About a year and a half ago my husband went in for a routine filling on a tooth. A couple of days later he noticed that he couldn't taste anything. He called the dentist who was at a loss and sent him to an oral surgeon who was also at a loss. My husband did some research himself and discovered that it was most likely that what happened was when the dentist gave him the shot to deaden the nerve for the filling he inadvertently hit the Choda tympani nerve. Also within days of this filling he would start sneezing uncontrollable and developed severe tinnitus. The only thing that stopped was the sneezing. He still to this day can not taste, or if he does it is a horrible taste unrelated to anything he ate. The Tinnitus is at least every other day or sometimes two or three days in a row. The doctors are oblivious to how to help him. They have done an MRI and everything is fine. They have basically thrown their collective hands up in the air and think he's nuts. They've said it may or may not come back. He is so depressed at this point that he keeps saying he can't live like this much longer. I am very concerned for his physical and mental wellbeing. Is there anyone else out there who has gone through this?!?! Is there any hope at all?!?! PLEASE!!!!!!
Hi Jane,
I cannot help with the taste etc issues. However recently I had a very scary period during which whenever my mood was low (every day ) I thought that the nicest thing would be to be dead. Once I got medical help I was diagnosed with severe depression. Therapy and medication have kept me comfortable and safe. I would strongly advise checking for depression with your doctor while you continue to seek a solution for the other issues.
If suicide becomes a crucial issue phone or go to A&E immediately. Do not leave him alone.
I do hope this helps. Please take depression as a serious ailment. With my best wishes.
Thank you, George. He does have anti anxiety medicine he takes when it gets really bad but refuses to see anyone else right now. Does not believe in therapy and thinks the only solution is if he gets back his taste. I think he could deal with the tinnitus but the loss of taste being replaced with the constant acrid taste is just too much for him.
I am so sorry. It does sound a terrible affliction.
I can confirm that due to complications during the removal of impacted wisdom teeth that I lost feeling and taste at the back of my tongue and though the feeling returned slightly, those nerves for the taste buds at the back are gone. It is not nearly as severe as your husbands condition. Has he seen an endodontist and if so, did he give his theory about the nerve?
Hi Manda,
he has been to about eight Drs. Who claim they have never heard of this. Two neurologists, a GP, the dentist who did this who referred him to an oral surgeon, two ear nose and throat Drs. Who told him he couldn't lose his taste without losing his sense of smell ( it's working perfectly) and an audiologist for the tinnitus. It's very frustrating.
I'm not sure what a GP or neurologist or audiologist would be able to do for him considering how he think it was caused, he needs to stick to specialists in the dental field if that is indeed the cause.
Hi Manda,
So I took your advice and contacted and Endodontist in San Francisco explaining what had happened. He responded quite quickly but, questioned the validity of my husband loosing his taste through a dental procedure. I sent him the articel's that we had found saying it WAS possible. At that point he responded with..."Gee thats to bad, I hope he figures out a way to live with it". Unfortunatlely no one really wants to touch this. Nobody seems to care.
hello jane
to lose taste cmpletely you must have a rpoblem affecting the taste nerve on both sided of the tongue and that is remote possibility with local injection of anaesthetic to have both nerves (herby Chorada tympani ) on both sides
your husband must have a systemic problem
you need to ask your husband does he has any taste on either sides,
if he said yes then you need to check the causes of systemic problem like
diabetes, mercury level, vdrl, ,
one vey important is TMJ which you should check
the chorda tympani nerve has a branch just close to the tympnaic membrane so it can also be involved with middle ear afflictions like otosclerosis , or allergy
try to check those too
if all ok then it must be depression
good luck
I would prefer having no taste than having tinnitus, to be honest.