Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Can't Smell a Thing

Did I mention that I'd just started using Zicam to help alleviate my colds, which came one right after another? Once I found out that they were safe to use during breastfeeding, I decided to try it. I thought they were great! When I went one day without it during my last cold, my symptoms got so much worse. Once I started using it again, the symptoms were much better, and the cold quickly ended.

When the second cold came right on top of the first, I immediately started using the Zicam again. It seemed to help, and I thought it was just fantastic. I little swab around the nose 3-4 times a day, and my cold was shorter and easier. Even though I had heard that it could cause lose of smell, I thought that wouldn't be a big deal because you can't smell much with a stuffy nose anyway.

Well, let me tell you something. Lose of smell might seem like a great thing when you are changing the baby's poopy diapers, but because your sense of taste is strongly affected by how things smell, it is not such a great thing when you are trying to enjoy a chocolate croissant! Or really any other food or drink.

I have indeed lost my sense of smell... not completely, as I can smell very potent things when I hold them up to my nose so my nose is literally on it. Not only does this affect my sense of taste, but it is impairing my mommy-abilities too. At one point over the weekend, Londo came downstairs and said that the Pumpkin must have one poopy diaper, which she indeed did. But I had NO IDEA because I couldn't smell a thing. My poor child was sitting around with a diaper full of stinky and I had no idea.

As my nose gets clearer and clearer of the snot, I'm hoping that my sense of smell will come back completely. I'd like to be able to enjoy chocolate again, and waking up to the smell of brewing coffee, and the smell of bread baking (I did indeed make homemade bread!).

On the bright side, I haven't smelled any phantom poop smells in a while. I never thought I'd miss that...

10 comments:

Becoming Mommy said...

I'd heard that too, which is why I've never tried Zicam.

I didn't heed side effect warnings once before....and it was surreal to say the least.

Jan said...

Oh no! Isn't that the drug that was in the news a couple of years back because some people lost their sense of smell PERMANENTLY?

Here:

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/7newsinvestigates/6279576/detail.html

This is what I remember. Yikes. I hope this isn't you!

S said...

I hope your sense of smell comes back. Zicam works so well I stick my fingers in my ears and sing really loudly when I hear about the side effects.

And I can't believe other people can smell phantom poop, too! I thought it was just me.

Anonymous said...

My theory about phantom poop smells is that I just have the uncanny ability to stick my nose near Dorothy's toosh the moment she um...breaks wind. ;-)

Wow...I really hope your sense of smell comes back and fast...although...if you visit us, you won't be able to smell the Diaper Champ, which will be a big plus!

Anonymous said...

YOu know my sense of smell has gotten stronger with my two pregnancies. I can smell a pooey bottom when I walk into the same room as a baby. I always get pissed off with my MIL when she has been looking after bub and hands me a stinky child as she clearly hasn't even realised bubby needs a change. I wonder how long bubs has had to put up with a nasty in her pants

La folle maman said...

I'm glad you can use Zicam during breastfeeding. I'll need to remember that since I'm getting over a cold as well.

You may not remember, but I used to take the tablets that dissolve in your mouth all of the time when we worked together. I wonder if they're as effective as the swabs and you wouldn't have to worry about the loss of smell.

I've always had issues with my olfactory senses and regularly DH would say, "Don't you smell that?" and I wouldn't. 'THAT' could be our son's diaper, cat pee or anything really. It's not that I can't smell, it's just that I've never really had a strong sniffer, if you will.

Glad to hear you are getting better!

Shellie said...

I don't have that great a sniffer,but it's great to have one at all! I s it just the nasal zicam though? I never had the tablets cause any effects.

I'm Not Skippy said...

I had Bell's Palsy a couple years ago and lost my sense of smell for for a few weeks, you're right it sucks because sense of taste goes too. . . of course my sense of taste left completely after a couple days (even salt).

Anonymous said...

I use Zicam religiously to get rid of a cold faster but I haven't had that particular side effect thankfully. Here's hoping your smell comes back once the cold is gone. At least for the chocolate and not so much for the phantom poop smells.

Anonymous said...

We watched "Walk Hard, the Dewey Cox Story" over the weekend, and losing your sense of smell is presented as a serious handicap after psychological trauma. I hope you recover :-)

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