Help with allergies, sinusitis, and loss of taste and smell (medical issue)

Back in February I lost my ability to taste and smell. I thought I had covid, but it turned out to be what the (Urgent Care) doc called a cold. He prescribed methylprednisolone but didn’t think I needed an antibiotic. I took the full 6-day dose and felt a lot better.

In March, I started to notice my taste and smell diminishing again, but I also got a bad case of poison ivy right at the same time. After the rash got progressively worse over ten days, the same Urgent Care doc prescribed methylprednisolone. Cleared everything up.

In early April, my taste and smell went away again. More covid tests were negative, so my GP prescribed daily xyzal and azelastine nasal spray. Neither helped at all. I went a little over 4 weeks with the complete loss of taste and smell before I went to an ENT.

ENT ran a CT scan, which showed that my sinuses were completely congested and he diagnosed sinusitis. He prescribed a 14 day dose of methylprednisolone and doxycycline plus daily XHance (even though no nose polyps were evident). Again, a few days into it, taste and smell returned.

A follow up CT scan showed my sinuses were clear. He called for allergy testing, and it turns out I’m allergic to everything on the panel except for a few molds. Dogs? Cats? Horses? Feathers? Orris root? Cedar trees? Pecan trees? All grasses?

All a 7 or higher on the ID wheal.

He wants me to consider allergy shots, which I’ll be starting as soon as an allergist can see me.

Thing is, a week after the follow up CT scan, my taste and smell is gone again. I don’t want to go on a fourth dose of steroids and definitely don’t want to do more antibiotics. Allergy shots can take a long time to actually help.

Any advice here?

I’ve taken Allegra a few times, and XHance nasal spray daily for weeks. Flonase didn’t help earlier when this first started. Neither did azelastine. None of the allergy medications seem to help.

One last note: I don’t really have nasal congestion. The loss of taste and smell isn’t because my nose is clogged. It’s not stuffy or runny at all. He showed on the first CT scan that the congestion is deep in my sinuses, blocking the nerves of my olfactory system.

Any advice is appreciated.