child/no sense of smell

[Pompal 09.]

calling all holistic therapists:

my child has no sense of smell. not sure that he ever has. he's an INCREDIBLY finicky eater, everything tastes the same. he can't smell a jar of peanut butter, he couldn't smell the smoke the day of the fire, he can't smell a bag of bait fish on the pier. nada.

we've tried the allergy route, no help. this coming monday, he has a contrast MRI scheduled. mostly to see if anything is there. it's a possibility that some bad infection burned out the nerves going into the top of the nose. head trauma could do it too, but neither of those fit this child's past.

he's 8, weighs 47 pounds and is hyperactive.

i currently have him on a great multivitamin, zinc supplement and probiotics.

what techniques/modalities might help and what, if any, thoughts do you have?

thanks a million - i'm posting this as a concerned mom
amanda

 

[oyster_ s]

Does he have allergies then? sinus related issues?

Since he is so young, what about his birth experience? Maybe some cranial can clear something up.

What is his diet like? Since he is so picky, does he fill the need with sugar, dairy???

 

[johnny j]

I don't have any advice to offer (sorry ) but I just wanted to mention that my dad never had a sense of smell. For the most part he never could really describe the taste of any foods (aside from salty or spicy for the most part) but still managed to enjoy eating a good meal well enough.

 

[Ox CHERRYLiCiOUS* xO]

Have you tried any CST? That would personally be my first choice of modalities. Especially since he is young and CST is so gentle and sooo effective. Plus it might help him with the hyperactivity.

Good luck and best wishes for your little man......

 

[cheater hater]

Amanda, do you have a classical homeopath near where you live? In doing a quick search on my homeopathy software, 106 remedies are indicated for complete loss of smell, 11 of which are strongly indicated. There's a good chance homeopathy can help. If you need a referral, let me know. I also think craniosacral work is a great step.

 

[Gillian]

I am going to second the suggestion of CST - I think that will be the best bet.

BTW - my son has Sensory Integration Dysfunction. Mostly he is hypersensitive. He has had to overcome a lot of issues around smell, taste and texture for eating. He still can't eat much of anything. The professionals aren't too supportive - or at least weren't when my son was growing up. Many more OT's are familiar with SI problems than in the past. CST is used for this too.

My best advice is to be your child's best advocate. Trust your own instincts over the "professionals" and try to work with who HE is - not who you are told he "should" be.

 

[Trekinsinia]

wow - you guys totally rock!

thank you for all of the supportive replies!

he doesn't have allergies or sinus-related issues.

neither of my children's birth experiences were great. but his was better than hers and he recovered more quickly than i did - emergency c-x after about 4 months of continual hard contractions.

diet: chicken, white cheese, milk, bread. bananas, apples, watermelon. yes, lots of dairy, but that's where he gets most of his protein. but not much sugar - he'll even tell you: "sorry, that has too much sugar in it and it makes me feel weird."

i was wondering about CST - and thinking that might help. i'm in touch with a local therapist here to get an appointment asap. that was my first instinct, but not having any experience with CST i wasn't sure. glad to know that instinct was right!

no, we don't have a classical homeopath. the one that claims he is ... is not. that's a story for another day. that sounds awesome though. i'll pm you with location to see if there's one i don't know about!

re: best advocate. i am doing that and there can be SUCH struggle with that! no one seems to believe that he just can't smell - they think it's for attention. i assure you, it's not. so i'm just going ahead with my gut and we'll see what we can do. maybe nothing - but i hope we can.

the next step is the MRI, then testing of the nerves with a neurologist. but i would LOVE to try the homeopath route too.

thanks again guys!
amanda

 

[Rob E]

I'm with the above posters. Perhaps some cranial sacral and some polarity work would help. good luck

Jason

 

[bsk]

I think I would lean towards the CST too (there's a lot of CST in MFR) and I've heard some pretty amazing stories in MFR-I.

Perhaps some intra-oral work would be indicated?

I do think that aromatherapy wise basil and peppermint are recommended for loss of smell.... if that's any help.

You're already doing the zinc, and that's probably the first thing I would have suggested.

 

[Mogsy]

I would work on getting that protein from other sources. Once you get more veggies in there, you can also cut back on all that fruit. At least he isn't into sugar! Not to many kids can say that.

It is great that others agree with the CST! You are going to have to get the best therapist though.

Kids with a traumatic birth seem to have health issues so that will help get to the core.

PLEASE keep us up to date.

PS. nuts can be added into the diet in various ways. Look into raw food preparation!

 

[Pompal 09.]

cool - and with the referral from chris, maybe i'm going in the right direction. i'll keep you posted!

 

[Pompal 09.]

neither of my children's birth experiences were great. but his was better than hers and he recovered more quickly than i did - emergency c-x after about 4 months of continual hard contractions.

4 months of contractions and an emergency c-section?!?!? I would definitely want to know what was going on with his membrane system. CN-I and CN-IX could be restricted in the membrane system. Decrease/no sense of smell is a direct indication for a frontal lift (the vertical membrane system). And taste issues point me to temporals (horizontal membrane system).

Check out this CST post about Newborns and c-sections. I talk about c-sections approx 16 posts into the thread. It's a very brief look at how c-sections might effect the craniosacral system.

The hyperactive part also makes me wonder about general membrane tension.

 

[klkruft_us]

neither of my children's birth experiences were great. but his was better than hers and he recovered more quickly than i did - emergency c-x after about 4 months of continual hard contractions.

4 months of contractions and an emergency c-section?!?!? I would definitely want to know what was going on with his membrane system. CN-I and CN-IX could be restricted in the membrane system. Decrease/no sense of smell is a direct indication for a frontal lift (the vertical membrane system). And taste issues point me to temporals (horizontal membrane system).

Check out this CST post about Newborns and c-sections. I talk about c-sections approx 16 posts into the thread. It's a very brief look at how c-sections might effect the craniosacral system.

The hyperactive part also makes me wonder about general membrane tension.

actually that number DOES sound off - i added the weeks up, i went into labor at 26 & he was born @ 35 so that's 9 weeks. sorry for the exaggeration! i will take this info with me to see the CST in town - i'm waiting for her to call me back now. and i will check that topic when i get back from work tonight and can think straight.

thanks!

 

[Mr.Explosion]

One more thing for you to think about trying is NAET for diagnosis and treatment. Check out the website for Nambudripad Allergy Elimination Therapy.......

 

[MixedMojo]

anastasia - definitely interesting!

we have the appt with the CST next friday at 10 a.m.! not having any experience with CST i don't know how to explain to my son what the session will be like. and unfortunately, i didn't get to talk with her long enough today to ask that question - any ideas?

brian, thanks for the link re: infants & CST. that was amazing!

amanda

 

[Pk.khafan]

Amanda,

Definitely keep us updated on your son & his progress.

I'll see if I can come up with anything on the Jin Shin Jyutsu level which would help you address things at home.

In the meantime I would also say get him into a gluten free diet and see if that helps. Also, if you have any sources for
Raw Milk & raw milk cheeses, he would probably do much better on those than on pasturized dairy. In addition make sure he's kept on a clean diet with no artificial ingredients & food coloring as those are often responsible for a great deal of hyperactivity.

Good luck with everything,
Deb/Riversinger

 

[fmko ( ??????????????)]

Awesome! Keep us posted on how the appointment goes.

 

[tatooedpriestess]

anastasia - definitely interesting!

we have the appt with the CST next friday at 10 a.m.! not having any experience with CST i don't know how to explain to my son what the session will be like. and unfortunately, i didn't get to talk with her long enough today to ask that question - any ideas?

brian, thanks for the link re: infants & CST. that was amazing!

amanda

Has your son had any reiki sessions in the past? If so, you could tell him that it will feel like a reiki session. He'll remain fully clothed and can sit on the table if he's more comfortable that way. You'll be in the room the entire time. It will feel very light and he might not feel anything happening. It will not (should not) feel painful. When the therapist is working on his head, she will be lightly holding different bones. You may feel tired, you may feel very alert, you might even almost feel a bit dizzy. But nothing uncomfortable. She may talk to you and ask you questions about what you are feeling or she may be very quiet 'concentrating' on her work.

I hope this gives you a few things to say. If you have specific questions, please ask. A lot of the session will depend on the level of pediatrics training the therapist has had. The child needs to be met where he/she is comfortable. I've worked with kids on the table, the floor, on my stool, and even in dad's arms. Whatever is best and most comfortable for the child!

Good luck next Friday. Please keep us posted. And again, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask.

 

[Jeniiee]

follow up:
the incredibly thorough MRI came out beautifully! the eeg was perfect and the neurologist would like to do some genetic testing to rule out anything else. with that chromosome test coming back normal, that will mean that the only reason behind his loss of smell (per the doctors) is a head trauma from when he was 3 (fell and landed on the corner of a brick hearth, injury was to the back of his head).

so, we are thrilled with the results of the testing, and very confidant that CST can help the whole situation! even if it's true about the fall, i know the CST can help that too.

amanda

 

[Pompal 09.]

oh, and brian - thanks for your info.

no, he's not had a true reiki session, in that i use reiki with him without it seeming like a regular session, you know? we're at home, he's on the sofa or in bed - but never on a massage table.

i know that tomorrow's (the first) session will be short, and i know that her goal is to build trust and comfort with him. she's also hoping that further down the line, she will be able to work inside of his mouth - now would that be the NMT that i learned during my certification, or is that a CST technique and something different?

thanks again!