phantom smells ruining my life

[kwetu]

Had this issue on and off for years but it's getting so bad I can taste the burning smell (almost like cigar smoke) it's making me sick and it's now day and night. How can I alleviate these symptoms?

Hopeful bump?

Sinus issues?

i used to smell cat pee... normally as a pre-curser too a migraine!

not to worry you but could be a neurological thing (seizures, for example), so it could be worth getting checked out at the GP. Hopefully not but always worth checking. Also check all your supplements, vitamin levels etc! Blood test perhaps? I do think sometimes this comes with anxiety as well, having occasionally suffered myself. Sometimes it can also be a dental issue, which could be worth getting checked out.

Please tell me you’ve had a CT scan to ascertain the root cause of the symptom?

If not, urgently do so.

How many years? Phantom smells research is showing an increase where the patient had Covid.

Sinus not really been much of an issue last few years but I do have a grossly deviated septum (word of an ENT specialist) causing very restricted use on one side.

Also haven't had a migraine for a good few years....thankfully as they are horrendous to live with, I feel for you.

Had detailed scans recently as had an unidentified mass found by dentist on X-ray turns out the amalgam from root canal had filled sinus cavity, due for removal when NHS can fit me in. I'm kinda hoping it's all tied in, though could equally be stress, doctor didn't seem bothered!

Thankyou, doctor didn't seem to think worth worrying over...put it down to peri menopause like everything else

Had on off for about 3 years, the actual smells and severity had increased considerably this last couple of months, it literally makes me physically sick at times.

Was just desperately clutching at straws hoping someone had a magical trick to alleviate the symptoms, I live in hope!

I have this also! I smell cigarette smoke, like someone is standing outside my window smoking constantly (although no one is there). It’s so strong and makes me feel sick also as I can’t get away from it.

I’ve noticed: once it comes it’s hard to get rid of, it comes when I’m run down/ stressed/ have a period of very poor sleep. So I try to not get to that point. I think of it like tinnitus - which a friend described as like a sign to slow down and take care of yourself.

Definitely your sinuses like the dentist said.
My friend had same problem after root canal and infection.
She had it sorted out in hospital.

I would think amalgam in your sinus is the cause. It's just common sense that it might be a breeding ground for bacteria and you have low level infection, which could definitely cause it. I would urge your doctors to prioritise dealing with that before getting scans.

I developed a milder version of this after what seemed like an endless series of sinus infections that antibiotics never completely cleared up. Eventually, I managed to convince them that I was under-medicated for thyroid issues and when they changed up the medication, the sinus issues went away. When they did, my sense of smell, which had been crazy sensitive, was diminished and I often randomly got what smelled like a faint whiff of cigarette smoke. It doesn't sound nearly as severe as yours and it did get better although didn't go away completely. Funnily, when I had Covid (2.5 years ago), I lost my taste and smell and when it came back so did the phantom smells (along with some things that still don't taste quite right) which are now diminishing again.

I hope you get this solved, @kwetu

I had this while in menopause/peri. It was like someone having a bonfire right next to me. I found it so distressing and it would drive me to tears because it lasted for hours. I suffered one or two bouts a week but sometimes daily on bad weeks but then it stopped once I was on HRT. It's a horrible meno side effect as the smell of smoke increases your adrenaline as it puts you in fight or flight mode constantly so when the smell lasts for hours it drives you insane with anxiety.
I completely sympathise with you if you have one of these meno symptoms - it's just bloody awful. I also had painful soles on both feet for no reason at all and found walking difficult for a few years too so menopause is the gift that keeps on giving!

When I came off HRT a few years later I was post menopausal and the smells had stopped although I still get it very occasionally but that may be just my brain screwing with me.

I take long courses of antibiotics at times and use steroids because I have really inflamed sinuses/narrow nasal passages, and get frequent infections.

The main sign of infection is the smell I get in my nose, it changes at times and can be sickly or sort of herbal at other times or sometimes it’s like ammonia 🤢

Within a few days of antibiotics it clears up

It was a very common thing in early covid, did you have covid 3 years ago?

I had phantom smoke smells for a year after having covid in 2021. It was more bonfire than cigerettes but if the house had been on fire I would never have known. It stopped after a year only to reappear after a cold. I hadn't had it since until a very mild cold recently.

Thank you all for your replies, no magic cure but lots to look into