Anosmia: Causes, Symptoms, and Natural Treatment Options

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.

I knew someone years ago who had lost their sense of smell and got it back by eating horseradish daily - not too much but small amounts a couple times per day. I can't remember how long it took but thought I'd mention it!

I have using it for almost a month now, after I have lost a sense of smell because of antibiotics given by my GP, I haven't lost hope, it will help me when the time is right, every thing smells sweet indoors and out doors everything smell metal, and I went back to my GP and he gave me nasal drops for one month, and planning on sending me to ENT, how long must you use castor oil to get results???

I have loss a sense of smell two months ago due to antibiotics, but I have found that castor oil is the best home remedy and I am using it now for the past 8 days, no sign of smell but I will continue to use it with the nasal spray got from my GP when I went back to tell him that the antibiotics have impaired me. I will pray and use castor oil until I reap the outcome.

I read antibiotics deplete zinc.

I just recently noticed I can't smell any more. I had an infection and doctor gave ampicillin capsules to use for a week. Immediately after the course of that medication I can't smell at all.

In any case of injury or any case of loss of smell, the number one go-to nutrient is Zinc. 50mg daily for a few days or wks and if taken any longer add 1.5-3mg Copper.

Many other really good suggestions here, but it is worth considering also supplementing Glutamine and Omega 3 Fatty Acids like Fish, Krill, or Flax Oil. More good natural remedies for the brain is Hemp/CBD, Taurine, Acetyl L-Carnitine.

I always use Magnet Therapy immediately following an injury and daily until healed.

Dear Sean,

If I were you, I think I would focus on nourishing the brain, reducing any possible inflammation that is there, and using herbs that are healing to nerves.

Brain Nourishing - Extra Virgin Coconut oil. Start with about 1 tablespoon a day. Try to work up to and maintain 2 tablespoons a day.

Turmeric - to reduce inflammation. 1/2 teaspoon a couple of times a day. Mixed into milk. Or 2 capsules twice a day.

Burdock Root is a blood purifier that helps the nerves. 2 capsules 3 times a day.

Also consider the supplement niacin for its positive effects on the brain and serrapeptase. It helps to get rid of non living tissue in the body, in the case that scar tissue is involved in the loss of smell.

Healing the brain could take some time. Research the above and then try out what makes sense to you. Try to stick with it for at least a few months before deciding it isn't working.

Keep us posted. I am hopeful that you will find a solution.

~Mama to Many~

I had a bad head injury in May and didn't realize until weeks later my smell is distorted. I have one constant smell, an indescribable sweet smell. If there is something in the air, food, rotten fish bait, shampoo, whatever. The smell is stronger but always the same. It has been 5 months already.

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~

I also have hashimoto's, and have been anosmic for 14 years. My thyroid condition is finally under control, but I am still anosmic. Can't really say docs have helped much, I am afraid...

Hi Lydia,

I went to the same place in DC. I thought the doctor had zero personality. I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's 20 years ago about the same time I lost my sense of smell. But I also got a terrible upper respiratory virus at the same time. Blood work showed thyroid issues ( which run in my family). Also went to Chicago for tests. I can smell citrus and a few other things. It is devastating and depressing. I look every now and then for new info. I've come to live with it. Nothing has helped. Good luck. I know EXACTLY how you feel.

Hello, I am not sure what made me start looking again for any updates on ideas to get my senses of taste and smell back. Four years ago, a restaurant customer suggested I take zicam zinc swabs for my cold. I figured, sure, it's natural, right? It was a month after using these swabs that I found I couldn't taste or smell anything.

I am a chef. My life was over.

I hired cooks and continued in my restaurant as if nothing happened, but in fact, my world as I knew it ended.

With no insurance, I started looking and found the Taste and Smell Clinic in Washington DC. I visited and was put on theophylline...and encouraged to go back every few months. With no job, and no insurance, this was impossible. And it has continued in this fashion for all of these years.

Upon discovery that I have Hashimoto's Disease for the past 10 years or so -- it took many endocrinologists to figure this out -- I wondered now that I am on meds that are supposed to help me with my horrible thyroid situation that maybe it has helped me to get some of my smell/taste back. Not much, but I have noticed a bit of a difference.

Have you heard of Hashimoto patients and anosmia? I am going to try the castor oil -- and let you know how it goes.

Thank you,

Lydia

Dmortii, I would think judging by your success with castor oil that vitamin d3 is needed and it is needed by most Americans. Castor Oil is rich in D and I have had great success with it D3 changing my life. Here is a speech by Dr. Michael Holick. He has an excellent chart on his website that helps you determine dosage. Janet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lRtx-4_FOY

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 after an ablation of my neck.

T: This is likely a Zinc deficiency (which is very common). Optimal zinc levels (25-50mg daily away from fiber foods) usually recovers taste & smell to all-time high levels as well as encouraging healing of tissues that otherwise struggle to do so. EFA's like Fish, Krill, and Flax Oil is also important in recovery & healing in the entire body.

I also had surgery on my nose. I had my sinuses removed as well as plastic surgery on the nose in order to repair a badly broken nose. I can taste a little bit, but can't smell a thing. Can I expect it to come back? It has been 5 weeks now and I am beginning to worry.

I have anosmia for 6 mos due to antibiotic, I only have one ( Grey smell ) if you know what I mean. I sympathize with everyone with anosmia and appreciate any input in solving the problem. I thank you in advance. Marcio.

If you or someone you know has lost the sense of smell, totally or in part, whether from an antibiotic or infection, it is important to protect the nose, the olfactory organs. I mean protect it from strong smells from which you would have backed away previously. Dogs and cats lick their nose in order to pick up scents.

I think my loss of smell had to do with an zithromax aka azithromycin/antibiotic, and then I did not know to protect myself and may have injured myself further by not protecting my nose; I was trying so hard to smell stuff such as tea tree oil or lavender oil; those may have been too strong. Would garlic be too strong? I tried that too. Maybe it was always going to be gone, but now I may never know.

Nobody tells you the mechanism by which an antibiotic causes loss of smell; I doubt they know or care unless they can make a lot of money off of knowing; if they would lose money by knowing, they're certainly not going to be honorable. Evolution means survival of the fittest! I might just kill myself to save the predators the trouble, LOL.

Anyway, you know there are little glands in the olfactory organs that produce moisture or mucus to facilitate smelling. I don't know why doctors do not know about this. For myself, I think that is the source of my trouble. Drying out one's sinuses in this situation is only going to make matters worse.

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!!

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.

All of the post that I've read, both here and other sites, says to use a drop or two in every nostril morning and night. I've made myself a 60-40% Castor oil and tea tree oil mixture. I've been putting this on a Q-tip ( Cotton bud in UK, I understand), But have not had much luck bringing back my sense of smell. But I'm going to try tilting my head back over the side of my bed. And applying the oil this way. I really hope it works, I'll try to keep up on here, and let everyone know. I'm suffering from Nasal Polyps, they're not very big, but located where they block my Olfactory glands. Good Luck, and God Bless!

Loss of Smell

You should all try one month of raw food, that is everything must be raw giving more importance to raw vegetables this will liverate all the incrusted toxins and strange substances that could be from the air or chemicals that we usually eat with all the junk food and all the saturated greases and artificial colors etc.etc. Once I did it and wow! Your body really thanks you for these, the only thing is that you will really start smelling the terrible cadaveric smell of meat even in the best of beef restaurants and you will know what you have being eating erroneously all of your life.

I am not a vegetarian but please concider this because I have 35 or more years with holistic naturistic and orthomolecular medicine as my hobby.

Eat big raw smoothies in the morning plus a big veggie or frut salad in the afternoon and night ..give preference to adding cilantro to your smoothies because it desintoxicates the liver, do not forget garlic onion and radishes in your raw salads, repeat a big veggie smoothie any time you want avoid all comercial industrialized or cooked food for at least one or two months drink plain water, add sea salt to your salads lemons or lime, do not eat any absolutly any kind of oil, no even olive oil. You will desincrustate all the impurities of your smell cells and feel younger and with lots of smell.

Wish you all the best please do it do it with will and you won't regret it, see you tube for raw recepies they have many do not drink smoke or anything, give your body a break and be creative with your food there are many vegetables with wonderful flavors for you...

Best of luck to all of you.

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.

A virus took out my smell and along with it my taste a year and a half ago. I've seen MANY doctors but I'm working now with a medical doctor who is also a homeopathic Dr. I've had slight improvement from smelling nothing to some things. Get a smell kit to smell every day. Do sinus washes with sea salt. I would appreciate talking to anyone who has had some success with other remedies.

Acorus, please let me know how the borax in the netti pot works. It makes sense to me. I'm just wondering about the amount, if it is too much? I'd really like to know how it is working for you. Thanks.

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!

Dear Antonio,

Castor oil has been considered safe for oral consumption for a long time. Many also use it topically. I use it topically a lot. I have never used it in the nose, but never thought to. I am not a doctor or chemist, but personally, I would not have a problem with using it my nose if I felt that was needed.

~Mama to Many~