Sickness messed up my taster - will it ever come back?

[towhee89]

So I caught a really bad illness, COVID or the flu (not sure which) my gf's brother tested positive for the flu 2 times in the past month, so it may have been that. Anyhow, a few weeks ago when I caught it I stopped smoking for a few days, and when I finally smoked my pipe it tasted absolutely awful. It doesn't even taste like tobacco - it's like dirt with a burnt bbq taste. I've read online others have had this issue - I just hope it is not permanent.

Has anyone else had this happen? It's very frustrating because I was buying a lot of estate pipes and have a nice little cellar now and I hate I can't enjoy it, but it's just not right. It's been 2 weeks now, some people said it could take a month or more.

 

[Sigmund]

Yes. Chances are good it will return. I couldn’t taste the difference between any tobacco for a few weeks. I wasn’t very patient with it but it did return slowly. For me it was several weeks after having symptoms.

Its likely covid since flu doesn’t erase your sense of smell. Obviously you wont smell much with a stuffy nose but with covid my sinuses were clear. They had a slight burning sensation or tingle and simply didn’t work.

 

[verporchting]

Give it some time. Happened to me with Covid but all is right as rain now.

 

[MattRVA]

It does take time but it will return, it may take several weeks. Stay hydrated.

 

[Kobold]

It might take some time but there’s a good chance it’ll come back. The last time I was sick I couldn’t taste for about two months. Just go easy on yourself and take it one day at a time.

 

[canucklehead]

I completely lost my sense of smell for 3 weeks when I had covid, couldn't even smell the difference between isopropyl alcohol and tap water, or if the toast was burning. When it returned, a lot of things smelled like rancid pork for a while, and the smell of Palmolive dish detergent would make me instantly nauseous. It returned to normal after another couple weeks though, with no long lasting impairment. If anything my sense of smell is more sensitive now. When my smell was returning I smoked more strong Latakia blends to compensate for my lack of sensitivity.

 

[sasquatch]

Lots of times a sinus infection will make pipe smoking just seem totally alien and foul, so watch for that, but yeah... covid ... it screws a guy up. Took me 2 months to get tasting/smelling at all properly last year, and more like 6 months to get fully working. And then I got it again in October anyway. LOLZ.

 

[kcghost]

It's happened to a lot of people. Loss of taste is very common amongst those of us who have been unfortunate enough to contract Covid. Your taste buds will recover in time. Hopefully.

 

[carmell269]

Yep ! Happened to me a couple months ago, it was terrible. I tried smoking twice while I was sick, each time was nothing I’d want again. I took almost two weeks off till I was better, but I was nervous on the first smoke that it’d never be the same. It was all good though, back to normal and puffin’ away

 

[FLDRD]

Yes and yes.

 

[ParkitoATL]

when I finally smoked my pipe it tasted absolutely awful. It doesn't even taste like tobacco - it's like dirt with a burnt bbq taste. I've read online others have had this issue - I just hope it is not permanent.

Back in Sept I caught COVID on my trip to the UK. All I could taste from my beloved PS Natural Dutch Cavendish was a burnt walnut shell taste that I had never noticed before. I kept smoking a bit every day and made sure to exhale through my nose. My theory was that the nicotine would kill any critters that had set up shop in my nostrils. The full flavor returned in a couple of weeks.

 

[JOHN72]

I recently passed another covid. A few months before I had been vaccinated for covid and flu. I don't know what the hell is going on, but after this vaccination, I feel strange, physically, as if I had a salad of sensations, general aches and pains. At the moment I have some smell and taste. But my chest is still stuck, and it's only for moments or days. Damn it, what the fuck are they injecting us with. My wife says, if I die, she'll do a home renovation, and buy a new dishwasher.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I don't want to know how y'all taste, but I'm pretty sure you smell.

 

[towhee89]

Back in Sept I caught COVID on my trip to the UK. All I could taste from my beloved PS Natural Dutch Cavendish was a burnt walnut shell taste that I had never noticed before. I kept smoking a bit every day and made sure to exhale through my nose. My theory was that the nicotine would kill any critters that had set up shop in my nostrils. The full flavor returned in a couple of weeks.

That's a good description. It's like a burnt, weird funky taste.

Thanks everyone for the comments, I really appreciate it. I have hope it will return to normal, but I'm going to be patient!

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

No guarantees but mine always has given some time. Usually a week or less.

 

[Chalaw87]

It took about 6 weeks for my taste to come back after my most recent time with covid. There are some taste/smell 'training' techniques online which some people claim may be beneficial. I think the best remedy is time.

 

[Ahi Ka]

As someone who is still recovering from Covid coming up two years, my advice is two-fold.

First, breathe/relax/chill out/whatever you call it, accept where your body is at and focus on what you are grateful for. I found clenching a pipe even without tobacco in it slowed my breathing cadence down.

Second, there are lots of ways pipe smoking can bring you joy even when you are not able to enjoy smoking. You said you have just got some estate pipes. Maybe lean into that. Get some more and enjoy the clean up, even buy a lot try and flip some. Or if history appeals to you start looking into the old marquees.

 

[Singularis]

Welcome to the club!

 

[Sigmund]

All tobacco tasted the same when I went through it. A lat bomb tasted the same as a virginia or vaper. It wasnt a bad taste but it was pretty one dimensional and weak. Taste uses a lot of ofactory information. Personally, I could taste things but not smell. I could be in a room with a roasting chicken and smell very little. Im happy it returned and I can enjoy. I hope you have a speedy recovery.