breathed a visible puff

The strangest thing in all of my 55 years just happened to me.

I was sitting at my desk working. I was drinking green tea. I had taken a calcium/magnesium capsule about 10-15 minutes earlier. I had also eaten a small number of potato chips that had Hawaiian powder flavoring on them. The temperature in my home is 71 degrees.

All of a sudden, I breathed a large, tanglible puff of something (powdery steam)!?! It very rapidly migrated over to the lamp, about one foot away, and got sucked-up under the lit lamp. I hadn't burped or felt strange at all. I am in perfect health. It left a sort of metallic-gasoline-chemical taste in my mouth.

I think it's accurate to say that I am completely confounded and a little concerned!

Thank you.

[Kevin Pho, MD]

I have to say, that is a unique symptom that I can't connect with a specific disease.

Residual of pills or what you recently ate is possible.  But if it happens again, you can consider causes like reflux, which can be evaluated with an upper GI series.

Lung causes can be evaluated with a chest x-ray, and if necessary, pulmonary function tests.

These options can be discussed with your personal physician.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Kevin Pho, M.D.

KevinMD.com
Twitter.com/kevinmd