gagging - from heightened sense of smell or something else

[drsdonthelp]

Does anyone here have a problem with if you smell something bad it makes you gag, or even just the thought of a bad smell makes you gag and almost vomit?.
This is crazy to me because where I used to work, I used to deal with bigger and badder smells ie.) changing adult attends, toileting consumers that were unable to do it themselves, and other things that were not very pleasant to say the least.
Now, I gag on the smells of,  if my two new baby puppies do a poopie, or even just the thought of it being smelly makes me gag, LOL
I have been gagging alot lately and it is either from a smell or brushing me teeth, or opening my mouth up.

thanks Pam

[drsdonthelp]

My senses seem to be very heightened. Noise, smell, gagging, knee, leg to ankle is jumpy when hit, and I startle easily. I have know other explanation of this since I never had these issues before except for the gagging on taking pills. But now I gag on smells or just by opening my mouth too wide. It is so weird.

So it is a common thing in ms? What is pseudo? Will it go away?? I hope it does.
Thanks, Pam
Sorry for all the questions.

[sllowe]

Only when I was pregnant, lol.

Seriously though, how are your senses otherwise? Heightened? If so, in the context of MS it can be a common phenomonon during an attack or pseudo to by hypersensitive.

-shell

[drsdonthelp]

thank you everyone for your input. I think I will mention it to my neuro.
I also have the noise intolerance as Jen does, so maybe it is all connected and related.
I def. have to start my list to bring with me, I have so many questions for my neuro.

Thanks again, Pam

[figuerpa]

I only got that way when I was pregnant, so I can't add any input to the ms side of things.

Hope it gets better for you.

Paula

[Siddy1]

I have assumed it is due to my MS.  I don't gag but I react to strong smells especially smoky smells. I haven't discussed this with my doctor. I figured I have lost 80% of my motory skills so now the MS is affecting my sensory functions.

As I understand it, MS can damage nerves needed for muscle coordination leading to swallowing problems aka dysphagia. Dysphagia includes difficulty chewing, gagging and choking, coughing while eating, food sticking in the throat, a weak soft voice, feeling that it is hard to swallow food, and food or drink going down the windpipe into the lungs.  I have experienced most of those symptoms at one time or another..

I would still mention it to your doctor and see what he says as it could be entirely unrelated to MS.  I'm not an expert on this and members can correct me if I am wrong.
  

[jenandherboys]

I have had some intermittant problems with being sensitive to smells, also.  I know it's related to the MS, usually only happens during flare-ups.  Mine also is complicated by spasms under the jaw and down front of throat.  These cause the feeling of having a lump in my throat, which, when added to the hypersensitive sense of smell, can really throw me for a loop.  In such cases, I try taking ondansetron(generic Zofran), which is a prescription antiemetic.  It usually offers some kind of relief.

I don't know if the two are connected somehow, but I also get very sensitive hearing, especially in my right ear, during flares.  Certain high-pitched sounds are actually painful to me when it acts up.

Sorry I can't offer much help, but I can at least relate to the problems you have been having.  Don't hesitate to ask your Dr. if there is anything else that can be done-maybe it can be treated as a kind of parasthesia-where normal stimuli are interpreted as noxious stimuli by whacked-out nerves!

Good luck, and be well!

Jen

[cainer]

You know i have a problem with some foods- can be hungrey!! go to eat - there is no way- i can not even put it in my mouth!!??  does anyone have  an idea??

[drsdonthelp]

Does your neuro say that this could be a symptom from MS?  Is this something maybe i should mention to my neuro ?   I have an appt. on tuesday and I dont want to say anything that will make him look at me like I am bringing up non- significant symptoms.
Do you gag alot?

Sorry for all the questions, and thanks for answering, Pam

[Siddy1]

I'm in an advanced stage of SPMS and in the last couple of years smells like smoke, grilling smells, food being cooked,  microwave smells etc really stress me out.  I can't catch my breath and I panic and feel kind of weird.. I don't have an earthly idea of why this happens.  I just have an extremely heightened sense of smell and hearing, but have lost my taste and appetite, which ***** as I don't look forward to eating.

[drsdonthelp]

Believe it or not, I do not feel nauseous. Everything just makes me gag all the time and it happens daily. Not sure what it is, probably nothing, but I was just curious about it because I thought it might have something to do with my already hyper reflexes .. LOL ya know.. hyper sense of smell, hyper gagging, hyper startling, and hyperreflexia.

thanks, pam

[summerluvr]

sounds like chemo... hahah ughhh!  If you are nauseaus (how the heck do you spell that word?) smells are the worst, as is brushing my teeth (the only thing that really made me sick).  Try drinking more fluids, or taking gravol.  morning sickness causes the same thing.