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.

[shek334]

I don't smell smoke- I smell gun oil, actually smell it right now, and I don't smell it all day just for a minute or two throughout the day. I've also smelled hot coco, flowers, burnt plastic, and a chemical odor. I have both a thyroid and allergy problem, I take nothing for it but the occasional dayquil or otc headache for allergy, nothing at all for thyroid and am totally stumped by these smells.

[KellyAnn6173]

Hi there, I have just started with the smoke smells, and I as well am on Topamax for my migraines along with injections. But I thought I was losing my mind, cause no one in my home smokes, and we live in the country, so we have no neighbors. I mean it is so bad, its like I am in a bar, with the smoke smell. It is very disruptive, due to I also have bronchial asthma. I don't know what else to do about this,. With the stories, I have read on here about going to the doctor, I am not sure it will do any good to go see one,. I am just glad to know I am not crazy or have a ghost in my home!!! LOL... But would love to get rid of it, I am on an allergy pill as well, and that is not working either.

Thank you

[Laurentlchns]

For me it started yesterday...It smells like something is burning and sometimes like cables are burning..no one else can smell it...The smell comes and goes..And also I can smell a male perfume almost all day that no one in my family owns.
It is freaking me out!

[artgal7]

Sicko123 - Of all the posts here, your description comes closest to my experience. How odd that you mentioned the thought of your computer's heat triggering the smell because I've been thinking the very same thing. This has been going on with me for about 4 months. My husband passed away about 6 mos ago and the stress of it all sent me into a cigarette smoking frenzy. I smoked for about 2 months before I got a grip on myself and quit. But I noticed the smell starting during the time I was smoking (although at that point I just attributed it to actually smelling real cigarette smoke) I haven't touched a cigarette for several months now but that scent is still there, stronger than ever. I smell it just about every day off and on and I can swear that it seems strongest when I'm at my laptop. Go figure. Other articles I've read point to brain tumors but as a previous poster mentioned, it's rather unlikely that we all have brain tumors. I'd say the sinus infection seems the likeliest explanation. Still, I'm thinking an MRI might be in order.

[artgal7]

Sicko123 - Of all the posts here, your description comes closest to my experience. How odd that you mentioned the thought of your computer's heat triggering the smell because I've been thinking the very same thing. This has been going on with me for about 4 months. My husband passed away about 6 mos ago and the stress of it all sent me into a cigarette smoking frenzy. I smoked for about 2 months before I got a grip on myself and quit. But I noticed the smell starting during the time I was smoking (although at that point I just attributed it to actually smelling real cigarette smoke) I haven't touched a cigarette for several months now but that scent is still there, stronger than ever. I smell it just about every day off and on and I can swear that it seems strongest when I'm at my laptop. Go figure. Other articles I've read point to brain tumors but as a previous poster mentioned, it's rather unlikely that we all have brain tumors. I'd say the sinus infection seems the likeliest explanation. Still, I'm thinking an MRI might be in order.

[greenboy137]

I have been having this for about a month. It is a burnt wood/chemical smell, it first started with me loosing all sense of smell and now I have this burnt smell instead, annoyingly it is effecting the taste of food too, lots of food taste like burnt wood. It all started when I used green ginseng, it made my nose fizz but didn't think much of it at the time, then the loss of smell and now burnt wood smell, so I would think it does have something to do with sinus problems, have just started using a nasal spray from the doctor to try and see if that helps, but 1 week on and no change. I have recently been diagnosed with myositis, as I have been having fatigue and muscle issues (like ME/CFS symptoms) for about 3 years so not sure if for me its linked to that, will keep you posted.