Anosmia or Loss of Smell from Brain Injury

Hello out there to whomever is reading this. On January 17th I experienced my first head injury and ended up with a fractured skull and internal bleeding. I have completely lost my sense of smell and taste. Tonight I celebrated my Birthday and ate some flavorless birthday cake for the first time in my life. No one truly knows how it feels unless they've been in these tasteless/scentless shoes. I felt alone until I stumbled onto these comments and I feel grateful for all of these stories. I have honestly been feeling sad about the inability to enjoy food and it's good to hear others feeling the same. Here is to gaining some good positivity that this will return soon. I wish all of you the same!!

To all my fellow TBI friends...i fractured the back of my skull and had bleeding on my brain etc..mid November. I'm still suffering with dizziness...it feels like I'm on a fairground waltzer a lot of the time. But!!...my sense of smell and taste is non-existent. I joked about it at first with my family, laughing about it but now I don't want to actually admit how much it is affecting me. I ate yesterday for the first time in four days. I'm finding myself getting a phobia about food, I can't taste or smell it so I don't want it. The only thing I can really eat is jacket potatoes..it's the only texture I can really handle. I'm also washing myself lots in a day because I'm constantly paranoid that I may stink...haha. My neurologist has told me it's possible my senses will come back within two yrs...but chances are they won't ever. I know everybody here who's stories I've read are going through near enough the same thing as me, I've been starting to get really down about it. I'm making any excuse to not leave my house etc....but I don't want my nearest and dearest to know how much it is affecting me, I keep saying to myself that I'm just making a big deal out of it all...it's s**t what has happened to us all but with all my love I hope each and everyone of us gets to smell a roast beef dinner and a fish and chip supper again :) take care everybody, I don't feel alone anymore xxx

I lost my sense of smell from crashing a quad and hitting the back of my head. To those of you who say they have a weird burning, metallic smell every time you breathe in through your nose don't worry it will go away eventually. I have know idea what it was or why it was happening. It was nauseating and there was nothing I could do about. It went away within a year. I don't remember exactly how long because I tried my hardest to ignore it. It's been almost 5 1/2 years since my accident. The only things I can smell are fresh bark mulch, even though it smells like maneur it's still amazing lol, sharpies, peanut butter when I'm rinsing off the knife under hot water and mint leaves. I've noticed when watching tv and an ad comes on for food I get a sense of what it smells like, which is weird because when I try to think of what something smells like I can't remember. I'm interested to hear what other people with the same injury smell if anything at all. Good luck and hang in there. You're not alone!

I had a brain injury nearly 3 years now from a violent attack being in the wrong place at the wrong time by 3 of them I still cant smell anything and part of my taste has gone to which I had front lobal damage my mood swings often change to I learn to cope with it now been on tablets for brain injury since 2012 still on them and sleeping tablets to I've been told by consultants that I will never get it back now still smell the burning and taste the burning to

I am a T.B.I. accident March 2013 . I lost my smell , but have a horrible burning SMELL . Can anyone tell me why ?

I lost my smell from my tbi. I didn't even know it til after a couple months after. I so want to smell anything, I miss it so much. Even bad smells. It's been 5 years since my tbi. I wish it could be fixed but it can't. I get the aweful tastes and smells as well, always something different. I so want to even smell people. It's weird not to smell perfume. Cologne. Sweat with people.

I fainted while in a pizza restaurant, came to on the ground looking up. Since then my sense of smell has diminished and been altered. I didn't even hit my head that hard. There was no welt, only a minor abrasion on the back of my head. This was about 4 months ago. I don't know what to do until I get medical insurance so that I can go see a doctor. Some things I can smell much better than others, like fruits and vegetables, cilantro is a winner. This is all still very stressful.

Don't give up hope. several years ago, I hit the back of my head skiing and lost my sense of smell 100%. It was very depressing. Very hard to explain to other people the overwhelming sense of loss the I felt. You don't realize, until it's gone, how much emotion and memory is linked with the sense of smell. It was almost as if someone close to me had died and I was mourning their loss. Anyway, after my accident the doctor I saw told me if it didn't come back in a week or two, that it likely never would. For the next couple years I resigned to thinking that it was gone forever. It wasn't until a friend of a friend visited, who was a neurosurgeon in Miami, that I had a little hope. He said, "don't give up hope. Nerve damage is very, very slow to heal. Your smell may still come back." Sure enough, after about three years, I started to pick up on some smells. The first things I could smell were bad things. Like rotting fish and garbage. But honestly, it was good to smell anything! Over the course of the next year or two, I regained almost all of my ability to smell. Now it's back in full. Maybe not 100%, but very close. You are correct that there is very little info available. At least now there is much more available on the Internet. My accident was in 2000, so there wasn't much of any resources. Hang in there. You are not alone. Eat well. Get lots of sleep. And perhaps look into getting some cranio sacrel therapy. That is something that could help expedite your recovery.

I haven't looked into my loss of smell for a couple decades but after reading the bbc tonight about helping someone walk again using olfactory nerve sheaths I thought id check in to see where technology is for my broken sniffer. I had a car accident 20 years ago while driving an old 1963 toyota land cruiser. It only had lap belts because I was saving up for a full seat belt harness (I was only 19 and it came with nine) anyway it flipped and I smashed my forehead on the broken off steering column and gashed my head 7cm. Other than a crushed hand and amputated index finger I came out alright until I realised I had liar my sense of smell. Honestly it didn't bother me too much. In part because I was only 20 and also because I had such a traumatic hand injury that took precidence. My MRI showed a little bean-sized bit of damaged brain tissue that no doubt cut of the circuitry to my nose. The doctor said it would probably come back in a year or so. I continued on to study psychology in university and learnt that the olfactory nerves grow very slowly back trough the mylean sheath. It can take upto 2-3 years. In many head injuries when the brain shifts inside the skull the nerves are cut above the palette where they run. (Or something close to that if I can remember). In my case regeneration was not a likely outcome because the pathways were actually impeded with an isolated are of brain damage specific to my olfactory function in my frontal lobe. It hasn't bothered me a whole lot . Always have to remember most smells are bad... Usually for survival reasons. That being said, I still remember one day at home alone shortly after my accident I burnt three pizza lunches in the oven one after the other. I realised then that it could get dangerous. I don't get hungry until I'm ravenous because no smells trigger my sense. I have not lost any weight and still love to eat. As others mentioned, there is a whole new world of discovery in the fine balances of sweet, salty, sour and bitter. Yes 80% of my taste is gone and whe I first had coffee after my crash it tasted like an ashtray. A few phantom smells and dreams of smells, but those have mostly faded as time has passed. I too love Mexican food, it's the perfect balance of texture and spiciness for a senseless eater. Beer does not all taste the same. American lagers still taste aweful. I've grown to love West Coasr Pale Ales and many IPAs. Bitterness is the key. Sweet or mildly sweet beers are disgusting. Light beers need to be dry like Asahi. Lime in Corona is also still good. The other thing you can expect over time is a sharpened acuteness of your other senses. Although I often don't know dinner is almost ready or that it's raining because of the smell of wet asphalt, I often hear the rain first or see smoke before anyone else. That has come with time. One scary instance happened in our home. It's a small cabin and I must have bumped the gas stove knob with my child's foot while carrying him. He left with mum and I took the dogs for a 45 min walk. When I got back I walked into the cabin and went over to the stove. I could hear a breeze... Although it wasn't. It was the gas running out full bore. I quickly shit it off luckily not setting off the igniter clicker. I ran outside and opened up all the windows. the scary thing is it happened again 4 months later. That time it was on for hours. I wired the house for an electric stove... Lastly I too being into twenties, going out a lot etc was panamoid of being smelly. If have friends tell me if a shirt smelled or asked them to sample deodorants. I'd just tell them or girlfriends that they'd have to be my nose. I never was that stinky anyway and now I worry a lot less about that. Keep showered, a little pit stick once and a while and drink a pint of IPA with a spicy burrito and you're good as new...

I recently fell three stories and cracked my front plate and back plate in my skull and got a concussion. Ever since my sense of smell has been almost non existent

I've lost my sense of smell and taste for a year now from my brain being damage, all thanks to a driver in his vehicle. He decided to randomly stop full force on a 70km road, I believe 50mph in the US, to take a left turn not looking at his rear view mirror to see a motorcycle behind him. My father took action right away to stop, but stopping full force on so sudden with a bike is not easy. I flew 6-10feet off the back seat of the bike and landed face first on the opposite lane. Long story short, that accident cause me a lot of suffering, not just senses gone, but having traumatic brain injury, numbness on the left side of the body, problems picking up items from time to time and epilepsy along with losing senses for the rest of my life. It is just difficult. I was very lucky to make it alive, but now I suffer at a young age of 21 thanks to a 19 year old's careless driving. I try to smell but nothing happens. As for taste, only things that I can barely taste, as in 5% out of 100% taste of food that has lots of salt, sugar, and spice in its recipe, which from what I read up, is a natural common thing for lost of taste. Losing these senses ended up to ruin my diet after dropping 40 pounds before the accident. It's difficult to accept the loss of your senses after you relied on it for many years, and coping to your diet. I wish that I could meet with a dietitian who is skilled in the fields of helping a person contain to their diet properly knowing the loss of their sense of smell and taste. These senses do in fact, take an impact. Cause depression, and difficult in the foods you eat. There is a method though suggested by herb specialists, for those who lost their smell, apparently peppermint liquid/oil helps regain the smell back for you. I have not yet tried the method even though I've been given a sample of it, only because this method takes months before you'll start to notice a difference. Not only that, but I am afraid to take a step forward in taking this action to try it out. I've been pretty much scarred you could say. 

I got a concussion, and also lost my taste and lost my sense of smell. I happen to go to a chiropractor for my headaches, and immediately following my first adjustment, I began to smell again and taste some food. As I have continued, to go it has gotten better. I'm not sure how common this is to fix the problem, but it's worth a shot. Hope this helps!

I have a family member who was constantly smelling something bad, like they had a sinus infection or something. They also had some other weird aches and pains. the doctors couldn't find anything and finally told her to go to a psychiatrist because it was all in her head. After a cat scan or an MRI they found that she had built up water around her pituitary gland and they had to put in a shunt to drain the water.  Afterwards all the weird symptoms went away. the water was reaching into different parts of her brain and causing weird symptoms. 

Had my TBI nine months ago, when I fell backwards and hip my head on the floor.  I fractured my skull and ended up staying overnight in hospital.  No smell the next day.  and for another good few months, however a few months go, I was able to smell powdery fragrant smells, and I have days when I think my smell is almost back up to 50%!!!  It is still hit and miss, but I'm optimistic about the changes over time.

I fell off 3rd story balcony in 2008. I was in a coma for about 5 days and hospitalized for 3 weeks. Walked away with TBI, broken arm and fractured skull. My thinking is clearer than ever, i've regained feeling emotions, but unfortunately my sense of smell is still 0%. I can't even smell ammonia or gas with strong wiffs. I smoke medical marijuana in California to help my appetite and food cravings which has been incredible to help me enjoy food. Still hopeful and liked the previous comment about training the brain to smell again. 

I fell through my attic, about 27 feet 5.5 months ago and fractured all my left side and stayed in in the ICU for about 5 days unconscious for the first 24 hours. I noticed a week later that I don't smell anything at all. I was extremely frustrated  but i was focused on not becoming paralyzed and was into rehab aggressively and I recovered pretty fast as I had at least 19 fractures and my left side was almost replaced with metal but the reward was that I was able to go back to work in 3 months and walk with a very minimal limb and slight pain. I suddenly started to have one silly smell for everything, It was alike a mix between nutmeg and ash. Everything smells and even taste like that but with varying intensity. I do cry once in a while when I remember the smell of the grass in the spring, the smell of the sea or ocean, my perfume collection or even my wife's perfumes. That is beside loosing my taste of course. I can not tell the difference between Mango ice cream and strawberry ice cream for instance and I only eat to satisfy my hunger. I really miss my coffee and the flavors I used to blend in the hookah. I became paranoid with my hygiene and very anxious when some says " What is that smell?!" . I have not done much about and did not seek much help from doctor because as a doctor myself I know that there is not much that can be done. You never truly appreciate your blessings until you loose them. However I am always appreciative to God that I am still walking and working as I have seen those who had less traumas than the one I had and ended with paralysis. If any have regained his sense of smell after doing something different or underwent new therapy please do share with us your story, this is a very under explored territory of medicine.

I had head injury on 23rd Jan 2012 and I lost of my smelling sense. Still I am waiting to come it back. I feel so bad when everyone talks about smell. but still i am waiting.

Two months ago, I woke up and got out of bed to notice that my pillow had about a 6 inch circle of blood on it.  I remember getting drunk; but I don't remember hitting the back of my head.  I must have fell backwards on a hard surface.  I noticed that my smell was absent and my taste was diminished.  I can slightly smell things like cigarette smoke, and a faint smell of vinegar  while putting my nose over the opening of a plastic, one gallon jug.  My taste is about 75 percent absent.  I still crave crave fryed foods and hamburgers.  I now have a weird smell that is always there.  That smell can closely be related to an electrical short or an overloaded electrical circuit.  I do hope my smell comes back.  I am a recovering alcoholic and this might be my wake-up call.  I have not seeked medical attention for my anosmia, nor did I seek medical attention after my head injury.  I have been able to function in every other way.  After doing a small amount of research, I am fine without being evaluated for this condition.  Things could be worse and I am thankful that I am sober again.  I thank God for all the many pleasures that I can still enjoy.

In 1993, I suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury. An 18 year old "man" was obsessed with my 13 year old little sister. He broke into my house in the middle of the night. He brutally murdered my Mom, my brother and tried to kill me. I was shot in the head 3 times. I was the only one out of us three who made it. I was rushed to the hospital via Air Ambulance. When I woke up, I realized a month had passed. I was unable to taste or smell most things. What I could taste or smell was awful. My doctor told me it would come back. It has been well over 20 years and still nothing. I have learned to deal with it. I found this 'disability' to be very frustrating with cooking/eating (not being able to smell or taste turns a person off food), raising 3 children (who are now 20, 16, 12) - especially when they were babies, not being able to smell the beautiful things in life. I have done it so I focus on what I can do. I have tried to remember what things smell and taste like. It has given me the ability to almost taste or smell things. Don't give up - make it work another way.

I lost my sense of smell 10 years ago after falling backwards on ice and bashing the back of my head. I was so concussed I never even thought to see the Dr! I lived alone. 2 weeks later I cricked my neck and saw my osteopath who asked how I had got concussion and whiplash. It later dawned on me I hadn't no sense of smell. Since then my taste has also all but gone. Eventually I had an MRI scan to see if there was any other damage and the Dr confirmed my nerve olfactory nerves were severed and I would never get my smell back. Pretty dismal. - I never smelt my baby. I figure though that there are far worse senses to lose. I enjoy chocolate and texture foods and I think much of what I taste is my memory knowing what to expect - and so it is getting worse as I get older. It's useful at times, working with teenagers!