Question: I have used this service previously. Asked a question earlier this week but not sure it went through. In brief, in December I went through a period of high stress. Sure enough I got what felt like inflammation in my nose. I had my ears filling up and sore throat. I have had a chronic infection before 12 years ago and the family doctor said same thing and proscribed nasal steroids and decongestants. Only thing was I had no fever or no congestion or sinus pain. When I returned to work in January I had knife like pain in my nose. The same was true at the bank or stores but no pain outside. I was off for seven weeks more or less and started to get the same thing at home with headache. The pain ranged from discomfort to sharp pain radiating to back of head. Then, I did the most stupid thing I have ever done: my Asian wife procured a home remedy - smoking lotus leaves. In ten minute XXXXXXX I knocked out much of my sense of smell and all sensation inside my nose. This event occurred 10 weeks ago. I am a 54 year old engineer and should obviously have known better. Today my smell has not really returned other than strong smells like exhaust, coffee, oranges (up close) but no mild smells like grass, trees, flowers. I should mention that I was a heavy smoker and finally quit two weeks ago. My nose constantly is sore on the inside and feels obstructed yet there is no mucus. It is hard to breathe - feels like there is a force inside my nose restricting the air from getting through. I should also mention my throat dried up as well and is chronically raspy now by afternoon.
My questions:
1) the original problem - I take drying medication, drank 5-6 cups of coffee per day, high stress from job. Is it possible the original problem was nerve irritation of some kind with very dry nose and throat. I took the decongestants for about 6 weeks.
2) is there anything I can do for the smell. Appreciate this is hit and miss but life is very difficult. Can you tell me why I can smell grass held to my nose but otherwise not?
3) breathing and soreness - will this go away? two months ago my ENT diagnosed rhinitis. CT scan my family doctor did (he is since replaced) showed normal for head and sinuses but there were technicians comments of concern that I can't remember. He would not forward the scan to ENT so I have another scan scheduled. Is there anything I can do to help the soreness (each breath stings a bit) and inability to breathe. Mouth breathing is not helping my throat get better.

Thank you.
1. I had 12 years ago what was diagnosed a chronic sinus infection. It occurred in the winter. When spring came it went away and I never had another issue in the intervening years.
2. I have been taking Risperidone for 3 years. I had what was diagnosed as a psychosis episode 3 years ago one time. No issues before or after but meet with a psychiartrist every six months. No issues to report but she wanted me to keep taking it. I was part of a very toxic work environment which heightened anxiety in the past 3 years. I do not have psychosis currently. We had weaned the dosage down to the current low levels.
Indeed a side effect is rhinitis and another is that is it very drying.
There is no doubt the lack of smell and damaged nasal tissue was noticed immediately following smoking the lotus leaves (12 hours). The original symptoms came up after an incredibly stressful series of events over a period of a few weeks at work. I felt like I had been run over by a truck.

Hello:
Yes one of my big regrets is not leaving this company earlier.
On the nose questions:
1) Do I smoke? One should say yes. I quit a week ago. Will this help? It is very difficult quitting as I am already feeling very stressed over this smoking of lotus leaves.
2) I drink almost no alcohol. Maybe one beer every few days.
The lack of smell is not the only issue. It is incredibly dry in my nose as it looks like I have either burned out the mucosa or certainly damaged it and the nerves. It is hard for me to get a breath and I have to rub my nose about half way up to get an airway at times. Is there a reasonable chance given time that my nose may return to a quasi normal state?

At the time of my illness I smoked over one package (25 cigarettes) per day. I generally exhale through the mouth however likely some would go through the nose. When I smoked the lotus leaves I definitely smoked through the nose. I should mention that I had arranged for a lab to test the chemicals in the leaves that I had left but I cancelled it as didn't think at this point it would do any good.

I should mention that when I smoked the lotus leaves all the previous pain went away including the headaches. I am assuming this is because the combination of heat, smoke from these leaves destroyed the nerves and the mucosa. does that sound correct?
I have to ask, is healing probable?

Thank you. Yes, no question I had already damaged the mucosa and the leaves certainly finished the job.
Answers for questions:
1) for the last two months I take vitamin c, d and B complex vitamins daily in the morning.
2) not sure I take an anti oxidant. what are some examples? I have zinc tablets that I rarely take.
3) have not checked vitamin B12 level. I did have a recent blood test with my physical and the doctor did not report any issues but he may not have screened for this.
Can you tell me if I continue not smoking, take these vitamins, try not to stress (this is hard), exercise and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables is it probably that the mucosa will heal and more smell should return?

Thank you I am a very positive person. Before I became ill I had another good job lined up. In my current role I am a XXXXXXX manager. My controller uncovered by accident some strange occurrences in our payroll. The administrator it seemed, and we proved it, had been doing some unsavory things. I hate corruption. When we went to her boss and mine, due to their being old friends they covered it up and went after me personally. I am consumed by regrets that I did not quit earlier and thus would not have become sick. I also regret years of smoking. I regret that I took leave of my senses and smoked the leaves. I am barely able to function honestly because I perceive I am so dry all the time and I get headaches each day by noon starting in my nose.
I have considered suicide rather than live like this but have my wife to think of so I soldier on each day. I had read that once mucosa are damaged they cannot heal and this did not help. At the moment I am nearly obsessed by my nose and throat which also seems to be damaged. I have to go to work in a few minutes and my boss is in town for the week. When it became evident that I was ill he tried to get me to resign. This will continue. However at present I have some STD benefits from the insurer that I need so I continue to try to work. To my family doctor all my issues are in my head but losing smell, so dry, losing voice, headaches are physical issues. When I try to think happy thoughts or get through an hour of the day with distractions the physical symptoms come back.
I know it must continue with the not smoking. You have given me a little lifeline today by saying that the mucosa should heal over time. It is comparatively easy to stop smoking and take vitamins but the constant stress is not so easy to get rid of.

Thank you. I am less suicidal than before. My wife keeps me going. Hope (rational hope not just blinding hoping to get lucky) is important to me right now.
It is not easy to deal with these physical health issues knowing that I had the chance to prevent them.
By reading your answers here it sounds to me like it is probable my nose may return to a serviceable state where I can at least breathe normally and smell somewhat close to what I used to.
Have you ever heard of someone with these nose issues before? You are probably wondering why I would go and smoke something as potentially harmful as these lotus leaves especially when I already had a problem.