Keep thinking I can smell burnt plastic...... weird.

[VatofTea]

Last night, I thought I could smell burnt plastic, I had the fire on in my stove, and thought maybe there was a piece of plastic in my coal bucket, and I inadvertently shoveled it into the fire.

Today I am in work, and I have a very faint smell of burnt plastic, not wearing any of the same clothes. There is no burning plastic.

Has anyone ever experienced this? Very weird. I feel a bit shivery; I wonder am I coming down with something?

Covid?

There's this little virus called covid that can cause changes in your sense of smell op.

Did you wash your hair in between? I find smells can linger on my hair unless I give ir a good scrub in between

I think yes and no.

Children have missed out on socialising and done more on screens than normal. That will effect them in some ways.

At the same time I've heard parents attributing normal behaviour as down to covid.

I think it’s a known side effect of having Covid. I got it now and again after having Covid but it seems to have gone away now.

Yes, I ve never tested positive for covid, even though my son had it and I slept beside him when he was sick (we were away). So I've gone through the last 2.5 years and nver picked up covid (that I know of), I better test I guess.

I'd love a few days off work (!!) bloody hell I'd have an excuse !

Yes I’m overseas and it’s a listed symptom of early Covid. If it persists then you should see the GP as it can mean other things but short term with a chill most likely Covid.

Particularly the burning smell is a Covid side effect I mean. I had it after Covid on and off.

Have you had covid recently or might you have it now?
if not then you should mention it to your GP as sometimes smelling things that other people can’t smell can be a symptom of a neurological issue. Not to alarm you, but best to get it checked out if it doesn’t pass quickly and/or can’t be attributed to covid

thank you, good to know.

This happened to me when I had covid, could smell burning constantly. It took a few months to go completely, but I did have long covid

I had this a while ago, it lasted for about 4 weeks and in the end I resorted to a sinus wash. I think that I had a mild sinus infection judging by what came out of my sinuses (tmi ).

The smell of burnt plastic sometimes indicates an electrical issue, as well. When my house flooded it smelt like burnt plastic and it was all the downstairs fuses going.

So might be worth checking any old wiring, any signs of water damage and the fuse box too

Yes, thank you. I can't wait to get home now (am at the office) and check if there is actually a smell or if it's just me picking up on a smell.

Years before Covid I had a similar thing - I could smell school dinners really strongly in the bedroom. DH even got up and looked around in case the cat had been sick as the tinned mince smell was so pervasive. DH couldn;t smell a thing. Next morning I woke up really sick and dizzy. GP told me it was a rare form of migraine where you get olfactory hallucinations (phantom smells) .Probably linked to menopause. Not had the sickness and dizziness since but I do still occasionally notice smells that really aren't there.

Do you get migraines OP? Are you menopausal? Could it be that?

Let us know how the test goes op. I think it could be covid

I'm 43, and occasionally get pms type migraines. So it's possible it could be that....or covid.

More likely covid, I'm very eager to test.

I'll report back when I do.

When I had this, it turned out to be real - a black phone sitting on top of the wood burner!

Ghosts.

Do you have a cat??

We thought we could smell burning plastic, but it turned out to be a gift mouse decomposing under the sofa...!

It could be a virus but if you ever smell it in the house, pull out all the plugs from the wall and check one hasn't flipped it's toodles.

I don't personally have a cat, but there are many milling around the neighborhood, sometimes they leave me gifts.

I have a very mild, almost unnoticeable sensation at the back of my nostrils (high up adenoids area) of a 1% burnt plastic smell even now. I'm thinking virus.

Don’t disregard the Covid suggestion or the neurological, or electrical!

but another one is definitely sinuses.

I have ‘olfactory’ issues when a sinus infection is brewing. Burning smells, or cigarette smoke smells, almost Imperceptible and I end up chasing the smell somehow. I’m under the care of an ENT for the repeat issues and he does say that phantom smells are common when the smell receptors are interrupted due to viral or sinus issues.

Thank you, that is so interesting.

When I take a deep breath in through my nostrils, I can get the burnt plastic smell. My colleague that I share the office with is sneezing, I think we are both coming down with something,