Head trauma causes loss of smell/taste

[brittanyf]

Hello,
I'm 17 years of age and recently (2 months ago) had an accident that has resulted in the loss of my sense of smell and taste. I was at a lake, swinging on a rope into the water but lost my grip and wnet head first down a cliff of rocks and roots. I landed in the water but had hit the back of my head (near the crown, at the top) splitting my head open and fracturing my skull (3-4 inches). The neurologists told me I had a severe concussion as well as contusions (bruising) near the front of my brain where I damaged the nerve endings. I also have a herniated disc located in my lower back which has pinched my sciatic nerve running to my left leg.

Since the fall I have experienced several changes. The main concern I have months later is my senses. I understand the brain is complex but I feel as though I haven't recieved satisfying answers from my doctors. My doctor gave me a 3-4 month time frame to see improvements with my senses. He said I could get my taste back slightly, fully or not at all, same goes for my smell. I could get both back, one or none. To date, I have not experienced improvement with taste but recently I have been noticing (for about 2 days now) my nose is sensitive and feels as though it's tingling and I constantly smell mild "burning" so to speak. I was just wondering if this is a positive notion toward recovery or common in all patients who suffer from losing their sense of smell. Is it likely I will return to normal within my lifetime?

Also, if anyone has ever heard of anyone losing their senses after head trauma and regaining/not regaining them. Please comment, any feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks greatly!

[jungian]

Its been 10 years since I got anosmia after an incident where I banged my head pretty hard, but it didnt split open or anything. And its been truly hard these years. I can smell things other cannot smell, like, if I heat a hot and spicy meal, I can smell it from my armpits. And it really stinks, and it took a long while before I dared to ask a close friend if it really smelled. To my relief it did not smell anything at all to him. So I have been showering 90% more than usual because of that annoyance..and showering doesnt really help. Simply eating is horrible , nothing taste good or satisfying, except for sour or salty liqurice candy. Nutritous shakes have been nice at times, but I can only drink those for so long. I am down to 120pounds, it does not look like I am falling apart, but inside I have been screaming the past years. I learned about anosmia via the internet. And I have been reading recently about a new form of MRI that could temporarily help alot with smell and taste disorders. I just gotta hope that kind of MRI arrives in my country sooner than later.

[prod1212]

this sounds EXACTLY like what is happening to me.  especially the "sweet burning smell" mine has almost an antiseptic smell to it as well.

[tyfrsy]

I don't have brain damage or loss of taste, but i do have a herniated disc in my lower back that pinched my sciatic nerve running to my left leg & it totally ***** so i can empathize with you! It basically ruined my life for a whole month while my leg & foot were completely numb while going through physical therapy & what not. It sucked even worse for the period of time before i actually got put into physical therapy also because all the doctors i went to before going to the ER & getting real treatment didn't even believe me when i told them about my symptoms, i have no idea why.. But don't go to Dr. Foot at Instacare in Davis County. He is a HORRIBLE doctor, really.

[attool]

Hi.. Was reading your problem about Vertigo. My mother suffered this problem  for about 20 years and it was getting verse every year. God was kind that one day I met a Acupuncture Doctor in Chennai, India. He gave one sitting of acupuncture treatment and my mother never got Vertigo attacks after that. It's been 2 years now. You can try this treatment as it has no side effect...

[mother_of_a_son]

thank you alllllllll for ur comments ---- i wish u all peace & hope --- i came to this site bcos my son had a headvinjury that resulted in loss of ssmell ----- & his symptoms & feedback from dr's  is exactly what you all dedcribed---- thanks to all who posted the reminder to be thankful the outcome of accident wasnt worse   B-)   <3    thanks    

[Nfenne]

Wel, first of all, thank you for you original post and a huge thanks to all the discussion. My husband suffered a TBI in June 2012 (about 6 months ago now.) He fell from his bike during a triathlon. He had a fracture to the left side, hemorage and contusions to the right. He has done amazingly well, and it thrills me to read how well many of your doing. When they told us that 70 million people a year suffer head injuries that seemed like such a big number until you start talking to people. My husband is also still suffering from a loss of smell and taste. And yes, the only sense he has had, and only occaisionally, is the burning smell. He also feels spicy food on the back of his tongue but does not really taste it. He has a very mild sensation to salt. He has a good appetite though? This seems odd to the rest of us but i suppose if the stomach craves food it can bypass the senses.

One update, just recently I saw something on CNN, by Dr. Gupta, that there is more and more evidence of large doses of Omega 3 fish oils showing very positive effects on brain recovery and repair. I am pursuing this - let me know if anyone else does as well. Nancy