Brian injury

[Dannyc81]

Hi I have recently had 2 bleeds on the brain and lost my sense of smell and taste.also I have become alot more aggresive among alot of other things personality changes etc.I'm new to all this just think it might be beneficial if I speak to people who are going through similar things but feel embarrassed to go to group sessions.

[Shon48]

First of all , welcome and I hope you get some reassurance from us. I too have loss of taste since I had a 28 mm aneurysm coiled and two stents placed. I haven’t lost the smell though but I am starving . It’s not that I don’t want to eat , I do try but everything tastes rank. I just can’t get anyone to understand this affliction . “ you need to eat to keep your strength up” is the usual retort . Harrumph!!!!!! Hopefully they come back for both of us .

Shona 🤗🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[Dannyc81 in reply to Shon48]

Thanks it's been 6 months since I smelt or tasted anything and have alot of anger and anxiety issues due to being assaulted which resulted in a fractured skull and bleeds on the brain and now it looks like I'm gonna have to go to court to see the perpetrator punished

[Shon48 in reply to Dannyc81]

Oh dear , that won’t help your anxiety issues but hopefully you will be able to see him get what he deserves and you can try to move on without that anxiety hanging over you . Your problem is so very different from mine though and hopefully things improve for both of us . My mantra now is “ if it’s not life threatening,let it go “ . I can’t believe I’m in this state . Still learning to walk , covered in bruises lol . You gotta laugh, I’m like a drunk toddler but I’m getting better all be it very slightly . I just wish my dentist face would go as I’m frozen on the one side and as the day goes on my speech slurs. Stroke like symptoms. Eye is blurry and won’t close properly. I’ll get an MRI in feb/March so with any luck it the beast in the head will be tamed a bit 🤞🏼.

Is there a group for anger management you could go to ? Thankfully that’s one problem I don’t have , I refuse to get upset anymore. It’s totally different for you though and I can totally understand why you are angry. Shona

[Dannyc81 in reply to Shon48]

Thanks shona really appeiciate your time

[cat3]

Welcome Danny. Smell and taste issues are common after any type of brain injury. I had a Subarachnoid haemorrhage which left my senses corrupted ; everything tasted and smelled of an acrid chemical (like burning plastic).But it slowly started to readjust after around 12 months so that I could tolerate it, and I now avoid certain foods which I've substituted with others.

Eventually though, I think our brains start to re-learn, from visual stimulus, to make the association with what we see before us and how it tastes. I enjoy my food now and, though my favourite perfume (that was) now smells vile I can smell certain other fragrances, but mostly nothing.

The anger issues are a mixture of confusion and frustration and can be helped by learning simple 'escape' techniques of habitually walking away from volatile situations. Maybe get help from a therapist. Take care, Cat x

[Dannyc81 in reply to cat3]

Thanks cat really appeiciate your time

[Mikey48]

I had a Subarachnoid haemorrhage 4 years ago and had no taste or smell issues although 3 years down the line I suffered a seizure which came as a bit if a surprise. I'm on medication and have been seizure -free for over a year now. Our brains take time to "re-wire" after something like this and I'm sure things will improve for you with maybe a few adjustments, All the best.

[Dannyc81 in reply to Mikey48]

Nice one mate thanks you too

[Barnstable2010]

Hi, l suffered a brain injury 2 years ago and lost my taste and smell which hasn't come back and it is hard to deal with.

In the early days of my injury l also was quite off hand but didn't realize until told by my husband it does get better,.

I've only just started going to Headway and wish I'd done it sooner it's lovely it helps in many ways. People you are chatting too know where your coming from if things get a bit much.

Take care.

[Dannyc81 in reply to Barnstable2010]

Hi I'm going to a headway meeting next week so hopefully might help thanks

[Barnstable2010 in reply to Dannyc81]

Enjoy, glad you are it is helpful and l would never had said that a year ago.

[Dannyc81]

Hope so and thanks again

[sammm2k]

Hi Danny, 3 years this month for me & my smell & taste is still wrong. I dont enjoy food, but know i have to eat to survive. On plus side, I can clean up my pups toilet no problem, I cant smell that either lol.

[Dannyc81]

Hi it's only been 6 months for me 3 yrs seems like so far away but you did make me smile over the pups toilet ha ha so thanks for that do you go more for texture in food now cos that's what I seen to be doing just trying to get some sort of enjoyment out of food but I go through days where I don't eat at all cos it gets me down x

[neilhapgood]

Hi Danny, the whole personality change is a complete nightmare, I really struggled with this, I put some of my learning into a website that you might find useful braininjuryftp.com.The 'foundations of sand' page looks at personality change. All the best with it, it does get better!

[Dannyc81 in reply to neilhapgood]

Thanks very much for the advice

[RockyMountain]

Hi Danny, I'm eleven years in without taste or smell. I eat both texturely, also by colour and heat for example hot and cold on the same plate.

For me food is fuel, having said that it's easy, to cut out anything manufactured. I'm super sensetive to addictives, stuff that dosent feel right on the palate as taste dosen't disguise the stuff.

You'll find you start to care more about what you eat, I eat really healthy.

I've just had a cracking walk in the Lakes this morning (Kentemere Horseshoe) the days of looking forward to that first pint are over.

For me lack of smell and taste dulls life experience's as everything seems plastic without it. But we are survivors and stronger for it...

Hope things work out for you Danny.

Apply for a Headway Brain Injury Card, as when you do, or say the crazy things we do, you can demonstrate there's an underlying reason as people don't understand, you look alright, right.....

[Dannyc81 in reply to RockyMountain]

Thanks very much for your comments really appeiciate them

[Broken_Doll]

Hi Danny, I am approaching my 5th anniversary (end of May). I have total loss of sense of smell and my taste is approx 30% and it’s very basic (sweet/sour/spicy etc).

My brain injury was also traumatic alongside a broken neck and fractured skull. I believe it’s more likely for sense of smell to return with non-traumatic brain injuries (hypoxia/strokes/aneurysm’s etc).

The “olfactory bulb” is a very delicate structure that processes what our noses smell and it’s on the underside, towards the front of the brain so if you had frontal/temporal brain injury it is likely that it has been damaged.

I also have a total change of self, even down to my likes/dislikes. I am a lot more volatile and hot-headed these days.

Anyway.. I wish you well & hope you find some support with Headway!

[Dannyc81 in reply to Broken_Doll]

Hi

Thanks for your reply yeah I get so frustrated angry and have alot of anxiety that I never used to have.This injury has turned my life upside down as its in its early stages I really hope I can learn to deal with it.