Loss of smell and taste

[bev]

Hi, I am Bev and my husband was diagnosed with early onset PD a couple of years ago- before that he experienced loss of smell and taste. One doctor said it had nothing to do with PD and others said they just do not know- Has anyone else had this experience?
My husband is still working in a busy career and doesn't really take an active part in any type of research about his symptoms- he seems to want me to do that and feed it to him in bits and pieces. I encourage him to pay more attention to the signals from his body- he just went off the neupro patch and is trying to find the right dose of requip - was having some problems with day sleep episodes and driving- He got a new primary car doctor- who suggested dropping all meds and adding back one at a time- Has anyone had experience doing this?
my best to all

[redImp]

Hi, Bev,
I can observe that I lost my senses of smell and taste after I fractured my skull 30 years before symtoms of PD began to surface. But there is so much unknown re-PD and so many different symtoms and combinations of them that it is difficult to offer useful comments.
A few years ago I was permitted to increase my Sinemet Plus to what I now realise was much too high a dosage, and then to wean myself slowly right off it and then to increase the dose to something much lower for my long term good. Ropinirole hydrochloride was added at the same time. I had no real problems with this 'experimenting' and ended up with doses just below the threshold of involuntary movements. Since then doses have very gradually inched up and their timings have been fiddled around with to get the best results while holding the overall drug intake down as far as possible.
I have taken part in a number of UK university/UK PD Society funded studies and feel a sense of satisfaction that I am contributing a (very) tiny amount to the battle against the disease. I would encourage others to do the same.
Like your husband, I tended to let family and friends keep me informed of advances/retreats in the battle while I immersed myself in the last years in an interesting career. I could ignore my PD for long periods of the day at that time, and why not, for the future could look pretty gloomy, to say the least!!
Anyway, good luck to you both.
redImp

Hi, I am Bev and my husband was diagnosed with early onset PD a couple of years ago- before that he experienced loss of smell and taste. One doctor said it had nothing to do with PD and others said they just do not know- Has anyone else had this experience?
My husband is still working in a busy career and doesn't really take an active part in any type of research about his symptoms- he seems to want me to do that and feed it to him in bits and pieces. I encourage him to pay more attention to the signals from his body- he just went off the neupro patch and is trying to find the right dose of requip - was having some problems with day sleep episodes and driving- He got a new primary car doctor- who suggested dropping all meds and adding back one at a time- Has anyone had experience doing this?
my best to all

[Roxanne]

Hi, Bev. My husband has lost his sense of smell, also. Looking back, it was probably one of his first signs of PD.

[tich]

Hi, I was recently been diagnosed with PD. I lost my sense of smell and taste quite a few years ago and I am also wondering if this was the start of things for me...

Tich

[MichaelWayne]

I find this discussion very interesting. My sense of smell has been leaving me for years, until it is nearly non-existent now. No one ever had an explanation for this. In fact, most people act like I have made this up. Although most odors that I come across in my daily life are not to be missed much (porta potties, temp heat sources for construction, construction workers), I miss the smell of food and flowers and such. Well, I guess that may be the least of what I'll be missing soon enough. It makes me wonder just how long ago PD began. I was noticing as much as 10 years ago that I couldn't play my guitar well, and I just wrote that off as declining interest.

[artsuds]

My name is Art. I was diagnosed three years ago having PD.
I don't know when but I too have lost my sense of smell.
I am 72; I also have type 2 Diabetes, I don't know which to
blame for whatever symtoms I have.

[heather]

my husband lost sense of taste,a few years ago
he was a savoury man, and very seldom eat puddings
now all he will eat is puddings and chocolate

[ltd-addition]

My name is Art. I was diagnosed three years ago having PD.
I don't know when but I too have lost my sense of smell.
I am 72; I also have type 2 Diabetes, I don't know which to
blame for whatever symtoms I have.

Hi Art
blame them both ! but just a glimmer of hope for you if you email me ive news re your diabetes
ltd-addition

[ltd-addition]

My name is Art. I was diagnosed three years ago having PD.
I don't know when but I too have lost my sense of smell.
I am 72; I also have type 2 Diabetes, I don't know which to
blame for whatever symtoms I have.

Hi Art
blame them both ! but just a glimmer of hope for you if you email me I may have news re your diabetes
ltd-addition

[mema98]

I'm mema98 (Catherine), just posted a new thread about my 60 year old husband with PD. He lost his sense of smell at least 10 years ago. Never knew that it could be related to PD, but that must be one of the earliest symptons.

[bruce]

Hi, I am Bev and my husband was diagnosed with early onset PD a couple of years ago- before that he experienced loss of smell and taste. One doctor said it had nothing to do with PD and others said they just do not know- Has anyone else had this experience?
My husband is still working in a busy career and doesn't really take an active part in any type of research about his symptoms- he seems to want me to do that and feed it to him in bits and pieces. I encourage him to pay more attention to the signals from his body- he just went off the neupro patch and is trying to find the right dose of requip - was having some problems with day sleep episodes and driving- He got a new primary car doctor- who suggested dropping all meds and adding back one at a time- Has anyone had experience doing this?
my best to all
I had problems with falling a sleep when taking requip.I would just "pass out". When I went off requip, this problem stopped.As my pd progrsses. have noticed great change in taste. I prefer sweets,never did before and cold thin gs. These seem to be the only things that awaken my taste buds. Let me know if this info. helps.bruce

[bruce]

my husband lost sense of taste,a few years ago
he was a savoury man, and very seldom eat puddings
now all he will eat is puddings and chocolate
I understand your husbands change of taste. I never was big on sweets until last few years. They seem to be the only thing to wake up taste buds.bruce

[mappergal]

Many people in my young onset support group have lost their sense of smell-- I still have it but lost all sense of taste when I started Azilect. It gradually came back. Teva noted that loss of taste as a rare side effect and were surprised when my pharmacist called them about it. I even talked to a Teva sales rep at a Parkinson's event, she didn't believe that it was a side effect so I had her pull out the full documentation on the drug and showed it to her.

[Pauline]

Many people in my young onset support group have lost their sense of smell-- I still have it but lost all sense of taste when I started Azilect. It gradually came back. Teva noted that loss of taste as a rare side effect and were surprised when my pharmacist called them about it. I even talked to a Teva sales rep at a Parkinson's event, she didn't believe that it was a side effect so I had her pull out the full documentation on the drug and showed it to her.

Hi Mappergal
Welcome I am 58 and was diagnosed in Jan, I had lost my sence of smell long before that but neaver lost my sence of taste but am not on Azilect Hope you have a good day :):):)Pauline

[Pburlbaugh]

I lost my sense of smell at least 20 yeaars ago. I blamed it on my job as a Chemistry Teacher. I was constantly exposed to acid fumes and many other chemicals that I had to handle every day. I was diagnosed with PD about 4 years ago. I am on azilect, sinemet, and comtan. I don't know if this has anyhing to do with it but I started spraying saline solution in my nose twice a day and sense of smell and taste have returned to some extent.

[heather]

Jim only ate Savoury
Now what little he eats are puddings

He worked in a chemical factory, and mainly wit cyanide

[Drew Saunders]

I had problems with falling a sleep when taking requip.I would just "pass out". When I went off requip, this problem stopped.As my pd progrsses. have noticed great change in taste. I prefer sweets,never did before and cold thin gs. These seem to be the only things that awaken my taste buds. Let me know if this info. helps.bruce

I have suffered loss of smell and taste also. I never really liked sweet things or chocolate but I do now. Also eat curries which I did not like at all but I enjoy the taste. I've not really thought much about this before so thanks for bringing it to my attention. You learn something new every day on this forum. Bless you all,
Drew

[Dottie Manfra]

I find this discussion very interesting. My sense of smell has been leaving me for years, until it is nearly non-existent now. No one ever had an explanation for this. In fact, most people act like I have made this up. Although most odors that I come across in my daily life are not to be missed much (porta potties, temp heat sources for construction, construction workers), I miss the smell of food and flowers and such. Well, I guess that may be the least of what I'll be missing soon enough. It makes me wonder just how long ago PD began. I was noticing as much as 10 years ago that I couldn't play my guitar well, and I just wrote that off as declining interest.

Hello, my name is Dottie and I found this very interesting - the topic of loss of smell. I had lost my sense of smell ten years ago. I was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease June of 2005. The loss of smell was apparently my first symptom. This is my first time to respond on the forum. I want to say "thank you" to all who have put so much information on this site.

[Gail]

I have suffered loss of smell and taste also. I never really liked sweet things or chocolate but I do now. Also eat curries which I did not like at all but I enjoy the taste. I've not really thought much about this before so thanks for bringing it to my attention. You learn something new every day on this forum. Bless you all,
Drew I prefer sweets to a good dinner and have been gradually loosing smell. Now I know why.

[Pauline]

Hi Dottie
Welcome to the forum I'm Pauline I was diagnosed with PD in Jan, but had it for awhile , You will find there are a lot of nice people here and you can learn a lot of very interesting and helpful information and if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask someone can usually help well talk to you again :):):)Pauline

[heather]

Hio Dottie Welcome
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