Anosmia: Causes, Symptoms, and Natural Treatment Options

I have been without smell for two years. I have tried the castor oil, zinc, acupunture, alpha lipoic acid, and steroids. Don't want to try and hit my head again. Anybody know of another treatment option. Hypnosis? Neural implant??? Don't miss the bad smells on the bright side.

Jamacc, from your testimony, there is the possibility of heavy metal toxicity. You can order an hair analysis kit online to be sure of this, or simply begin using the common spice Cilantro (Coriander) and the algae Chlorella. Both these are found in food or supplement form. Following 2 wks of this, supplement Zinc 25-50 mg daily for a few days for results (loss of smell is one of the most common symptoms of zinc deficiency). Also apply some Cod Liver Oil over the nose (you will need endure the fishy smell, which you might even enjoy as it is a smell, lol! ).

Hope this helps and good luck.

Can someone please explain to me about the castor oil in greater detail? How often and how much? I lost my sense of smell 5 years ago and was told it was due to Nasal Polyps, I had them removed and my sense of smell only comes back temporarily with the use of steroids, such as a Medrol Dose Pack. It is way to unhealthy to take steroids continuously and I worry about building up an tolerance so I save the steroid route for once or twice a year when I just cannot stand not being able to smell anymore.

I have had 5 ENT's One told me he had never heard of someone losing their sense of smell only to regain it temporarily with steroids, so he never addressed my complaint. I have never had a single Doctor ever use the word Anosmia, in fact only one out of five attempted to address the issue at all. So I am looking for any ideas, I am in my thirties and the thought of not being able to smell again depresses me. One more thing that happened; I hit my head on an open cabinet door once and was able to smell perfectly for one hour before it faded away, any one else have an odd experience like that as well?

I lost my sense of smell & taste almost a year and a half ago. I had a head injury where I had broken my jaws and when the wires were removed I was physically sick every day for 3 weeks until they finally hospitalized me. During this time I lost both my smell and taste & vertigo set in.

I read, on the net, that if you swab your nose with castor oil, a thin coating, it will help & it has! I can't smell in full or properly, but it's there & that is HUGE for me!! I don't do it everyday, nor every week or month, but plan to do it more often now that I've realized just helpful this is.

Unfortunately, I cannot find that article that made the suggestion.

Since I use such a small amount of castor oil I'd think there is no risk or harm involved, but I am not a doctor and if anyone reads this and finds that statement to be inaccurate, I'd like to know.

My wife lost her sense of smell seven month ago. I want to contact Tenderson from St. Louis, Missouri, about the suggestion of using castor oil. I want to be sure that it works and its secondary effects. Please contact me as soon as you can. My wife is getting crazy with this situation and I really appreciate any help.

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!

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!

The best remedy for lack of smell or anosmia is L-Carnosine. The condition is often due to excess heavy metals in the neural system, lack of vitamin B complex and excess toxins which causes loss of smell.

The remedy that I would likely to use is 500 mg of L-Carnosine usually twice or three times a day. Some cilantro or coriander taken once every two days, usually of a small amounts such as one- three tablepoonful, and B50 taken once every other day. Magnesium is synergistic, where magnesium citrate or magnesium gluconate maybe helpful.

Certain foods that should be avoided that kill the nerves includes aspartame, sugar, and avoiding paints, thinner and moldy environment. Sometimes the toxicity of chemical toxins may be neutralize includes 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar plus 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda in 1/2 glass of water twice a day.

To be correct, riboflavin is vitamin B2, vitamin B6 is pyridoxine. The zinc is not used. If fungus, moldy or allergy is indicated, the common remedy is 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in 1/2 glass of water taken twice a day to reduce the allergy and fungus problem that induces anosmia or loss of smell.

Sugar may damage the nerves but not as dangerous as aspartame, sweet n low, or diet products. Lack of balance in dietary fats are often common cause too, so I would likely take fish oils, which are high in omega 3 once a day. Granulated lecithin also helps reduced some excess heavy metals as it reduces free metals due to their hydrophopic fat soluble properties, of which granulated lecithin is soluble. The dose I would use is one tablespoon a day, often on an empty stomach.

As to the magnesium it is synergistic with the vitamin B complex, especially B6. Excessive zinc can also cause anosmia (loss of smell) and hence chelation therapies such as cilantro, fish oil, and lecithin is helpful. While l-glutathione is not a chelation it does detoxify to help recovery of neural degenerative disorders and I might take these 500 mg twice or three times a day, usually 5 days out of a week.

Quite often in certain parts of India, high levels of arsenic (usually north part) and certain regions of India, is high in fluoride, which causes neurodegenerative disorder. Fluoride increases absorption of free metal toxicity, such as aluminum, and possibly, free metal zinc, etc. causing neural damages. The demyelination of aspartame, monosodium glutamate as also causes in which avoiding these is most helpful. The lecithin can help myelination which protects neural damages and some neural transmitter supplements of vitamin B complex, but also certain amino acids that increases serotonin such as L-tryptophan maybe helpful. To further protect more damages, the use of dechlorinator in drinking water is best in reducing the inflammation of the nerves and tissues which deaden the sense of smell. Woman especially the sense of smell swings greatly depending on their menstration period, which are often linked to hormonal changes. Reduction in toxic effect of fluoride as well as more normal hormonal levels, is the use of borons supplements. The boron I prefer is borax, such as 1/8 teaspoon of borax dissolved in one liter of drinking water, perhaps once every two or three days, assuming I don't know the level of fluoride in drinking water.

The constant source of free heavy metals is usually from defected water faucet and water filtering devices. A change of old water faucets, old metal pipe fittings, old water filters, is especially helpful as the prime source of heavy metals come from that. Interestingly, I have found out heavy metals also come from vegetables and flour due to fertilizers high in heavy metals. but people without a way to check heavy metals are pretty much blind by the level of toxicity from metals going on which leads to Alzheimer, lupus, Parkinson's disease and even Multiple Sclerosis. Sometimes a mild condition starts with concentration problems, anosmia, for example. Wheat products and excess oils used in cooking products are also a problem because they are acid forming and oils used in cooking products sop up heavy metals during cooking when one uses metal frying pans, and other metalic cooking utensils. Even the excessive use of cellular phones can cook the brains as it is microwave radiation, destroying nerve cells. For example when I do use cellular phones, I often used it on a handsfree mode.

This is the updated remedy.

Posted by Melanie (Surrey, B. C. Canada) on 01/17/2006: "Ted, I have not been able to smell anything for many years and wondering if you have some magical natural cure for this?"

Your conditions of not being able to smell anything is called Anosmia. Anosmia is a condition where you cannot detect smells. I believe this is caused by a zinc deficiency. For the body to best respond to zinc, I suggest you take zinc acetate (without the calcium carbonate and tricalcium phosphate fillers), vitamin b6 and magnesium. These three seems to work in synergy.