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Phantom smells and weird feelings in head

Posted , 8 users are following.

erykah71
erykah71

I was just wondering if anybody else has experienced this?

I have been having these really weird feelings in my head. Kind of like the room spinning feeling you'd get after one too many. Also if it's quiet and there's a loud noise it is like a firework has gone off in my head and takes me a few seconds to recognise what the noise was.

And then there's the smells. For the past few months I have been smelling cigarette smoke. I put it down to assuming the neighbours were smoking near their window and I was noticing it due to being a new ex-smoker. However, over the last month or so I have been smelling a horrible burning smell. The best way to describe it is like the smell given off after a big fire has been put out and sometimes it's a smell of burnt hair or electrical burning. I didn't think anything of it apart from it being very annoying, but I mentioned it in passing to my GP last week (just the smell thingy). She said she wasn't sure about it and would need to speak to a colleague and get back to me.

The next day she called to say she had sent a referral for a CT scan, but didn't give any indication as to what she thought the problem was. When I asked her what it could be all she said was that I needed to have the scan to rule things out?

I try not to visit Dr Google as (I'm sure you're all aware) I end up convincing myself I have some rare exotic, incureable disease, but I received my appointment letter today for an appointment this Thursday and the sheer speed of it has scared the living daylights out of me, I usually have to wait months for any appointments.

Sooooo, off to google I go and now I'm scared I have something sinister wrong with me - I avoid all things to do with the brain as it makes me feel physically sick, can't even look at drawn pictures of it - where as before the letter arrived I was content to think it was another symptom of EDS to add to all of the pain and fatigue.

Sorry for sounding like a loon, but if there is anyone who can offer any sort of explanation and/or confirmation that EDS is behind this I will be very grateful

Thanks guys

 

1 like, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • stacey1986
    stacey1986 erykah71

    Posted

    Seems very bizarre, I have no insight into your problems but would be interested to hear what the results are. My partner has EDS and he has hardly any sense of smell.

    Also, because you are a newly ex smoker, could it be possible that your sense of smell is just becoming stronger?

    I hope you get good results

    • erykah71
      erykah71 stacey1986

      Posted

      I thought the same thing about my sense of smell becoming stronger, that's why I wasn't too bothered about it, but the speed of getting this brain scan has scared me a bit.

      My smell is otherwise normal and not really had any other problems.

       

    • stacey1986
      stacey1986 erykah71

      Posted

      It would freak me out too, but fingers crossed it is just a precaution and nothing to worry about. Let me know how you get on smile
  • linda4529
    linda4529 erykah71

    Posted

    I was wondering how your CR scan went in regards to the phantom smells & other symptoms you were experiencing. I have phantom smells also, for at least 8-10 years. Used to smell burnt things, now mostly a sweet, fruity smell. CT done about 5 yrs ago. Nothing showed. Drives me crazy at times, but have learned to ignore it. Any info appreciated. Hope you’re doing better and not worse.🙂

    • linda4529
      linda4529

      Posted

      Meant CT scan not CR.
    • erykah71
      erykah71 linda4529

      Posted

      Hi Linda.

      CT was clear and so was MRI which I had this year as I was leaking cerebrospinal fluid through my nose and suffering severe migraines. So like yourself I am just learning to live with it. Same as all my other problems sad

    • leif10054
      leif10054 linda4529

      Posted

      how did your go ms. linda4529? it's exactly what i can smell right now, sweet fruity smell and stays for about 10-20 seconds in front of my nostrils.

       

  • leif10054
    leif10054 erykah71

    Posted

    Hi erykah71. I'm from the philippines, and i have been experiencing the exact same thing you experienced with regards to the phantom smells. It started out the same way like i was smelling cigarette smoke from my neighbor but would go away eventually. this has been going on since april 2018. Last month july, i noticed the smell becoming much stronger and more irritating, very smoky odor and a sweet candy smell. I went to an ENT last week and he said it was acute sinusitis. He prescribed antibiotics and a nasal spray and i have to medicate for 1 week. I'm on my sixth day of medication but sadly not much has changed, just the intensity of the smell but it is definitely stll there. I will be going back for a fup check up and fingers crossed, hoping nothing is very seriously wrong with me. how are you btw? Hope you are doing well and hoping to hear from you too. Thanks.

  • angienoelle
    angienoelle erykah71

    Posted

    Sorry to say that this is a symptom that I really never mention not pay any mind to because, I’m comparison, it’s just another “weird thing”... but it’s extremely diconcerting and another reason I think most of us feel as if we are somehow making these things up, which is why I choose no to read very much about “rare”.. lol (all of mine!!!) symptoms.  I’ve had the smells for years and what you described with feeling like you’ve had one too many.. or for me one at all.. is frightening.. I often feel as if the floor is moving under my feet, I have to hold onto the walls to stabilize myself and I often smell burning gasoline or rubber. So much so that I’ve actually stopped with my children in the car to make sure we are safe. You don’t sound like a loon.  You sound like you’re suffering.. and you are not alone!!!!  
  • Ianbean1
    Ianbean1 erykah71

    Posted

    Hi I am getting similar I could smell burnt wood but that made me nauseous all day then went to bed my head was spinning

    Woke up today I can smell a chemical smell but no one else can and feel nauseous again I have no clue what's causing it I've had it before as well.

    I also have eds the hEDS .

    Did you get to the bottom of it I'm not sure how old this post is

    Many thanks

    Ian horsfall

  • casey97926
    casey97926 erykah71

    Posted

    I'm wondering if anyone has found any results as to why these phantom smells have been happening? I was recently diagnosed with POTS and I have all sorts of absolutely weird things happen to me. But I keep getting this random smell of almost nasty hair product mixed with ammonia and for awhile I thought I was smelling my cats litter box but the smell hits me randomly even when just laying in bed. I'm going to try to pay attention to it more because I experienced the smell today and later got a migraine, wondering if anyone has figured out how this is all connected

    thanks! Any response is appreciated

    • Ianbean1
      Ianbean1 casey97926

      Posted

      Hiya mine has gone now but it will be back again like the other times I have no clue Dr Google is just scary lol hope your doing ok

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