Headaches and smelling smoke

[Piscesmumma1978]

I've been getting bad headaches for over a year now and it happens with a constant smell of smoke. (There is no smoke)

Paracetamol and ibuprofen take the edge off but I usually have the headache for 3 days.

Anyone else? It seems to be since I had my last child. I had a spinal block/c section but I'm not sure it would be linked.

Generally it’s usually recommended that you start keeping a diary of your headaches including how bad, how long, medication used.

You could also note where you are on your menstrual cycle, what you have eaten for previous 24 hours, sleep and stress levels.

It might be worth while to incorporate some neck and shoulder stretches as well.

Ive been plagued by migraines and headaches since I was a teenager. My migraines have lessened since the menopause, and funnily enough my headaches have nearly all gone away since I separated from my husband.

I also have been getting the phantom smells (toast usually) for the last year but they are not associated with headaches.

The diary will help your GP diagnose your headaches. He/she will be the only one who can say if it could be anything to do with a spinal block.

Im just off to Google phantom smells as it’s now piqued my interest.

@Isheabastard you're sending me off to google now too to search for phantom smells because I get this too. Its a really really odd smell that I get. I thought it was either electrical wires burning or sewerage issue. Then we moved house and I still get the smell.

@Piscesmumma1978 when I get this, I need something stronger. Sometimes is sinus tabs that work, other times its OTC migraine meds.

Have you had Covid? I can't explain the headaches but after my first bout of Covid I could 'smell' smoke for about 4 or 5 months. Sometimes it would wake me up in the night and I'd do a panic run through the house to make sure nothing was actually smouldering!

It eventually went away but phantom smells can be an off short of Covid.

Thanks both.

Keeping a diary is a great idea actually. It might show that something is triggering it.

I had covid a few weeks ago. I lost my sense of smell and bizarrely didn't have one headache until it came back! Maybe it's nose related.

I am mid fifties and often smell smoke - possibly when tired- and it is an olfactory hallucination apparently following a cold or viral damage to the smell system

It’s a post COVID thing! I had for weeks after COVID. Very common symptom if you Google. I had to retrain my sense of smell as mine didn’t come back - wonder if that technique might help get rid of smoke smell. Basically you smell the same 5 strong smells 5 times a day.