Long COVID
Mild → no benefitIll for 3 years
Long COVID smell loss, no benefit from nicotine lozenges or smell practice
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Mild (working or studying, with limits)
- Ill for
- 3 years
- Last post
- May 2025
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
I have long Covid and the nicotine doesn’t help with my symptoms.
In context ↗ - At worst: Mild
it makes me depressed and I don’t go out much now
In context ↗ - Now: No benefit
in 2023 after a 2nd infection I no longer smell anything
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
I was so sick when I caught it, oxygen levels were 85 or so for a week
Read from 7 of their posts and comments; links to the 6 this page draws on
Summary
Dusk 72019 has long COVID from a 2022 infection that left her unable to smell; it partly returned, then a second infection in 2023 took the rest. Her taste is diminished and she cannot smell chemicals, poop or spoiled food, so she fears smelling bad and rarely goes out. Nicotine lozenges and her doctor's suggestion to practise smelling things gave no benefit. She describes no improvement.
Ask Miruvor AI
What they tried
Also tried
Vehozah· Helped a lottherapy· Helpednicotine gum· No changenicotine lozenges· No changesmelling things and remembering what it smelled like· No changeGabapentin· Worse
Their words about each treatment
- nicotine gum · No change
I have long Covid and the nicotine doesn’t help with my symptoms.
In context ↗ - nicotine lozenges · No change
I use nicotine lozenges but they don’t help.
In context ↗ - therapy · Helped
I found that therapy is good so you can talk through things.
In context ↗ - Gabapentin · Worse
I have a prescription for Gabapentin for another reason, but it makes me so sick to my stomach I can’t take it.
In context ↗ - smelling things and remembering what it smelled like · No change
Doctor says to smell things and remember what it smelled like, but that didn’t work either.
In context ↗ - Vehozah · Helped a lot
Finally got a prescription for Vehozah & they are gone!
In context ↗
Their path
They say too little about how ill they were at each step to draw it on the severity scale, so the steps are listed as they describe them. Dates are when they posted.
| When | What happened | Where they were |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | COVID infection; lost sense of smellI lost my sense of smell in 2022In context ↗ | Not stated |
| 2023 | second infection; lost all smellin 2023 after a 2nd infection I no longer smell anythingIn context ↗ | Not stated |
| 2025-05-24 | still cannot smell; anxious and depressed, rarely goes outit makes me depressed and I don’t go out much nowIn context ↗ | Moderate |
Adverse events
- Nicotine patches“I don’t chew it any longer (hard on my teeth)” In context ↗ Side effects
- Gabapentin (Neurontin)“it makes me so sick to my stomach I can’t take it” In context ↗ Gut side effects
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Loss of smell or taste
I lost my sense of smell in 2022, it came back partially but in 2023 after a 2nd infection I no longer smell anything. Taste is diminished
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
I am so anxious that I smell bad and don’t know it….it makes me depressed
In context ↗