[davelloyd1]

are you better now?

[RichardL2]

LynnyDD, I have a very similar sounding problem.  Up until about 1 year ago I used to enjoy soft drinks especially Coke/Sprite but they now have a chemical taste. Diet varieties taste even worse. Even bottled Iced Tea   has the chemical taste.  I also find the smell of many shampoos, deodorants, body-washes and clothes detergents have a sweet-putrid smell.  I found Dettol Reenergize soap and Johnson's Baby Shampoo don't have the putrid smell.  The only soda I can now drink is Soda/Carbonated Water (jazzed up with a slice of lemon).  My sense of taste/smell is normal for everything else.  Richard 44, male, smoker.

[jberries1223]

My sense of smell and taste has been diminished to almost nothing. I can still smell/taste a few things here and there, but when I enter in my condo complex, the main area smells so bad of chemicals! Everyone else says it smells normal but not to me at all. I've lost taste in some of my favorite foods and can't smell my body wash anymore. As mentioned in previous comments I've read through, I thought it might be a brain tumor or worse - cancer! I'm afraid to go to my doctor now and spend time and money for them to tell me they don't know what it is... does anybody have any ideas on this yet?? What would you do if it's a sinus infection still lingering? I've been sick a while back but its been months since I've been over my cold. I used a nasal spray during the time which is something new I've tried since other times I've been sick so maybe it has to do with nasal sprays?

[Lavender7]

I am so thankful to have found this. I really thought I was dying of a brain  tumour.  I recall having bad breath and taste in my mouth for a while, sore glands and then my sense of smell started to diminish. Now it's very dull and what I do smell seems to be distorted or smell bad. Once in a while I will smell something that will become stuck in my nose and It won't go away, it will actually affect taste too. I do still smell what were enjoying  scents like lavender but it too seems dull and doesn't have the same Affect.
My taste isn't as bad but it's not the same either. I tend to put a lot of spices on my food to increase taste.

[Jaimiek0112]

I was hit with a basketball in the 80's and just had a major upper resp infection, (Monday) that hit me like a ton of bricks. Since Monday, everything tastes like some kind of chemical. Ive also not had a cigarette since Tuesday.I thought taste buds were supposed to get better when you quit smoking. With or without sickness.

[Gr8Gatsby]

Yep, I have the exact same thing, except I have no idea what might have triggered it. I just woke up one morning, and my taste and smell were all distorted. This is probably silly, but I assumed I might have caught something odd from a random girl I was making out with the night before. In hindsight, I don't believe that was the issue (thank goodness! Take my smell and taste but, for God's sake, don't take women from me). Anyways, have had it for about 3 months now. Recently developed a bad sinus infection, and told my doctor about it. She said it was likely from the sinus issues (even though they were three months apart). I took Augmentin and a nosespray (Astepro). The meds are now done, and the sinus infection appears to have cleared, but the odd smell and taste are still there.

[badtasteandsmell]

I just had a CT scan today that appeared normal.  The only thing I can eat and not cringe at the taste or smell is lettuce.  My cold was in May lost all smell and taste from it.  After a couple of months it started coming back but like you everything tastes and smell awful.  I have lost 15lbs so far which is good but I long to eat and enjoy food again!  A friend suggested my zinc level may be low.  Anyway with the CT normal he ordered blood test and is scheduling me an MRI appoitment.  I use a neti-pot but that hasn't helped.  He took another culture today because the first culture grew bacteria.  He also had me on Amox pills and a nasal spray.  All they did was add more bad symptoms instead of curing anything so I quit them.  I am making myself eat now because you can't live on just lettuce but it's not a very good life.  I even dread washing my hair the products that used to love to smell makes me cringe now.  I can't go to restaurants because I can't stand to smell the food cooking.  Prayers for a cure for all of us soon!!

[davelloyd1]

This just started happening.  All exhaust from cars, rooms, flames, smoke, incense, food, rivers, plants, everything smells and tastes like sweet chemical sewage type smell..
It is unbearable. I cant really find a reason to go on living. This happened in MAY and has gotton worse. I think it is a spiritual illness. What happened to yours?