11 replies to this topic

[Mr Serendipity]

I wrote a post here a couple of days ago where I took 3 x 5 zinc tablets throughout the day to combat an oncoming cold, only to be pooping a lot of blood the next day.

 

https://www.longecit...gut-any-advice/

 

The tablet I took has 20mg Zinc (citrate), 1.25mg Copper (gluconate) per tablet, so 300mg Zinc Citrate was consumed.

 

Now I’ve noticed my sense of smell has been reduced to around 10%. I don’t know whether this is temporary or permanent, but it has happened. Smells are very vague or non existent, and it’s been 3 days since I megadosed the zinc.

 

I googled zinc and loss of smell and came across this zinc nasal spray store: https://well.blogs.n...-loss-of-smell/

 

I just wanted warn people who think they’d like to megadose or mess around with high doses of zinc for whatever reason; you may lose your sense of smell (even though you’re just supplementing it and not using it as a nasal spray) and the risk probably isn’t worth the reason you’re doing it for. This is true in my case, it’s been 3 days since I’ve megadosed and my sense of smell is reduced to around 10% of what it was, I’m hoping this will be temporary and eventually go away.

[zorba990]

That is a lot of zinc but not over long term. I would suggest that you will regain your sense of smell when your cold passes. You may wish to use a nasal wash like Neil-med or replenish nasal flora:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.../pubmed/3547601
Rhinology. 1986 Dec;24(4):249-55.
The bacterial flora of the nasal cavity in healthy young men.

Savolainen S, Ylikoski J, Jousimies-Somer H.
Abstract
The nasal cavity of 97 young healthy men (applicants for the pilot education in the Finnish Air Force) was examined. Bacterial culture demonstrated one or more species of aerobic bacteria in all 194 nasal cavities examined and anaerobic bacteria in 76.5%. In ten per cent of the cultures bacteria were detected after enrichment only. The most common aerobic bacteria were Staphylococcus epidermidis (79%), diphtheroids (41%) and Staphylococcus aureus (34%). Haemophilus influenzae was found in 5% and Streptococcus pneumoniae in 0.5%. Anaerobic culture yielded Propionibacterium acnes in 74.5% and Peptococcus magnus in 3.5%.

[orion22]

will it be liver damage do to liver having to clean the blood of so much zinc?

[DaveX]

I often (maybe twice a week) take 4-5 capsules at one time. I take it specifically for its receptor-effects, particularly on NMDA, e.g. before or after alcohol-intake, not as a mere food supplement, though partly also for its supposed benefit in hormone-production. Sometimes I had felt I had taken too much, when I didn't space it out sufficiently or took the amount up to twice a day. However usually I found intake of minerals (calcium, magnesium) or iron beneficial in that case.

That said (just for background), I don't know about the loss of smell, but I have noticed something else: taking Bacopa Monnieri at one time clearly seemed to boost my sense of smell. You might want to try it. Maybe that was even related, though I don't know.

Both seem to enhance my tendency for nosebleeding, which is another weird detail... Those two and Quercetin in particular, possibly because of an effect on scar-tissue by Quercetin, and I once had my tissue soldered (or whatever they call it in medicine) because of frequent nosebleeding many years ago. Or it simply widens capillaries and increases bloodflow somehow, which I also suspect for Bacopa. Zinc's effect is probably different in that regard.

 

I want to add, usually I feel no averse effects from Zinc whatsoever, however the times I had taken too much, it felt quite bad and I also got nosebleeds.

Edited by DaveX, 04 November 2019 - 01:05 AM.

[ironfistx]

You probably decreased your sense of smell because you have a cold.  As far as I know anosmia only happens when taking intranasal zinc.  Too much zinc gives me tendonitis, but other people have said on an empty stomach it can make you nauseous.

[Rocket]

This entire thread is pointless and time wasting. If I were a moderator I would shut it down.

 

1. Nasal zinc is unproven to cause loss of smell

2. Zicam (the original formulation) was taken off the market because it ACTUALLY worked as I have documented on this site previously. I, my wife, friends, and coworkers who I turned onto Zicam went years without a rhinovirus infection while using Zicam. Then it was taken off the market by the lawyers and common colds again returned to being a fact of life 2-3 times every year ever since.

3. The cold itself causes a loss of sense of smell

4. There is no way humanly possible to say you lost 10% of your sense of smell

5. The sense of smell often times returns after the cold has run its course

[DaveX]

Megadosing zinc and other stuff can definitely cause altered sensation, like a metallic phantom smell, probably accompanied by a decrease of normal smell. It's not a stretch. You just take the easy way out to deny everything. I hadn't read the cold-part though, this definitely has to be ruled out first...

But I also muddied my point about Bacopa by talking about other stuff, I think it lifted (cleared, elevated) a sense of smell because of its effects on NMDA or glutamate receptors, which might be involved in smell. This can even be tied to a possible effect by Zinc on smell.

Edited by DaveX, 08 November 2019 - 04:53 AM.

[Mind]

Mega-dosing on just about any supplement or nutrient will get you into trouble. Everything has a dose-response curve.

[Mr Serendipity]

Just an update on this, my sense of smell is still reduced to around 10%. Only the strongest smells I can get a faint smell of, but they have to be really strong.

The weird thing is I’ll quickly get a strong whiff of shit randomly at times and then it quickly disappears (only the strongest smells I’m picking up on in the environment among all others? Also it’s very quick and then goes).

I was pooping blood 2 days straight after that zinc megadose, though the blood could have been due to the high doses of copper which is in the same supplement. So I might have absorbed more zinc at the time while my gut was going through that, because I also stupidly took 2 zma capsules that 1st night (when I started pooping blood) before I realised the pooping blood was related to the megadose of the zinc supplement (originally I thought it was due to the alcohol the night before).

Anyway this should serve as a caution to people, I’m just sharing my experience on it, but I wouldn’t recommend megadosing zinc, I’ve done it in the past with no problems to my smell (as I’m sure many people have too and think why it’s not a problem), but all it takes is one time it goes wrong and your sense of smell is severely reduced permanently, which is what happened in my case.

Edited by TempBannedNotComingBack, 27 November 2019 - 02:33 PM.

[Rocket]

Posts and threads like this give Longecity a bad name. Myself, family and friends should have ZERO sense of smell per the amount of zinc and nasal zinc used over the years if this were true. 

Edited by Rocket, 27 November 2019 - 05:17 PM.

[Hip]

The normal maximum daily dose of zinc is 40 mg, so 300 mg is quite a lot. That said, whether blood zinc concentration were sufficient to mimic the concentrations when zinc is sprayed topically in the nose is a moot point.

 

Have you looked into theophylline / aminophylline as a treatment for loss of smell? It's about the only treatment there is for asomia.  

 

 

 

Nasal zinc is unproven to cause loss of smell

 

There are many things in science which are suspected but remain unproven. That does not mean they should not be mentioned if there is a potential for harm. I certainly want to know about harmful potential side effects of everything.

 

 

 

Zicam (the original formulation) was taken off the market because it ACTUALLY worked

 

It was taken off the market because it worked? How did you arrive at that logic?

[Mr Serendipity]

It’s weird I noticed my sense of taste coming back as I’ve increased my zinc dose, to now diminishing again. And finally having bloody stools again.

I think I’ve ended up with zinc toxicity causing gastrointestinal problems and bloody stool.

Originally I thought it was the copper in my zinc supplement. But this is the exact same form of zinc (zinc citrate), but without the copper. So I can 100% blame the zinc on this one.

What’s weird is I’m not even megadosing. Maybe the first couple of days I did 90mg, but since then it’s basically been 30-45mg a day (2-3 tablets), and it’s only these last few days I’ve noticed blood in my stool.

The only other thing I can think of, is possibly the zinc form being an issue? In this case zinc citrate. Other than that I don’t think he had this bleeding before with other zincs, but can’t confirm.

And I’m try to increase my zinc intake because my ear won’t heal, but upping my zinc helps. Maybe it’s because I’m taking them all at once in the morning without much food. Maybe I should split it up over the day with meals.

Anyway I ended up thinking it was the copper in the supplement the previous time all this happened, but can definitely confirm it’s the zinc citrate.

 

 

edit: actually I forget to say I have been taking 3 beef liver supplements in the evening for the copper, to counteract zinc tanking my copper levels..  Totally forgot that, so technically it’s not conclusive it’s the zinc citrate, this could be caused by either the zinc or beef liver capsules. As for now I’m stopping both.

Edited by Mr Serendipity, 21 October 2023 - 09:20 PM.