Changes in Taste and Smell After Brain Injury

Brian D. Greenwald, MD
Related Content: 
Anosmia or Loss of Smell from Brain Injury
Changes in Taste, Smell, and Hormones After Brain Injury
The Tale of Two Smell Tests Post-Brain Injury

I had a concussion about three months ago and now my food doesn’t taste as good. My sense of smell seems different, too. Are these changes related to my brain injury and, if so, is there anything I can do about it?

Posted on BrainLine August 30, 2011.

Comments (37)

Please remember, we are not able to give medical or legal advice. If you have medical concerns, please consult your doctor. All posted comments are the views and opinions of the poster only.

Anonymous replied on

I had a brain injury about 3 months ago. I can tell if things are salty, sweet, spicy, bitter, acidic. But I can't tell what FLAVOR I'm tasting. Everything that I can actually smell, smells the same which is gross. And everything I can taste, tastes the same which gross. It tastes kinda metalically like blood or burnt chemicals. The only pleasant taste is sugar. Especially ice cream.
Idk what to do but it's starting to get a bit depressing. I was just at a holiday dinner and everyone was ranting and raving how good the food tasted and smelled and everything and I was there not enjoying a single bit of it. I hope there's something I can do to improve my senses!! Anyone found anything helpful?

B replied on

I was hit by a car going 40 on Oct. 6 of last year. I lost a leg and had my skull rebuilt in certain places. Right away everything tasted bizarre and foreign. Plus I ate Bojangles chicken after I got home from the hospital and for 6 months all I tasted was that no matter what I was eating. It's been brazy.

Anonymous replied on

I had brain aneurysm surgery 2 1/2 years ago. Is there anyway to get my smell and taste back.

Atif replied on

I had a car accident 18 years ago and I lost my smell and I can’t enjoy food like before everything taste the same I am so sad I wish I cold enjoy even one sandwich before I die

MVGS replied on

Your video on smell and taste after a traumatic Brain injury is really very helpful. Thank you Doc!!!!

Håkan Ask Morling replied on

I had a brain injury 6 months ago (on my birthday off coarse) ended up in coma 2 weeks and declared to die by the doctors (one of them from pneumonia which is a common reaction when in coma) but woke up and found myself unable to walk etc. And when I got to start eating the food was tasteless. But could taste some kind of taste from things. Like chocolate, it was sweet and nice but not great any more. After some bites I also found one of them took my tooth out with it so... Now I don't enjoy chocolate any more.
I live on a Spanish island Gran Canaria outside of Marocko and there all bigger food stores smell like a fish market but that I cannot smell any more. Thats actually good because I hated going into the stores because of that. Now I can stand with my nose 2 cm from the fish and still not smell it. That's kind of sad. My wife loves cooking and I am usually her big contributor of appreciation but that's gone now. Strong spicy stuff I smell. I smell salt, sugar or sweetness, tart, and all basic smells, but not the sum of them. Its like my brain can't determine the sum or calculate the taste any more. When I wash my hands I get an awful smell of moisture afterwords, but then I dry my hands and after a minute that smell is gone, but my fingers smell shitty most of the time. I have never felt that before in my life. In fact I've recounted smell from my hands. And now its there all the time. And its not like you would think that if my hands have been in unhealthy places etc it smells - no! Its after they´re cleaned or after driving holding the steering wheel of other. Its like my nose-brain-taste has restated and gotten new specs.
But its not all bad. Now suddenly I can appreciate cooking shows on TV, maybe because I am curious suddenly - don't know why. I also have no problems cleaning the bathroom or doing plumbing work etc.As been mentioned I cannot decide if there's a fire beside me. That smoke doesn't bother me at all any more. Maybe I should become a fireman now...
Then there's the hearing problem, but that's for an other forum here. The worst problem I'm having here is that I cannot talk to the doctors, because I don't speak spanish and they don't speak english or swedish.
But to conclude, I really feel that trying to see these few but real benefits from this setback is the way to try to live from now, off coarse still hoping for recovering in the next 6 months or so... We´ll see. Its easy to feel lonely with injuries like these, and there really is no reason to. Maybe a fb -group would be a good thing too.
All the best!

Ma replied on

I recently read some papers about brain and olfacatory,taste etc. And I happened to see that some "smell" is not from our nose but brain.Such as sweet,salty they are actually taste ,we taste them but our brain makes us think we are smelling them based on our experience. I don't know much but I guess emmm kind of your "smell" now isn't from your nose and olfactory area in your brain...And it's really dangerous for you cannot smelling the smoke , maybe your saying about fireman is just a joke .
Maybe it's not so rare to have your syptome, and...after all losing smell maybe is much better than losing the moving ability or vision ,hearing...
Anyway,bless you, it's maybe a difficult life but , cone on..
Poor English from a Chinese student.

Brian Hurren replied on

i have lost my taste and smell. i would be a pretty crap chef. really hot vindaloo is great

Niels replied on

I was in a bus accident two years ago. At first, I didn't notice I couldn't smell, but after I left the hospital, I realized I couldn't smell. Since then I'm smelling the same smell for two days or so, sometimes I smell one month nothing and then I smell poop for over 2 days. For some reason it even smelled good as weird as it sounds. I've seen there is a therapy for some of you guys.. it's smelling to 4 different strong smells like lime. It won't work with all of the people that can't smell anymore. Most people see the difference between 3-6 months. I do not know what it's called and I've not tried IT yet. Oh and sorry for the bad grammar I'm from Holland :).

Karen replied on

Last February I had problems with my ear feeling like it had fluid in it, I was physically drained all I could do us sleep... I was on 3 different antibiotics nothing helped .. I have lost most of my smell and taste... some things smell burnt! I can taste a little bit of things with red sauces... really sweet and salty things but nothing in between. Ranch dressing for instance has no flavor peanut butter doesn’t taste good... it’s awful! And very frustrating!! I make extra strong coffee so I can taste it! I was told same thing if you cannot smell you cannot taste! If it doesn’t come back in a year it probably won’t! To think I may have to live like this forever is very upsetting!! The small things we take for granted!!

ASHLEY replied on

2 years and 2 months ago I had a benign pituitary tumor removed and damaged my adrenal gland, too. I do not smell or taste anything. I made microwave popcorn for company and didn't know it was burning. They all looked at me like "can't you read directions? Be more careful."

Also, didn't have my hearing aids in (beaten up) when the fire alarm goes off in my building -- often -- I call the fire dept and tell them I am unable to smell anything but they send the trucks. They understand. It terrifies me!

My neurologist had no "reasons why this happened" and taste and smell will never return. I can tell salty by how "hot" my tongue reacting. I have been to the Cleveland clinic and surgery was at the university hospital in Cleveland, Ohio.

I eat one meal a week and live on rice pudding because it is cool (summer). I eat due to the alternative of starving to death. My meal is scrambled eggs over hash browns (restaurant). When asked, "doesn't that smell good?" I say, "Yes" so not to feel sooo weird. In winter I make myself oatmeal. I have no memory of tastes.

,"DOESN'T THAT SMELL GOOD?" I SAY , "YES".....SO NOT TO FEEL SOOO WEIRD". WINTER I MAKE MYSELF OATMEAL. I HAVE NO MEMORY OF TASTES.

Cindy replied on

I lost my smell and taste, it's been since January with the exception of May and June ( I could taste and smell pretty much normal). I have no idea what has caused this. I just came home from having MRI hopefully my ENT will find the reason. I Am severely depressed and feeling very alone. Family and friends are sympathetic but can't possibly know how this affects your quality of life. How do you cope with this? Hopefully you can give me some advice. Thank You,

Janet replied on

I understand the feeling about the quality of life. I got a concussion about a month ago and I can’t smell anything and taste very little. I am a cook and it is life changing when you can’t taste the food you are preparing. Too salty? Spicy? Also I feel like it’s all I talk about and I am driving my husband nuts! He doesn’t say that but I know I have to be. I cry about it sometimes. I love food and having no taste is so hard.

Janet replied on

I feel the same way. I had a concussion about 6 months ago and now everything tastes bad. It’s hard to explain but it’s a weird taste/smell and it is always there. When the food is hot or cooking it’s worse. I’m a cook as well and I’ve cried a lot about it to my husband. I’ve lost a lot of weight and i am small already so it’s not good. Did anything change for you? Please tell me I have hope to be able to eat again! When I walked in to my parents house on thanksgiving and her delicious food smelled awful I cried. The local county fair... the smell of cotton candy and sausage sandwiches you know like childhood was gone. I’m so down about it and feel like I’m never going to be myself again. I feel for you I really do understand.

Ellen replied on

Wow, this is so recognisable! I can relate to how you feel. I had a concussion three months ago. I love cooking and as a vegan I was preparing my own meals all the time. And now I can already feel the loss of interest. I don't want to eat or only things that before my accident I barely ate, like pizza and donuts (because of amount of salt and sugar?). I feel so depressed about it and I try not to complain about it to my friends and family, because hey, I should be happy I didn't lose my vision or ability to walk...

Since a month I have an awful chemical taste in my mouth, which is making it all even worse. I was hoping that maybe it meant that my smell and taste were getting back but the horrible taste is only getting worse!! Does anyone have a relatable experience?

Justin Dougherty replied on

Hi Ellen.
I know this is some time later, but I’m currently going through the same thing from a fall from height and landing on my head.

How is your situation now?
Are there any foods in particular you could taste?
If back to normal now, how long did it take.

Thanks
Justin

Paulette replied on

Yes, I can strongly relate.
I had a brain mass removed through my nose.
I also am vegan.
I have some clue as to what’s salty and sweet, but no taste or smell.
You hit the nail on the head when you mentioned chemical smell!!
That’s what I have. It’s at its worst when I wake up!!
It’s like a plastic tubing taste, very musty.. bitter.. repulsive!!!
The feeling, which I have to ignore and fight against, is kind of claustrophobic..
Being that I can’t make myself taste..and I have no choice or control in the situation.
I’m praying that God restores my senses.
This is a difficult road, and really difficult to explain to anyone.
I just can’t bring myself to mention it, anymore. There’s no point. Most people can’t relate.
(Until someone mentions smell or wants me to taste something..that’s when I remind them.)
The only funny thing about this new “super power”, is that no one has to worry about smelling badly around me.
A couple of times that’s come up, with a friend..
I reassure them, that even if they didn’t shower, I’d never know.

Sharona replied on

I had a TBI in May of 2018 and loss my sense of smell. Now here in the last couple of days all I think I can "smell" is burnt coffee. Does this mean my sense of smell is coming back to me or something else??

MTmindz replied on

My issues are the opposite from the comments I've seen. My sense of smell is much stronger. I suffered 2 hemorrhagic strokes from trauma in vehicle accident (caused by an uninsured drunk driver) 15 months ago. My sense of smell was much stronger right after the crash than it is today, but it still has an intensity that often triggers nausea. I have non-stop headaches on the right side, and I experience problems with vision, hearing, and balance. I also have comprehension and reading issues as my eyes are not tracking correctly (therapists words). I'm on an emotional rollercoaster that tends to result in embarrassing verbal outbursts. Additionally the left side of my body is much weaker than the right side. My increased sense of smell has not been explained by any of the doctors I've seen. Anybody able to explain this condition?

Himimak replied on

I am having similar issues. After my accident, I had about a week of intense salty metallic taste to the point of non stop vomiting. Dr thought it was related to IV’s at first, but later to TBI. It eventually improved, but now 6 months later, it has come back. Hearing is also hypersensitive as well as my reflexes and my skin with temperatures. If there is a lot of stimuli, my mind just shuts down. If there is a noise, I almost jump out of my skin.
Did you get better??

Kimberly replied on

I have a stronger and stranger sense of smell too. Hard not feel super crazy. Thank you for sharing,

Dennis replied on

I lost my sense of taste and smell over 30 yrs ago from a head injury. I've also loss a lot of other health related things as well. At first it didn't bother me but lately I just eat because I'm hungry. I want to eat but don't know what to eat since I don't know what that food might taste like. When I do eat most of the times it's not pleasing to me. I won't finish my food. I love sweets since I can taste the sugar but I can't tell what i'm eating. It's getting worst for me and I was just wandering if it will get any worst than what i am experiencing now. There still are some food that i'll eat but lately I don't know what to eat since I can't taste what i'm eating and nothing looks appealing to me.

Sherri replied on

I am not a doctor but I would highly recommend you try a good quality B complex. It may help your nerve repair itself.

Muhammad Salman replied on

Hi, I also lost my taste & smell after a motorcycle accident on dated 9th April 2014 and still, i don't have any improvement now anyone can give me advice for the treatment. Thank You.

Gary replied on

I lost my smell about 12 yrs.ago I think due to hitting my head to many times on construction sites . The doctors say that a membrane in the front of my head between my eyes was severed , nothing can be done . Problem is I can't smell propane, gasoline or crap or anything else but I can taste things sweet, sour and some perfumes slightly . I eat by texture and memory, no big deal I still enjoy eating (lots of tabasco) and if that's all the problem I have in my life I'm good . It's just the danger of not smelling gas, propane etc.

Nick G replied on

I was in a motorcycle accident October 2nd and had a total loss in smell and lost most of my taste. In the past two weeks, however, I have this weird, unreachable taste/smell stuck in my head where everything that has any strong smell, smells this way and 90% of my food tastes like the smell, which is disgusting. I’m hoping that this is a sign that it’s coming back to me, but I haven’t found anything online describing similar symptoms. Have any of you experienced this? Is it a good sign?

Ellen replied on

I have the same experience right now! God, it is driving me crazy!! I was also hoping it was a sign of healing...

Shane replied on

I had a frontal lobe contusion about 15 years ago. I know exactly what you are talking about. Some weird smell that lingers wiht you for hours and all of a sudden anything I eat "tastes" just like that smell. No good and I hate to say it but not a good sign as this still happens to me after all these years since the accident. Funny you mention perfume, I can smell perfume from a mile away even when others can't and the smell sticks with me for hours. But I can have bacon right in front of me and not smell it, no fair!!!

Erika June replied on

I hit my head when I was thrown to the ground in a parking lot from a slow-moving vehicle, about a year ago. At first, I had absolutely no sense of smell or taste, loss of hearing in one ear and couldn't walk without a cane (or I'd fall). Within the next few months, everything tasted and smelled relatively the same but was so nasty. I describe it like old musty, mildew-y, pungent, burnt, cheap rubber. It's been a year and I'vee learned the slight difference between things like sweet, salty, spicy, tart etc. But everything grosses out. All perfume and sprays smell like a cheap baby powder. I still can't identify one taste or smell from another but can categorize most things, if that makes sense? Vehicle oil and something melting or catching fire all smell the same. This terrifies me honestly. I don't have much hope of ever healing at this point and it's extremely depressing...

Elizabeth replied on

Hi Nick,
I had the exact same thing happen after my TBI 5 years ago. Lost my sense of smell due to shearing of nerve. Then the sense of weird taste/smells like I'd never experienced before and couldn't quite explain. I came to learn I was having temporal lobe seizures and soon thereafter had my first full absence seizure. I began taking topamax and they are fully under control now.

Brian replied on

I have read that strange tastes and smells are a symptom of sensory overload. I have had it happen a few times usually when fatigued. often it is an organic smell. fortunately I don't find it unpleasantness.

Byron Britton replied on

my question is why can't I smell or taste anything after a brain aneurysm surgery? Before surgery no problems with smell or taste. It's been almost 5 months now can't smell gasoline or fire

Anonymous replied on

I have the same problem. TBI two months ago. I'm tired of forcing myself to eat.

Linda replied on

Just wondering if you are still not having any sense of smell or taste post TBI? My TBI occurred on 9/27/2017 when I fell when going to turn off a light switch. I have literally no sense of smell...can't even smell strong cologne or perfume, could not smell Thanksgiving day food cooking inside my house all day.....and no sense of taste or only metallic taste if anything (possibly from the Keppra they started me on). It has been two months - I am scared it is never going to come back!!!

Cindy replied on

Linda I'm curious if you recovered your taste and smell.

Ilvars replied on

Did the taste and smell come back?

Sharon replied on

About a month-and-a-half ago I had brain surgery they removed my left temporal lobe. Since I have been in my twenties I started having partial complex seizures. I went to the doctor and they diagnosed me with a benign brain tumor (left temporal) will all the problems that I have been having with my memory start to get better or just not get any worse. My family has realized for several years now that my memory has gotten a lot worse. I am very much a loner and there's just a lot of things I do not know. Could you help me with some information. It would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Sharon