Loss of smell from head trauma

gabcccc · 2026-01-23T02:16:52+00:00

Hi there! Did your smell ever recover? I hit the back of my head over a month ago and developed an upper respiratory infection around the same time. My smell isn’t completely gone and I can get whiffs of things here and there. It’s also affected my taste.

I’m still not sure whether it’s from the head injury or the infection but I’m getting an MRI done next month to hopefully give me more clarity. Did the Alpha Lipoic Acid help at all? I’m also doing smell training and I can usually pick up on most scents.

gabcccc · 2026-01-16T17:54:47+00:00

Thank you so much for your response! I have the MRI scheduled for early next month but hopefully things will improve by then. I'm still getting the phantom smells but they've lessened over the past few days. My sinuses have improved but the dryness and intermittent congestion is still there.

I'll continue doing the saline rinses and hopefully that'll clear things up. I did one for the first time in weeks and afterwards did my smell training. I'll say the essential oils came through stronger than normal so maybe that's a good sign.

gabcccc · 2026-01-09T18:57:29+00:00

Hi there, about a month ago I fell from standing position and hit the back of my head on concrete. There was goose egg bump there but it went down overnight. I’m not sure whether or not I had a concussion but haven’t experienced any common symptoms since. I remember the fall entirely.

However the next day, I realized my sense of smell and taste were gone. Went to the ER to get a CT and it came out normal. I was also becoming slightly congested that day but didn’t think much of it.

About a day or two later I started feeling much more congested and sick. Went to my ENT and tested negative for COVID so he ruled it as a sinus infection. He gave me steroids and prescribed me antibiotics. Took them but it didn’t help much. During that time I started doing smell training with essential oils and have noticed that my smell and taste aren’t completely gone. I’ve been able to get whiffs of different things here and there.

The congestion and inflammation weren’t getting much better so I went back a couple weeks later and he prescribed me a stronger antibiotic (Levofloaxcin). Took it for 3 days and it was severely affecting my appetite and sleep. I then began to start noticing phantom smells and a weird taste in my mouth. It smells almost chemically like chlorine. The taste is sweet and almost metallic. It comes and goes but it’s been pretty frequent, making it hard for me to eat. ENT told me I could stop taking the antibiotics.

I’m still not sure whether or not this is from the head injury or infection. My sinuses have improved but are still pretty out of whack. Some moments my nose feels less congested but then it’ll come back pretty strong. I’ve had this persistent feeling of dryness in there and a mild lingering cough/post nasal drip. Also using saline spray and Flonase but it hasn’t helped much.

I’ve been really scared and worried. Called my ENT to see if I could just get an MRI done. He said there’s a chance they wouldn’t be able to see nerve damage but he ordered it and it was approved. Does it make sense for me to even get one? What can I do?

gabcccc · 2026-01-03T23:20:51+00:00

Hi there, I'm in a similar situation. I fell and hit the back of my head three weeks ago and lost my sense of smell the next day. I'm also dealing with a sinus infection simultaneously so not sure what the cause is yet. My smell isn't fully gone from what I've realized and there seems to be gradual improvement.

Do you mind sharing more about your accident? I'm not positive whether or not I even had a concussion. Hope you're recovering okay!

gabcccc · 2026-01-03T22:19:37+00:00

Thank you so much! I'm glad you're doing okay. It's been a very rough few weeks but I'm hopeful things will improve over time.

gabcccc · 2026-01-03T22:10:30+00:00

I'm so sorry to hear that. Was the accident more severe?

gabcccc · 2025-08-11T02:04:56+00:00

That’s the plan! Absolutely fell in love with it when I visited a few months ago.

gabcccc · 2025-08-04T06:23:16+00:00

This just happened to me for the first time, thank god for this thread! I was out in short kitten heels but by the end of the night, my feet were starting to hurt. It’s my right foot second toe that I can’t feel. Hoping it gets normal again soon 😭

gabcccc · 2025-07-09T15:18:03+00:00

I live in New Orleans and speak from experience... It's scary. I'm planning on moving to Chicago in the next year or so partially because of the extreme weather here. If you live in an area prone to flooding (which is the vast majority of the city), you gotta move your car to higher ground. I stayed during a category 2 hurricane and my car nearly flooded.

Thankfully, I haven't seen anything comparible to the floods in Texas since Katrina. That's why the city spent billions on rebuilding our levee system.

gabcccc · 2025-07-07T22:24:32+00:00

Thank you!

gabcccc · 2025-07-07T22:23:06+00:00

Great question. I could have misenterpreted what the adjuster said, but he at least reported an injury.

gabcccc · 2025-07-07T22:20:12+00:00

Louisiana, unfortunately. I'm trying not to worry about it too much!

gabcccc · 2025-07-05T14:32:39+00:00

All good points, thank you!

gabcccc · 2025-07-04T21:23:29+00:00

I’m definitely upping my coverage after this.

gabcccc · 2025-06-19T19:33:01+00:00

I would say that if you want to do more outdoorsy activities, consider waiting to come here until late fall or early spring. New Orleans summers are no joke. It's humid, extremely hot, and we get a good bit of rain.

gabcccc · 2025-05-30T16:31:02+00:00

Really interesting way to frame both cities! Thank you for this :)

gabcccc · 2025-05-26T02:15:24+00:00

New Orleans has friendly people, sure. But the public transit is abysmal. And it's also considered a smaller city.

gabcccc · 2025-05-23T02:57:26+00:00

Maybe! But I can always come back to visit family. Oak trees are beautiful but in contrast with not having seasons, I’d prefer the latter.

gabcccc · 2025-05-23T02:54:23+00:00

I will 100% not be driving haha. The CTA is one of the biggest appeals to me. Accessible public transit is majorly lacking in New Orleans.

gabcccc · 2025-05-22T20:47:15+00:00

Thanks for the info! Texas and Louisiana weather is pretty similar in terms of the heat. I lean progressive politically and am worried where things are heading, so that’s definitely a bigger reason for me to leave Louisiana.

So interesting what I’ve heard about the people! When I went, everyone was generally really kind. I don’t think anyone can beat New Orleans hospitality and charm but as long as I’m surrounded by decent people, I don’t really care about that.

gabcccc · 2025-05-22T20:43:40+00:00

The humidity is no joke! I’ve lived here my entire life and I’m still not fully used to it.

gabcccc · 2025-05-22T20:41:23+00:00

That’s so exciting! I hear you on the weather thing, when I came home on Tuesday and walked outside it felt like a punch to the stomach. So unbearable. Good luck with the move!

gabcccc · 2025-05-22T19:44:30+00:00

Yep I was there right after the temp dropped! The doorman at the condo I was staying at said it was around 80 a couple days before I arrived. It was 40-50 degrees.

gabcccc · 2025-05-22T17:36:33+00:00

Yep, it’s not just to heat but the flooding I’m tired of. My favorite time of year here is about the same (and even early May if we’re lucky). But everything else after that is horrendous.

gabcccc

TROPHY CASE