Phantom smell - Burning & Smoke

[Stez77]

Hello, For a while i have been smelling a burning smell in my nose, kind of like smoke. It's not constant, somedays it's there and some it's not, i don't know what it is, i searched around and couldn't really find much, any info would be great.

[missmoniker]

I just began smelling what I refer to as a cigarette-y or burning type smell about 3-4 days ago, having NEVER had such an experience before! I am wondering if it might be due to hormonal changes (I am nursing a 10 month old presently) or after reading more here, possibly allergies. We moved into this house in 3 months ago and I have been living here during extensive renovations to bathrooms, painting, etc. and have had no problems. The house backs onto conservation land, so I do wonder if it this is related to pollen from plants I have not been exposed to before. I am feeling stressed as well and I already plan to see a counselor for anxiety but I arranged that long before this smell  issue started up. I thought for sure it was our next door neighbours cigarette smoke drifting in through the open windows, but it's not. I ruled out anything house related, and no one else can smell the scent so it's a real mystery. I just took some allergy medication and rinsed with a neti pot...I'll keep you posted. I feel like I'm going a bit bananas!

[indexOutOfBoundsException]

About a week ago, I started smelling what I can only describe as a combination of burning rubber and dead ***.  It smelled like some kind of rodent crawled into a power supply and killed itself by frying the transformer.

I'm otherwise fairly robust, I don't have any symptoms that would otherwise indicate thyroid, adrenal, pituitary, diabetes, etc. issues.  I will, on occasion, get a mild headache; however a quick backhand to the gf will usually eliminate the source of the problem.

I was at my wit's end.  So, finally I decided to biopsy several samples of my brain tissue with a cordless drill (and tiny bit) and send them off them off to an overseas company I found online.

After weeks or waiting I finally received the results.   According to my test results, the most probably cause of my problem was either: 1) a stuck vacuum cleaner belt, or b) the fact that I drilled five holes through my cranium with a cordless drill.

Anyway, I hope this helps.  Thanks for listening; and, thanks everyone for sharing.

[MrMDMB]

The wood , musty smell, like if you picked up a moldy or decaying piece of wood and broke it , out in the woods in a wet ish environment.

   I have this. and I don't think it;s a phantom smell, I don't think other people can smell it because it seems to be coming from my lungs. I think it has something to do with Candida build up. overwhelming bad bacteria from time to time.   I could be wrong of course, but it does seem to be a deep thing, like fumes from my lungs.  if I set in one place and shallow breath I can make it worse. also I am susceptible to getting pneumonia from any little cold symptom it seems.  I have Type 2 diabetes, I don't know if that is part of the problem or not but I take metformine every day.  

   something is not right, seems lie this smell is a warning for something and I want to find out what. I just got a new Doctor, I am keeping my fingers crossed.  

[poos2015]

On April 6, 2015 I was visiting my son and I kept smelling burning wood, like when someone uses a saw. He couldn't smell it. then on April 7, 2015 I could smell the same thing in my own home. Needless to say no-one else could smell it and no-one was using a saw. The other posts about phantom smells, are scaring me. Should I see my physician for an evaluation?

[goran79]

it was all normal at the morning , i did visit doctor,
seems that burned paper smell, and lost sense to smell was normal efect after i got some minor virus, and yeah 2 days ago i did notice my throat hurt little, did drink some tea with lemon , and did put few drops alcohol and it is nothing to worry... as i see this happens to a lot of people so it seems it is nothing wrong with your brain , but it just happens and it is normal :)
and it is nose irritation ... and it will be gone as it did come :)

[goran79]

36 year old male, perfect health, not using any drugs,
first time i noticed smell of strong chemical when i did come back at home after running few km for recreation, and noticed that have happening to me some times when i return from running , but occur rare and did last very short.
today first time i felt smelt like burning paper , was thinking gonna go easy as before, but still feeling it, ti is kinda less now like i have adapted, but the problem is that i can not smell anything like i did till yesterday, i try coffee , it have some smell but i can not say like what it is, next i found  cooking spices
vegeta - no smell
burp (origano) - should have strong smell, smells like filter tea not been put in water (home maden harvested tea smells more then filter tea)
then i opened bottle of whiskey to smell it jot senсe that is something there but no smell it is whiskey, sprayed perfume in it cover ,  it did not smell , i did have same feeling like it was from whiskey ... and it last whole long day, tomorrow i am going to doctor
burning paper smell started really strong, now the smell is very weak thing is i can not smell anything and i have now some strange filling inside my nose can not explain it i think it is like when it is irritated from some very hard smell , but without smelling that smell ....
ofc wont gonna use any medicine or "medicine" before i visit my doctor, and i even hope it will be ok even before i visit my doctor tomorrow :)