Zicam cures the sense of smell!

[Thajocoth]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31388177/ns/health-cold_and_flu/

As someone who’s sense of smell has been overbearing for over 26 years and caused massive dietary issues… Not to mention inability to attend certain social events or go to most restaurants based on what they serve there…

This gives me reason for the first time in over a decade to take a cold remedy.

As with anything that could be permanent though, I'd first want a few other opinions.

My only real worry is that I lose my sense of smell only to still have my throat close up and/or burn from being around certain smells... Or that my head still fogs up and I still become unable to concentrate in the presence of certain smells... It'd be great if I wasn't jumping in with no real data regarding what I hope happens, you know?

[dish]

The FDA has ordered this drug off the shelves. I think you would be very stupid to try it.

You've had problems with your sense of smell for 26+ years. Surely you must have seen some doctors about it, and I'd presume that would include specialist ENT doctors as well as GPs? If they thought zinc was a suitable treatment for you, then surely they'd have mentioned it by now?

For goodness' sake, talk to a qualified specialist and don't try to treat yourself.

[golfmade]

What about the Zicam that you spray into your mouth?

[Muz]

From what I understand (albiet from Zicam's website), the FDA only has a problem with the nasal spray and (nasal) swabs. The mouth spray stuff is still on the shelves.

[Thajocoth]

The FDA has ordered this drug off the shelves. I think you would be very stupid to try it.

You've had problems with your sense of smell for 26+ years. Surely you must have seen some doctors about it, and I'd presume that would include specialist ENT doctors as well as GPs? If they thought zinc was a suitable treatment for you, then surely they'd have mentioned it by now?

For goodness' sake, talk to a qualified specialist and don't try to treat yourself.

All I've been able to get from my general doctor or the ear, nose & throat doctor I went to was "Looks normal."

-----

However, I do know the following:

All of my senses are boosted to some degree. This is great in some ways, but an occasional problem in others (like velvet causing my figertips to hurt a little for a bit after touching it) Smell is the only one that's been a real problem though. I don't want to sacrifice the others to fix smell.

This is a result of slightly higher than average voltage in my nervous system which, in turn, is from an increase in the redox reaction in my blood from a naturally higher level of certain heavier metals. Redox, or reduction-oxidation reaction, is how your body gets energy from oxygen. It's also why the body ages though. (It's also the same reaction that occurs in a battery and causes metal to rust.)

Oddly though, despite the fact that it certainly has physical roots, it requires a psychologist to diagnose "Asperger's Syndrome". This is because with the higher voltage in the nervous system, there are certain effects within the brain as well. Those simply being that certain signals are stronger. For example, patterns are more interesting to look at and will be seen in more places... Which generally results in such a person being more likely to look at the grain of wood behind you than your face while talking to you.

Throughout these 26 years though, I've kept all the good parts and found ways to nullify the bad. (Did you know there's a spirograph-ish pattern in the colored part of people's eyes?) And I had to do that completely on my own.

My only remaining limitation that the average person doesn't have is my heightened sense of smell.

[dish]

Sensory Integration Dysfunction (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensory_Integration_Dysfunction) is one of the criteria for Aspergers, and also has a high-correlation with other conditions - but it can, if I understand correctly - also appear on its own.

You've done incredibly well to find coping strategies with no outside help. That's very impressive. However, wouldn't it be better to find some online support groups / message boards and ask them for advice about managing your overzealous sense of smell rather than trying to dose yourself with a potentially dangerous medicine?

I know several mothers who have children with SID, and there are qualified therapists who have helped them, and have made major improvements in their children's happiness and quality of life. Even if you can't find/afford one in your area, you should at least be able to get some advice from them online.

[Thajocoth]

Thanks.

The problem here though is that it's actual pain. The smell of anything spicy, from across the room, burns my throat. The smell of anything too strong (most food) will cause my throat to close and my mind to fog up. My body is reacting to the smell of food, something required for life, as if it were something rancid and dangerous. (This was confirmed one time when a man walked onto the subway covered in feces. My reaction was exactly the same as it is to the smell of most foods, and everyone else seemed to have the same reaction as me for the first time ever.)

My resulting diet is mostly plain pizza & pasta with lots of dairy. (I go through a gallon of milk every two days.) And some canned juice. (I prefer the can's metaleyness for some odd reason.) Continuing with this diet is probably more dangerous than losing my sense of smell, but how can I eat anything else if my throat is literally going to close up before I try to? I take Centrum, but I know that doesn't have everything I need.

So I've grown to find the entire concept of food and eating disgusting. I get a jolt of fear when I see somebody take out a paper bag or a tuperware container. I've considered injected nourishment, but it turns out that's not actually healthy for anyone who's conscious. (They could fix that, but there's too low a demand.)

I will look into your suggestion, but being that simply changing my perspective or training myself in some way isn't going to have any effect, I don't hold much hope for it. I would be remiss not to pursue all possible avenues.

[Coidzor]

Hmm... Good thing I was always too hestiant about jamming things up my nose to use it properly when my mom did force me to use it.

[Uncle Festy]

Redox, or reduction-oxidation reaction, is how your body gets energy from oxygen. It's also why the body ages though. (It's also the same reaction that occurs in a battery and causes metal to rust.)

Considering it's, you know, just a transfer of electrons, it has to be pretty darn common. :smalltongue:

[purple gelatinous cube o' Doom]

From what I understand (albiet from Zicam's website), the FDA only has a problem with the nasal spray and (nasal) swabs. The mouth spray stuff is still on the shelves.

That's disappointing to hear. The Zicam cold swabs are the greatest cold medication I've ever taken. Now I'm probably going to have to go hoard what I can get my hands on.

[Thajocoth]

Considering it's, you know, just a transfer of electrons, it has to be pretty darn common. :smalltongue:

Yes... It's the quantity of the transfer that's different. Increased, in my case.

[BlueWizard]

My wife loves Zicam.

[Fri]

For some reason, your ailment sounds like a super power. A low level one, it is, but still a super power.