Question:
Do any post-ops out there have an enhanced sense of taste and smell?

I'm almost 3 months post-op and still smell and taste things the "normal" person doesn't. I hate it. My husband thinks I'm crazy. Is this normal and when does it pass.    — Debbie W. (posted on June 3, 2003)

June 3, 2003
I've always had a more heightened sense of smell than most people. But it got worse when after the surgery. Everyone thought I was crazy before now they're sure of it. I can smell every little thing. My surgery was on 3/10/03, while at the hospital my room mate felt the need to spray alcohol everywhere because of her fear of germs....it made me sick..so much so that I dry heaved for two days until they finally told her to stop. I don't know if the heightened sense becomes less, but I sure do hope so.
   — D L.

June 3, 2003
I hope that doesn't happen to me. Perfume, cleaning supplies, flowers all give me terrible headaches as is.
   — mrsmyranow

June 3, 2003
debbie, i am 7 months post op and the other day we had a luncheon at work. well it was at the other end of the building and i could smell the fritos across the building. it is to funny. so i don't think that it will go away. i know when i was in ketosis, i smelled things on me that other people couldn't smell(thank gosh) lol. that has gone away until i go into ketosis again. i hope this helps good luck. (7 months post op down 134pounds) christy
   — CHRISTY F.

June 3, 2003
I had a heightened sensitivity to smells that was so bad I couldn't be in the same room if you were parboiling a chicken. I still can't stand the smell of roasted chicken. It smells rotten to me. But the taste does not bother me. I think it is going away, as I don't seem to notice it anymore. I am currently nine months out. 275/165/138
   — Rhonda V.

June 3, 2003
They opened a Subway in another building that is connected to our building by about 1/4 mile of enclosed walkway. The smell of that darned bread baking drives me crazy (smells wonderful!) My coworkers say they can't smell it until they get to the other building and to the door. On the other hand, pizza sometimes smells like barf to me, still, at 7 months out.
   — koogy

June 3, 2003
LOL, funny you should ask, Oh my goodness, it was just awful, even after 5 months I still hate the smells that really bothered me then. I couldn't stand to smell anything. While I was in the hospital, I was freaking, even some of the nurses had purfumes on, It seems like I could smell anything, I kept gaging, and the taste buds were awful also, Before I had my open RNY, I loved ice, after my op It took a long time for me to even to put a ice cube in my drink. Check out my profile, It's in there on how I had a awful time with my room mate.the room itself, everything that had to do with smells. When I returned home I stayed nauseated. The anesthesia played the biggest part in it all. LOL
   — Naes Wls J.

June 3, 2003
Boy have I? It was so bad at first that I would almost gag. My drains smelled rotten, even after I poured bleach down them. People smells like BO or cologne were discusting. Chicken broth smelled like a dead chicken to me. I have home day care and diaper smells would make me breathe out of my mouth until I changed the baby and took the dirty outside. I an almost 8 months out now and have learned to live with it.
   — Tawnda C.

June 3, 2003
I am so glad that I am not alone on this. The sensitivity to smells is not as bad as when I first had the surgery (2months post-op), but gracious my tastebuds have gone mad. I REALLY taste things. I can't stand food that taste strong (ie, some fruit flavored protein shakes). The tastes that I enjoyed pre-op have come the nauseate me now. I hope this passes.
   — Judy S.