# smelling things that aren't there, anyone have this?????feel like I'm going crazy



## SLBEL3 (Jun 1, 2000)

this is really freaking me out now. Over the past few months I have been smelling things that no one else smells. Mostly it's like smoke. close to cigarrette smoke. Almost like someone is sitting in the room with me having a smoke. but there is no one there and no one else smells it.







It gets so strong that my nose actually burns and my eyes get all irritated.







I used to smoke, I smoked for 20 years. Started when I was 9 (yes I'm serious) and quit when I went in for my hysterectomy at 29. had my last one on May 9th 2000 at 6:30am then went in for surgery and never had another cigarette. didn't even have a craving which was odd. I had tried many times to quit before and the only times I was successfull was when I was pregnant, but as soon as I gave birth and was sent home I lit up, outside of course. Hubby quit with me.







At first I thought maybe it was something in the house we bought in August 2005. But we had removed all the rugs and carpet pads and put wood laminate floors in. there is nothing left here of the old owner and when we were looking at the house we asked if she was a smoker and we were told no. And then I started realizing that I was smelling it everywhere, not just in the house. I smell it in my truck, I smell it outside, in stores, etc. this used to happen to me occasionally over the years but lately, for a few months or so it's constantly happening and it's stronger than ever. almost to the point that I can't stand the smell anymore.







I'm driving my hubby and kids nuts because I will be in the den or any other room by myself and the smell will be so strong all of a sudden I will yell for them to get in the room with me and smell the air. None of them smells it, I don't understand that at first because the smell of someone smoking is so strong I don't know how they can't smell it. In my head I know they aren't going to smell it but I keep asking them hoping that one of these times they will smell it and then I won't feel like I'm going crazy. Has anyone experienced this? what can it be?? My first thought was something bad because my best friend that died in December 2005 of brain cancer used to complain about smelling smoke all the time shortly after highschool and it got worse just before she was diagnosed with cancer in 1998 (we graduated hs in 1989). I've had MRI's before because of the Multiple sclerosis I have and the history of strokes and I've always been told they look ok so I haven't been required to have one in about 3 years. I used to have to have one yearly since my last stroke in 1994 but since my last mri looked normal other than the damage from the stroke they stopped requiring them. I have an appt with a neurologist on the 25th to see if he has any ideas about my back pain and what may be causing it and talk about doing nerve conduction studies and whatnot, do you think I should mention this to him? I have always said that I wouldn't want to know if there is something seriously wrong with me because I don't think I would do anything about it and I wouldn't tell my family until it was at the 'end' due to the fact that I don't want pity ever and would want to enjoy life with my family while I could, as much as the ibs allows, instead of being sick from meds that will only give a couple more months or a year to my life. But the smells are so strong I can't stand it much longer.







In the short time it's taken me to type this I've experienced the smell 4 times in about 10 minutes. I'm home alone. This is getting rediculouse though. It smells like someone is sitting accross the room smoking. ACK, it's sooo gross.







Please someone help.


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## 20680 (Apr 8, 2006)

I get this sometimes, not very often but it happens occasionally.


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## 20820 (Aug 7, 2005)

SlbelSorry, this is a really short reply as I am just off to bed, but saw your post and had to reply to you.Would you say that it kind of smells like old rope burning? That's how I would describe the disgusing smell that I get inside my head sometimes that nobody else can smell. It drives me mad. I clean the house and I bleach and disinfect, but it still stinks of this old burning kind of smell. I eventually solved the problem by going to see an ENT consultant - it was a sinus infection and I suffer from those quite often, so now when I get the smell, I know I have a sinus infection and it's at the stage where it can 'recede' (it does come back though) or it flares up and requires antibiotics.Anyway, that's what that smell is when I get it. Hope this helps you.


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## SLBEL3 (Jun 1, 2000)

nope, unfortunately not. It smells like someone smoking. It's awful. It's a good idea though, but also I'm not having a problem with my sinuses either, never really have thankfully. I only get one cold a year and when I do it's severe bronchitis. Thanks for the reply though.Hope you have a pain free day.


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## Harry Wayne (Jun 11, 2009)

I found my way here by doing a search for smells that weren't real. I read what you had to say and I know exactly how you feel. With me I smell exhaust fumes like from a car. The only thing is I am setting in my living room when I start to smell them or sometimes I smell them in my bedroom. The smell is so strong that it burns my nose and makes me cough really hard. No one else smells this but me. This has been going on now for the better part of two to three years. It is really driving me out of my mind, especially when I lay down at nights to go to sleep and I start smelling it. If you find out any reason for this please let me know. In the meantime I'll keep searching the internet in hopes of finding some answers.


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

Some info on Olfactory Hallucinations:http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/phantosmia/AN01684I would see your Doc.Hope this helpsBQ


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## MollyB (May 3, 2009)

Thank you for posting this message. I thought I was losing my mind because for the past several months I have smelled something like strong chemicals. At times it is so strong that it burns my nose and eyes, but when I ask others around me if they smell it, no one ever does. I asked a doctor recently about it, even smelled the odor while he was in the room, and he said it could be a chemical reaction from the 2 capfuls of Miralax I take daily. Do you take any type of drugs on a regular basis?Molly


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## gardianmuse (Dec 10, 2011)

it would seem to me it is damage from the strokes. or with other neurological damage in general if its not in the room and ur nose is fine the next logical thing would be that the neurological pathways from your nose to you brain are damaged or if they arn't then your brain is damaged in the are where it deals with smells i would say do to cigarettes being around u for such a long time its the more dominant smell in your memory bank so when your brain can't make the right connection it defaults to the smell it knows best. my suggestion is give your self aroma therapy and retrain your brain.best of luck and hope you have an amazing day


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