My sister fell down some stairs in March 2012. She was rushed by air ambulance to the hospital with a traumatic brain injury. Ever since her fall, she can no longer taste or smell anything. Her hands and feet are always freezing cold. Will her taste or smell ever come back, and why she is so cold all the time?
Loss of taste and smell has been reported to be as high as 25 percent after traumatic brain injury. The loss of taste is generally due to loss of smell. Loss of smell has many possible causes including injury to the nose, nasal passages, sinuses, olfactory nerve, and the brain. The olfactory nerve brings the sensation of smell from your nose to the brain. Since this nerve passes from the nose to the brain, it is at high risk of injury when there is trauma to the head.
There are some medications that can also cause impairments in smell or taste that are commonly prescribed for people with traumatic brain injury, including some antidepressants, seizure medications, antipsychotics, muscle relaxants, and narcotic analgesics. A close evaluation by your sister’s physician is important to make sure there are no reversible causes of loss of taste and smell. If her senses of taste or smell have not returned a year post-injury, it’s unlikely, unfortunately, that they will.
Click here to see BrainLine’s video with Dr. Greenwald on the topic of changes of taste and smell after TBI.
As far as feeling cold all the time, it has become recognized that there can be changes in hormones after traumatic brain injury. A careful assessment of your sister for reasons she feels so cold should include blood tests that measure her hormones (thyroid, cortisone, sex related hormones, and growth hormone).
Please refer to this comprehensive article regarding the treatment of headaches.
More on TBI-related headaches.
Spasticity is another cause of pain more commonly seen after moderate to severe brain injury.
Watch this video with Dr. Greenwald about TBI-related spasticity.
Brian Greenwald
Dr. Brian Greenwald is medical director of Center for Head Injuries and the associate medical director of JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute. He is a clinical associate professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
Comments
Denise replied on Permalink
My neurologist did a follow-up CAT in Nov 2017 after TBI in Sep 2017. Total anosmia. Explained little to nothing and offered no advise.
Denise replied on Permalink
I fractured my skull and concussed myself in 3 areas of my head/brain last April. My sense of taste and smell didn't change until 4 months post my fall. Your description of how things smell and taste is spot On! I have described it as smelling like wet dog food and diarrhea mixed together. My favorite things now smell and taste like sh@! Doctor isn't concerned, but I am! This is going on 8 months now. If i can't enjoy the simple pleasures of life, I don't want to continue living like this. Is there help? Hope?
Leigh replied on Permalink
Your story is the same as mine. I had seven fractures. Mine has not returned, but I hope and pray every day, even after 12 years.
Heather replied on Permalink
I would try Craniosacral therapy, massage and acupuncture
Anonymous replied on Permalink
All my life I had a decreased sense of smell, but definitely had the ability to smell and differentiate things.
A few years back I fractured my skull and suffered a TBI. I had some excellent hospital care and after several days in the ICU was sent home for a month of bed rest. I wound up recovering well after that month and regained all normal functions. No lingering headaches, or complications that were immediately noticeable.
I then realized that my sense of smell had been lost completely. Even things I could smell clearly before I could no longer detect. I remember everyone freaking out over a skunk outside that had sprayed everything - I sat unaffected and never noticed a thing.
My sense of taste is still fully intact which is good because I can still appreciate a nice steak.
Mom needs to know replied on Permalink
My son was hit by a car and has a tbi, and he keeps telling me he doesnt taste anything or smell anything on top of everything else. Will he every be able to taste and smell again?
Karen replied on Permalink
If loss of smell occurs 25% of the time, then why did my neurologist who oversaw my recovery from a TBI that I incurred in 1998 not answer any of my questions or seem to think my lack of olfactory perception was a real concern. Also, does sense of taste gradually disappear, over time?
EjGriff replied on Permalink
I'm 29 and I was slammed to the pavement by a vehicle about a year ago. The ER stated that I had no fractures but there was evidence of swelling as well as fluid behind my ear. Since the accident I've had to walk with a cane bc the earth is constantly shifting beneath my feet, i look drunk... I have memory issues and am constantly tired... I have also lost all hearing in my left ear, and everything has the same taste and the same smell of (what I can only describe as:) moldy, mildewy, burnt gym socks. It makes me sick. I've lost a bunch of weight bc everything grosses me out... I just want to know if I'll ever be able to smell my son again.. or anything meaningful for that matter? I haven't found a Dr. that can explain what is happening... Any words of wisdom..? or hope?
Shelbee Rothstein replied on Permalink
I just currently fractured my skull, got brain hemorrhaging and brain bruising, I lost all sense of smell and taste and I’ve had a ringing in my ears (I’ve had a faint ringing for a while, as I was in the navy and worked on the flight deck of an air craft carrier, so I worked around a lot of loud planes) but it’s now actually starting to prevent me from falling asleep, or getting good sleep, my neck is very sore, and I haven’t been able to hold a meal down since I got into the hospital, not sure if these are common...
Airin replied on Permalink
I also had this after about 3 months slowly the taste weird smell or lack there of started to come back. I wouldn't say I'm 100% better but I did regain about 60% or slightly more back. Still have difficulty smelling flowers. I remedied my lack of taste with things that were really flavorful like feta cheese and hot wings being my favorites.
Paul Birkin replied on Permalink
Sympathies with all of you. I had a subdural op at the end of October 2017. Sense of taste and smell have got worse since then. Didn't notice at first or I had too much on my mind. Everything else is up and running now, thank God. Good balance, fatigue not as bad, Due to start back to work at the beginning of next week.
Cassie replied on Permalink
Is it possible for a head injury to cause a person to regain their sense of smell? I completely lost my sense of smell four years ago after I took a medication and it never returned. I hit my head on the concrete two days ago and I have been able to smell everything.
April replied on Permalink
Have you found a cure? I got a concussion three months ago as well and haven’t been able to taste since then. Off and on here and there but barely. Sweet foods are soapy and cooked are metalicy and smoky burnt tasting . If you found anything let me know.
George Klimek replied on Permalink
I am recovering from a concussion that occurred 3 months ago. Now I have completely lost my sense of smell, -- But it has been replaced with what seems like a constant metallic smell, kind of musty, hot, or burnt-out smell.
Charity replied on Permalink
I had the same thing happen to me over a year ago. It’s awful and discouraging. Also depressing. Have you found anything that helps?
Marissa replied on Permalink
When I was very little, my brothers and I were having a snowball fight. Unknowingly, one of them picked up a clump of snow that was full of clay succulent pots. He threw it at my head. I passed out, went to the hospital, and ever since my sense of smell and taste has never been the same. Could this be a reason?
Jessica replied on Permalink
I got into a bad ATV accident and have 5 fractures to the skull and had bleeding. Everything is healing and bleeding is gone but I can not smell. They said my olfactory nerves were not damaged but maybe just stunned. Is there a chance that my smell will come back? If so how long does it take ?
Shannon replied on Permalink
I found this very interesting because I went through this about 20 years ago due to a brain injury. I had that burnt rubber smell for the first year and no taste. Gradually my taste returned but my smell is still mostly gone but I can smell certain lotions and minty stuff. I wonder what causes the burnt rubber smell?
Beth replied on Permalink
I have for a year now been expiencing change in taste and smell some things like coffee and chocolate are so bad they make me heave.I have had 2 ct scans and an mri from ear nose and throat clinic and have now been discharged as they can find nothing wrong.I don't know what to do now every thing I eat has to be covered in hot spices or I can't eat it.
Dexter walker replied on Permalink
Well i had a head injury couple months ago and went to the doctor and i told them what happened but they really didn't examine my head and i still cant sell or taste really....how can i get some help with this problem???
Matt replied on Permalink
I had the same, smelled burnt rubber at times for a year, now I kinda smell fabreze fragrance, beats the rubber. Have 80% taste, 10% smell.
Kim Hiegel replied on Permalink
My boyfriend, age 50 was hit from behind on his tractor. He has a concussion, he stated his taste is not working, and now he says things "stink" unpleasant odors . Is this normal? Will he regain his taste and smell again?
Anonymous replied on Permalink
My son also has freezing cold hands and feet after his severe TBI and his trauma surgeons told us that it is often a sign of severe neurological damage. It may or may not gradually get better. It is also accompanied with numbness or tingling or pain or loss of sensation or lack of mobility. The brain sure affects everything.
Anonymous replied on Permalink
I hope very much for your sister. Personally I feel really blessed because I lost half my brain and sure to seizures occurring after 6 months my brain acclimated to fully be able to smell all toxic chemicals in the air since toxic air was the direct cause of many seizures. I lost 15 percent from the front so they called it 50 percent from the start. I was also having seizures from caffeine and reading. My advice is she may want to steer clear of caffeine because that was the cause of my first seizure. After that seizures just came for no reason. I now take generic keppra and that is a seizure pill that came out in 2005. I like the generic much better than the keppra or kepra. I lost my ability to smell my favorite perfume and body smells. I can't smell chlorine very much either. I don't care about the loss, I care about the gain. It took some years to gain the ability but I guess it wasn't long after taking levetricetam. I think that's how you smell the generic anti seizure medicine. Regardless, I was hurt over 11 years ago. I was able to smell toxic maybe about 6 years now. It's completely unheard of it seems that this could happen and its quite a mind boggler that no one else knows the danger of toxic. So many addicts out there make a strain on my day. I feel so blessed to smell toxic that I'll never change back with medicine. The side effects are horrendous. I hope your sister is okay. I was totally lucky to have a mom like mine because she told me what God did in his anger which put white hairs on my little head. This probably was the cause of the many miracles in my life. Thank and bless God daily because he's here and he sure is good. God bless kid! By the way, study all about toxic because lemme tell you, it is a horrible atrocity that so many are unprotected from the knowledge they're breathing it. Quite a shame! Like, it comes out of your pores. Like look up 2 words on Google. Toxic detector! Yeah, it exists as of last year. Knowledge is best of it's for a better people of the world. Later kid:) No fear, no worry!
Anonymous replied on Permalink
Is the opposite a possibility? I wrecked my bike going 160 mph and cracked my skull a year ago and now my sense of smell seems much more sensitive.
Anonymous replied on Permalink
I had a real bad concussion. Next month will be a year and I'm still dealing with the dizziness and vision but my main thing is I can't taste but I can smell.. can someone please help me with this issue.
Anonymous replied on Permalink
Since I fell hitting the back of my head on ice and suffering from post concussive syndrome almost a month ago, I haven't felt hungry at all. When my husband tries to urge me to eat, food tastes foreign and I lose interest in eating. I'm still waiting for an appt at a TBI clinic to get a baseline on that and numerous differences I am experiencing.
Anonymous replied on Permalink
I take issue with the doctor's comment that if your sense of taste and smell do not return a year post-TBI they never will. I lost my ability to smell and taste after my severe TBI, however, they did return about 2 years after my injury.
Anonymous replied on Permalink
I was in a roll-over car accident in 2010. My SUV bounced on its roof twice before landing upside down. The roof collapsed about 2-3 in, which was not bad for the weight of the vehicle, but it did impact my head on the top right side pushing it forward, down and to the left. I did not lose consciousness but had severe concussion symptoms.
Over the years one lingering symptom is the change in taste and smell, along with NO desire to cook or bake which I used to LOVE! There was about a year that I could not force myself to eat anything except peanut butter on toast. My daughter tried everything. I believe this was also caused in part by some psych meds I was given, because once I was taken off them I could eat small amount of other foods.
Recently, in the last year, I have increasing developed a better appetite, but still don't cook. If my daughter goes somewhere and doesn't have a meal made for me, I revert back to peanut butter and toast. (The bread must be toasted!)
I have been able to stay at my job through all of this with FMLA and LOTS of different therapies.
This Christmas (2014) was the first year I really felt like decorating and buying candles. I bought good quality "Balsam & Cedar" candles. Everyone else smells the balsam & cedar. I smell cinnamon rolls, a good smell granted, but curious. I also bought a car air freshener of the same scent and the smell of cinnamon is very pleasant but does not make me hungry.
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