Anosmia: Causes, Symptoms, and Natural Treatment Options

Castor Oil treatment for loss of smell:

I used the castor oil once in the morning and once at night. I warmed it and put it in each nostril with an eye dropper. I did this for three weeks and my sense of smell and taste is returning; however, how long do I need to do this for and if I stop will I lose smell again?

I lost my sense of smell 6 years ago due to a Brain Hemorrhage. I was told that it was unlikely to ever return. After nearly giving up on the idea to ever smell or taste again I decided to look on the net. I found one person in a blog that was talking about Alpha Lipoic Acid and that they had results. So I thought well I have nothing to loose.

After the first two weeks of taking two tablets a day I was walking through the shopping center and could smell cookies baking. I literally stopped and closed my eyes I must of looked crazy. This was 3 years after my accident. It was like smelling for the first time. So I continued these tablets and honestly I cannot believe the results. Though my brain has had its moments sometimes I had delayed responses. Sometimes I would be near something in the morning and later that day I would get the smell only to have it last in my nose all day. This drove me to insanity and to tears. Every thing I ate also tasted like this smell. This is a slight negative but I tell you I now 6 years later have 90% of my smell back.

I have to share this as this honestly was the most remarkable thing.

I lost my sense of taste and smell after taking about 6 zinc lozenges over a 2 day period - only noticed it after the cold ended and I still had no taste or smell. I regained it by using castor oil one drop in each nostril morning and evening in addition to smelling raw garlic and onion several times per day.

I lost my sense of smell last year during a bout of bronchitis. When I was given steroids the sense of smell returned but, of course, you can't take steroids indefinitely, so when the course finished my sense of smell disappeared. Back to gloom. Then something interesting happened at the beginning of this year, I was diagnosed with a severe Vitamin D3 deficiency. Within 2 weeks of starting the D3 (4,000 units per day) my sense of smell returned. When the first part of this intense course stopped the sense of smell disappeared, only to return when the second stage started. In the end my Vit.D levels were satisfactory and my tablets stopped. My sense of smell disappeared within a few days.

My calcium levels were then found to be depleted so I was put on Calcium/D3 tablets (daily dose 3000mg calcium/800 units D3), but my smell didn't return. After discussion with my doctor he agreed to supplement the Calcium/D3 tabs with an extra daily dose 1,600 units of D3. Three weeks later glorious smell returned.

Sense of smell is governed by the olfactory nerves in the nose which send messages to the brain. Vitamin D3 is important for the neurological pathways in the body. Quid pro quo. I hope my journey helps someone else.

After using saline rinse and prescribed medication, I am happy to report today I can smell. I lost that sense for a couple of months. Castor oil is the remedy. I can smell again. I know it will improve with time. I'm sold, I feel like pressure is lifted from my sinuses. Remember its only day one and Im estatic.

Castor oil is beginning to work for me, lost smell and taste for many months, Growth in my left lower cavity on MRI, I used Qtip to swath entire nostril cavities twice a day basically one drop each side months without taste or smell, taste and smell are returning after a week.

I have had a diminished sense of taste and smell for over a month, following a bad bout with the flu and pretty bad congestion. I have spent hours searching for cures online. I have been irrigating my sinuses with warm saline for about 2-1/2 weeks and it seems to have helped somewhat. Then I read an article about "re-training" your brain by smelling things with strong odors (coffee, cloves, pine, etc). That helped a bit but not substantially becuase I could only smell those things in a diminished way.

I finally came across the posts about castor oil a couple of days ago and just went out and bought some today.

After trying it just once this afternoon I noticed a big improvement in being able to smell things more. I am thrilled that this seems to have helped. Tonight it was chilly in the house and I put the heat on (gas heat) and for the first time in ages I could actually SMELL the heat! My food already has more flavor and I am looking forward to more improvements as I continue the castor oil treatment (one drop in each nostril; head hanging over the bed).

By all means, give it a try! The castor oil was less than $2 and really seems to be working like a charm. Thanks so much for posting this information!!

A very, very grateful renewed smeller/taster

I tried it but I didn't warm it. IT WORKED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY! Thank you SO much for the castor oil suggestion! Since the smell returned, so did my lack of taste. What a great, safe remedy! I love this site. It's provided me so many wonderful suggestions and this is one of the best!

20 mule team borax has had a profound effect, ie. restoring my olfactory senses back to almost 100% efficiency, both taste and smell, which I had lost almost completely for almost 6 years, beginning two weeks after my first (and last! ) root canal.

I have suffered with chronic sinusitis/rhinitis symptoms ever since the root canal was performed. I am a senior chinese medical practitioner, and have been using acupuncture and herbs to very good effect, but still could not smell or taste much of anything. Tipped of by the mayo clinic website... that fully 80% of chronic sinus issues were demonstrated (by biopsy) to be fungus-related, I began reviewing natural anti-fungals, and since fungus lodged in the sinus cavity has no vascularity, and thus is immune from anything taken orally which makes it's way into the bloodstream, is why the heinous pharmaceutical anti-fungals such as dieflukan, etc are not effective.

Hence, a topical approach makes much more sense. Borax is a quintessential anti-fungal par excellence!

This should come as no surprise, yet nobody I am aware of has simply put borax in their neti pot.

I'm filling the neti pot with water, 1 full teaspoon borax + 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, and using it in each nostril, twice daily, to very very good effect.

Borax is so cheap and so effective....the best single cure for sinus issues I am aware of, and can be done everyday!

Hello. I'm curious about the lipoic acid. I need to know is there an recommendation for dosage amount. How many milligrams should I take. I have no sense of smell due to sinus issues and polyps.. Please help!!

If the loss of sense of smell is caused by a brain injury, castor oil will probably not help.

If the lost of sense of smell is caused by polyps or infection or scar tissue in the nose, the castor oil may heal those conditions over time, restoring the sense of smell.

Castor oil is a surprisingly powerful healing oil.

~Mama to Many~

If using castor oil internally for the nose, get one marked "Hexane Free". Hexane is a bad chemical to turn loose in the body. Health Food Stores usually carry the Hexane Free and yes it costs a bit more but so worth it.

Eating a burnt orange mixed with brown sugar can help people revive their senses.

In Jamaican Herbal Maroon Medicine, they teach that to regain your taste buds after Covid-19, simply take a fresh orange and roast it over an open flame. Once the peel of the orange is burnt black, remove it from the flame and remove the charred crust. The orange needs to be hot during this process, so be careful. Place the inner pulp of the orange into a large coffee cup. Add two tablespoons of brown sugar to the cup and mash the orange and brown sugar til mixed.

Now eat the orange sugar mixture when it has cooled a bit. It needs to be warm but not burn your tongue.

This remedy can be applied to many different illnesses.

You're welcome...

Serrapeptase has worked for loss of smell. I took it for about 1 month now due to a traumatic brain injury, on a empty stomach as directed right before I slept. I would wake up with blood residue/scar tissue on my nose which helped clear up the olfatory system. I have regained about 70% of my smell now after my fall. (I fell off a motorcycle and landed on my back).

I had severe problem of sinus coupled with loss of smell. Doctors suggested this is due to polyps and i had them removed about 5 years. This surgery has given temporary relief but the loss of smell continued.

Some of my friend suggested use of castor oil. I put one drop of lukewarm castor oil in morning and one drop before I sleep.

This I am doing for last 10 days and to my surprise, I got rid of my sinus problem and smelling sense is gradually coming back!

I recently had covid myself with loss of taste and smell. What has been helping with the loss of taste and smell has been Alpha Lipoic Acid 600mg 2 times a day. Also Sulphurophane (concentrated broccoli sprout extract and Barleans omega 3 oil, key lime. Good results in 2 weeks.