Regaining sense of smell - am I being too hopeful!

[Victoria_wilson]

I lost my sense of smell when I sustained my head injury in January. I’ve really struggled to deal with this as I got so much pleasure from food both cooking and eating. Quite soon after I started to experience phantom smells all the time mainly smoke and petrol. This has fortunately stopped and recently I have noticed that I am picking up smells when things are cooking or i’m using shower gel. It’s generally the same smell or a variation of (tends to be quite perfumed). Coffee also has the same aroma. I’m hoping it’s a sign it’s coming back albeit - am I being too hopeful?

[cat3]

Everyone's different, so whereas some regain this sense 100% and others regain it for only certain smells, some like myself never do. It worried me at first as, like you, I always loved the aroma of cooking (apart from the fact you know if it's burning !) and I was concerned I'd no longer be alerted to the smell of burning or escaping gas etc........

For me, most tastes and smells are 'corrupted' rather than absent so many of my favourite foods taste awful and my favourite perfume, though pleasant to others, smells rancid to me. So it's been mostly an avoidance exercise for me though I can enjoy certain foods by remembering how they tasted.

So it's a wait & see I guess, but I really hope it's the start of an olfactory revival for you Victoria.

To smell the spring blossom and taste roast lamb and mint sauce....................... xx

[cat3 in reply to cat3]

PS......don't know where the underlining came from ; I'm borrowing a Mac book & can't get rid of it !!

[maxinebird]

Hello Victoria,

I have my TBI last July. I have no smell or taste since. An Ear nose and throat doctor, said they wouldn't ever come back. I am more optimistic than that. I buy meals that have herbs, garlic, citrus etc and some smell lovely. i don't eat fish and chips, but walking past the shop smells great, although it might just be vinegar. And yes some shower gels smell nice. I have 2 dogs and I haven't got a clue what they smell like. ( lucky i don't get many visitors)

Maxine