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constantly smell cigarette smoke

I have been experiencing the same thing for about a week or so--smell cigarette smoke when no smoke exists. Thought it was coming from the AC vent in my office but then started smelling it in car and at home. The strange thing is that when I inhale, sometimes the odor is so real I feel my eyes slightly burning as if I were sitting next to someone smoking. I am 40 yrs. old, never smoked, have been off depression meds for about 8 mos. No recent sinus infections.


This discussion is related to constantly smelling cigarette smoke.
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Also, I have thought that it is possible that we have ultra sensitive smell and are smelling something (cleaning agent, chemical reaction, air pollution)  that others cannot smell
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It may be allergies. Moved to a new area and the smoke smell started during allergy season, left after allergy season, and has now returned again for the new allergy season.
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First of all let me say that I am a physician, and as such realize things can be coincidental or anecdotal and not necessarily causal. I had experienced a strong cigarette smell in the middle of the night for about a week when none of us smoke and shortly after that began to lose my sense of smell, something called anosmia. I have been using generic Flonase for several months and understand this can cause anosmia over time which may be permanent. I also have been on several antibiotics for a horrible chain of illnesses starting with augmentin for a cold followed up by Flagyl for a secondary c-diff enterocolitis, followed by Tamiflu for influenza A all within the past six weeks. I noticed about 3 weeks ago that I was not able to smell my unpleasant morning breath and I guess that was the tip-off. I've been losing significant weight recently which I felt was due to loss of appetite due to these illnesses but now I suspect it's loss of interest in food do to anosmiai. I guess this is a good thing in a way as I was somewhat overweight and look great now, but I was what you would consider a foodie and really enjoyed and appreciated exotic flavors, which hold little interest for me now. Anyway I guess that is off subject but I am wondering if the sense of cigarette smoke smell was a Prelude to potential nerve damage in the olfactory bulb and subsequent loss of smell
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Hi all!!! I may have found a solution! Ok so very quick backstory: Last year I was pregnant and horrifically sick with an undiagnosed sinus infection for 7 months, coughed like emphysema and had the smell of smoke/burning, the sinus infection finally got the right antibiotic thanks to a nasal swab which none of the other 4 doctors or 2 ER visits thought to do.  The smell continued though for the next few months but less.  I remember reading here about covering with hands or sheet and it would stop it and that helped me fall asleep.  It had been gone for about 9 months and about 10 days ago came back, I noticed I was having just a little nasal congestion but nothing to speak of.. I have also been a practicing Acupuncturist and Health Counselor for 20 years.  2 nights ago it was so bad it started giving me an anxiety attack.  In the morning I added about 3.5 ml of Colloidal Silver to a nebulizer, available at any healthfood store.  This one was 30 ppm.  Almost immediately it began to get better, I did one more last night and 1 this morning and it is 90% better.  Colloidal silver is anti-viral and anti-bacterial and completely safe to nebulize in the short term.  I believe I had a low level infection brewing and that's what was causing it for me.  There is also a product by Nature's Rite caused Respiratory Relief it is just colloidal silver plus a drop of peppermint I have used this with asthma patients with great success you could nebulize this instead and get the same results.  Colloidal Silver comes in different parts per million.  So you want about 130 mcg per treatment to match the Nature's Rite product.  so mine was 30 ppm and I used 3.5 ml so 3.5x 30 so my dose was about 105 mcg and worked.  If you decide to try it, post back here I really hope you find relief this is such a wretched thing that no one could help with!  Best wishes!!
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Avatar universal
I have been smelling cigarette smoke for the past week, and it has become extremely frustrating as I only have moments of normal smells.  At first I thought it was from smells inside of my home, but then today when I went shopping in the store, I was smelling it there.   I could understand if I was only smelling this inside of my home, then I could ignore the symptoms.  The only time I do not smell this is when I am outside and can breathe fresh air.  In a confined (enclosed) area, the smell is so bad, that I dread being inside of my home.  I've read many comments from people who are suffering from this strange ailment which seems to be rare.  

I have considered seeking medical attention as no one else smells this inside of my home.  So no one smells it inside of my home, and I do.  Doesn't matter what enclosed area I am in I smell it.  
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Avatar universal
I started smelling smoke pretty much right after I received anesthesia.
I hope this is helpful.
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"Another thing that I've noticed is that if I place pressure on my cheeks on either side of the nostrils, using my fingers, as if to widen the nose, the smell goes away." Thank you for that tip, skypster. Closing off the nasal connection to the sinuses in that way was the key. That led me to cure my symptoms by flushing with a boric acid solution and I am free of symptoms for the first time in years.
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That worked for about a week and then the smell was back with a vengeance.  I dissolved about 2 ml of tolnaftate 1% cream in about 100 ml of warmed deionized water and flushed my nasal passages a couple days ago. Wow! I could actually feel it zoom into all my sinuses and the 'cigarette smell' is gone again.
--Len
Avatar universal
I am not a medical professional and I do not advise anybody to do anything except seek the counsel of a qualified doctor.

Here is what I did.
I had some boric acid powder in stock, so I mixed it with warm distilled water in a ratio of about 16 parts water to one part boric acid. I bent sideways over my bathroom basin in the same position one takes when using a neti pot.
I poured the solution into one nostril and it drained out the other nostril. I then reversed position so that the 'input' nostril became the 'output' nostril and flushed again. It worked a treat and I've been without symptoms for the last week or so. I was delighted that my chronic post-nasal drip disappeared instantly as well.
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Avatar universal
"Did you get test results and advice"

I did not even bother to ask a medical professional about this symptom. I saw from the responses here that medical professionals appeared unable to approach these symptoms scientifically and instead fell back on some useless 'woo-woo' advice including a (not making this up) psychological referral.
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Can you explain further how you flushed out I'm suffering really badly and can cry most night it's getting me down had it after a recent cold used sinus tablets throat lozenges and anti acid chews seems worse when sitting or getting to sleep.im out of the U.K. So can't get to my gp.CAN YOU PLEASE HELP
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Did you get test results and advice
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Did you get the results and a cure
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I flushed my nasal passages with a 1/16 solution of boric acid and distilled water yesterday afternoon. Smoke symptom disappeared and normal olifactory function restored. Nose is now working normally for the last 17 hours. Next time, I'll use a respirator when blowing leaves and mushrooms off my lawn.  --Len
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The local mobsters sometimes place baseball - sized dark brown puffball mushrooms in my yard. Got a fresh attack of the 'cigarette smell' (cited here) a couple days after using a leaf blower to push the latest mushroom into the garden waste recycle pile. I'll be surprised if my symptom is not related to a fungal sinus infection.
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Has this stopped?  Please email me at ***@****
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Has this stopped?  Please email me at ***@****
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After using Flonase for 4 days I realized I had lost much of my sense of smell.  I am using a lot more spices because my sense of taste is altered also.  I quit the Flonase about 3 months ago but I likewise smell smoke quite frequently.  It is in my house, in my car, in restaurants, and doctor's offices but never outside.  It feels like I am gagging on the smoke but no one else smells it.  Very frustrating.
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The ashtray smell in my nose started about 3 years ago.  It would happen every few months and last for a week or so.  Having been clear for over a year, I thought it had gone for good.  But not so.  It started again a few days ago and is really strong at the moment.  Horrible.  I'm hoping it follows the usual pattern and stops soon.  I live on my own in a detached house and have never smoked.  I'm not on any medication (never have been) and do not have any allergies!  It does not happen before or after illnesses.  I feel well!
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Avatar universal
I have been smelling smoke on and off for about a month or so.  Sure is weird, no?  I don't like it, but it is tolerable. I finally decided to look it up, and feel relieved that others have this same experience.  I guess I'm writing to not feel alone in this.  I will be contacting my doc and perhaps seeing an ENT specialist.  I will post the results.  
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Do you consume dairy products? I had this situation on and off for about 7 years. Up until recently, I didn't have the problem for a long time. I started using butter (grass fed in this instance) more often since I heard it's got some vitamin k2 in it. I started getting the smoke smell in my head again. At first I had no idea what it was. One day I solved the correlation when I had buttered toast in the morning and then put a healthy amount on my rice at lunch. The smoke smell was very dominant later that day and into the next morning. Bingo! I stopped using butter and the smoke smell disappeared. It's been around 3 weeks and still no smoke smell. I even use butter every now and again with no adverse effects. I guess I have an intolerance to butter, but I'm not super sensitive. I'm also not lactose intolerant in the classic sense. I hope this helps in your situation!
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I started smelling cigarette smoke for about 2 mos now. Started to happen after I got home from work,however my husband doesn't smoke and neither do I.  Since it's just us at home I thought it was odd Iask my husband why the house smelled like smoke but he doesn't smell it. I have a 7 year old grand daughter and she says she doesn't smell it either. At times its so strong feels like I have trouble breathing. At first I thought it was somebody has been in the house smokeing when we were not home but we have an alarm system no sign anyone has been there.  My husband thinks I'm losing it. Maybe so! But I am convienced there is another reason for this.  about 3 years ago I lost my sense of taste and smell, gradually it has stared to come back but not the same at it was. I begin to think it was a ghost of my brother that smoked alot, He passed about 2 years ago but we were never close. I know that is crazy thinking but it gets disturbing when you are the only one that smells it. I also have a constant hissing in my ears that started about 7 yrs ago that is getting louder as time goes by.  I used to only hear it when I got still not I hear it all the time. I have a fear of doctors so I haven't been checked but otherwise I'm healthy. I just wish I knew what was causing this smell. because now I'm smelling it 90 % of my day. Hope someone has an answer.
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Avatar universal
I have been suffering from this for over 3 years now and nobody can tell me what it is. At first all I could smell is smoke and now the smell has changed but I can't explain what it smells like. I've noticed when I don't eat right and don't drink enough water it gets really bad to the point where I'm nauseous. I have also noticed it isn't as bad when I give up the coffee.
This all started when my doctor put me on antidepressants. I had never suffered from anything until then and now I have this and also tinnitus, constant ringing in my ear. I stopped taking the antidepressants years ago but the symptoms are still there. I'm annoyed at my doctor for prescribing them and at me for taking them.
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Avatar universal
JaWiem in Jan 2015 said his wife took 2 antacids and the smell went away. I took one and nothing changed, but then I started taking 2 every morning and it really has helped a lot. It comes back every now and then, but it used to be constant, and if I'm taking the antacids it only happens for a brief moment maybe once a week or every two weeks. For me it must be reflux related, which makes some sense since the smell started when my stress got really bad. Try the antacids - take 2!
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Avatar universal
Oh my... I thought I was loosing my mind. I stopped smoking 25 years ago. Over this past year, on and off, I have been having the smell of an ashtray stuck in my nose. I smell it in the car, in my house...everywhere. It is driving me crazy. I did have a sinus infection recently but during that time I didn't have the smell issue.  What the hell is this?
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