Odds

[musiquema]

Hello,

I had a brain injury almost a year ago. I lost consciousness and fell with my back almost a floor down. The result was an hematoma on the frontal lobe, left side. During the first 10 days, i had complete loss of smell/taste. Afterwards, until today, i suffer from parosmia and phantosmia. Sometimes, i smell/taste nothing. The doctor told me that since until present, the problem persists, the odds are against me since, according to medical bibliography, 90% of patients having the disorder for more than 2months, do not recover. Can you please provide me with more relevant information?

Thank you in advance

[SamPCS]

I didn't know you are in Europe and yes it is difficult to come all the way.  I am sure you can find some doctor who is willing to try but good brain specialists  are only few which I learnt the hard way.  Still haven't found the good one.

I mean the same thing in stores what you go through.  Nowadays I go straight and pick up what I need and try not to process anything which makes me dizzy, lost and tired.  Not only that when I talk to some one (even in the phone) gives me headaches and dizziness.  so I cannot be around people which greatly affects me mentally.  I am pretty confined to my apartment (like a solitary prison).

With memory issues Neuropsychologist will be the best to assess.  Not sure anything can be done by any one but altleast they can be more specific which areas you lag.  Even I want to go there but I cannot tolerate the grueling process which goes for the whole day.

probably you know the taste (I mean flavor) comes from the smell.  you are saying you can taste all fruits and also flavored yoghurts.  Interesting.  I guess some good specialist may be able to help you.

Check out the other thread where there are lot of sufferers and few got the sense back.

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Head--Traumatic-Brain-Injury/Head-trauma-causes-loss-of-smell-taste/show/612120

[musiquema]

I will email them to ask for more info since i live in Europe and it is not easy for me to travel to Washington. Thank you.

I sometimes feel lost/extremely tired like my head cannot accept/process the info (store with many products and colours, for example). Do we mean the same thing?

Regarding my memory, i have a short tem issue, i guess. I cannot coordinate my head when i have more than 2 tasks at the same time and of course, the problem gets worse when i am under pressure. The neurologist told me that it needs time since the damage may have influenced the memory area...

I also have a  problem with the taste. The distorsion includes the taste of gas, burnt meat, metallic taste, etc...My taste feels normal only when i eat yoghurt and specific fruits

I hope that we receive feedback from other sufferers as well..

[SamPCS]

Luckily I don't get ghost smell.  Only I can imagine how terrible that can be.  Hope it is not too often and not too bad.

I spoke to them and you can ask all the details you want.  If you are from out of town you have to stay for few days.  They accept only medicare/medicaid and no other insurance.  That is what preventing me to go now since it may cost few thousand dollars.  

I am not sure what kind of treatment and I think it is decided on very many factors.  When I spoke to them they said I can do the blood test with my PCP (lots of tests) to cut down cost.  The tests includes MRI - put you in the tube and ask you smell etc., I think. tasteandsmell is their website.  One lady said she took some asthma medicine for some time prescribed by this doctor and got the smell back.  Bizzare!  Who would know?  One guy got it back after rigorously treated with steroids.  I did HBOT, Neurofeedback, B12 supplements which may or may not have helped.

My symptoms are more like constant dizziness, gets worse when I talk, malls, stores, facial pain, fatigue and pretty much I am confined at home.  I can't even entertain any guests/relatives and even talking on the phone I get dizzy and headachy immediately.  I don't have any memory issues though.  Do you have short term/long term memory issues?  With frontal lobe injury seems like memory is a big issue.  

[musiquema]

Thank you for the info.do u suffer from ghost smells as well? I sometimes smell things out of the blue ex the smell of a sowcific flower (of course there are no flowers in the room). Are you aware of the treatment in the Taste and smell clinic?such as method,cost,etc.? Any problems with memory?

[SamPCS]

I had a similar injury like yours and had temporal and frontal lobe brain contusions 2 years ago.  I am suffering from parosmia from the next day and it used to be very terrible and for the past few months I am seeing some good progress with the smell.  You are right for most people it won't come bank and very few doctors in the U.S (if you live in U.S.) may be able to treat it.  It is a tough one to deal with and only who loss it know what it is.  Taste and Smell Clinic in Washington D.C. is one of them.  No I have not been there but at some point I will go there.