Smelling cigarette smoke before period - driving me mad!

[StartingApril2025]

Last month I started to smell freshly lit cigarette smell constantly out of the blue, lasted a week then my period started and it went away after a few days. There was definitely no cause for this smell- no on smoking etc.
again this month a week out from my period and it’s started again!! I am using method nose inhalers and spraying perfume on collars etc but it’s constant!
has anyone had this? My Gp is useless and I can’t get an appointment at all.
online seems to link it to hormone dips before period?
39f, periods regular

This has happened to me a few times over the years but I’m an ex smoker and always put it down to pmt making me really want to start up again!!!

I’ve had similar to this but I constantly smelt exhaust fumes. I had a sinus infection. I cleared using a sinus wash.

I get the cigarette smell on and off for a couple of weeks and then without fail I come down with a bad cold. It started for me after I had Covid for the first time in 2021 and now it’s almost every time I get a common cold.

I’ve had this a few times and it lasted a couple of days each time - but it only ever happened inside my home! No one smokes in our house or neighbours. Windows were closed so no smoke coming in from outside. No periods so it wasn’t that for me. I put it down to having had Covid three times (way before this started) as that was known to affect your sense of smell. To be clear, this never happened to me before Covid.

It’s the same for me after covid, but I’m menopausal so don’t now have periods, it’s just every so often, and I’ve never smoked

I had this throughout my second pregnancy. I’ve never smoked. Was so weird!!!

Glad to hear I am not the only one, really does annoy me greatly and feel like I can’t distinguish now what’s a real smell or not. I think the two months just before my period and end when period started it too much of a coincidence and I think it is hormone related as didn’t have a cold sinus infection last time either! i will try and get a Gp app for hormone levels to be checked and see what is anything can be done!

I’d be interested to know what your GP says about it OP

That’s interesting. I often smell cigarette smoke (as an ex smoker- it smells rather nice) and I always wonder how it can smell so strong when I literally drive past someone who I’ve assumed are smoking in their car. But now reflecting on that, I’ve not actually seen said person smoking when I’ve smelt it.

I used to smoke years ago so generally not adverse the smell of someone is smoking but night as day constant smell like someone has just lit a cigarette is driving be bonkers! I’m assuming it’s hormone related and drop in oestrogen- says chat gpt my best friend

The GP will SO not care about this or see it as a genuine problem.

I had frequent bouts of phantom smoke smells and even with different steroid sprays/drops from the doctors it still recurred. What (touch wood) has helped was sinus rinsing. To begin with I did it twice a day for a week and then daily for a month. It’s been about six months and it’s not reoccurred. I used Neilmed sinus rinse from Amazon and would really recommend it to anyone with phantom smells

@MyCatsSlave great thanks will look into this!