Smelling Smoke

[peasweep]

Has anyone ever experienced smelling cigarette smoke, when no one is smoking?  I have smelling phantom smoke for 4 months now.  I have seen my primary, and ENT and neither had any answers.  Does anyone know if this has a direct association with MS.?  thanks

vc

[poochies19]

I have been smelling burning and cigarette smoke for months, and finally went to the doctors yesterday.  I have MS.  My doctor said it might be my MS that is causing this to happen, and has given me some steriod nasal spray to use morning and night.  He has also asked me to keep a diary for 4 weeks of times of day and length of episode.  I have to return to the docs in 4 weeks for a check up and more information.

[emmyvera]

Hi everyone!
I'm new to this site as far as my new symptoms. I'm in the process of going through exclusion tests, blood work, nerve tests, sleep tests etc. I have not had an MRI test yet. I feel my symptoms are very on with MS. Of course, I'm hoping that isn't the case. Maybe sleep - maybe anxiety?

BUT I was browsing through the posts and I saw this and I have this too!!!

While at work sometimes, I will smell smoke. No one smokes in/out of my work area. One building over sometimes the press guys will smoke in the press room, but when I ask the others in my room "Do you smell that?" Everyone looks at me like I'm nuts. I smell smoke and when I'm around other people smoking (which sometimes I do too) I smell pot. But there isn't any there.

At home my senses are always off. I might smell something and my husband doesn't.

Boy, this is interesting. Thanks for the post!

[iambus]

I'm undiagnosed (limbo land with clear MRI's) but I've smelled both pot and cigerette smoke in my apt when I KNOW me and my room mate aren't smoking lol Just these past 3 days I also kept smelling a really bad smell, no matter where I was.  I started to think maybe I was crazy.  (hm...I've said this on this forum so many times about different sx's) even though I'm undiagnosed, it makes me feel better thinking maybe there is a scientific reason for some of these things and I'm not just hallucinating!

I've also had things taste weird or different when I know they probably taste normal (I've even had others taste the weird tasting thing for me and they said it tasted normal like it should).

[jensequitur]

I think that abnormal liver tests would be a bad sign - you'll probably have to go on another med.  They test my liver because I'm on Betaseron.

For some reason, phantom smells are common with brain damage.  Usually it's seen in strokes, but people with MS have it too.  

[peasweep]

I am scheduled for an MRI in a week to look for either a new legion on 1st cranial nerve, or a brain tumor. Nuero says tumors with these (olfactory) symptoms are almost always benign. She has never heard of this type of symptom with MS before, but is leaning in that direction.  I'll let you guys know when I do.
Victoria
BTW- anyone on Rebif and have abnormal liver tests??

[msgrigioilcavallo]

Interesting question!!!!!  Yes, I have had phantom smoke smell on occasion.  It's very weird!!!  I'm not sure though if it is associated with MS.

[Jifr]

Interesting! I'd be interested to know if any of your docs dx you with anything.

I woke up last summer to a smell of disgusting trash. Turns out... It was a pot of coffee. But, it didn't smell like coffee to me anymore.

Then, at the same time, I could not taste things "correctly". Soda never tasted right. Lemonade was ALWAYS too sweet. I would have a computer BLANK spot on my tongue when I had a sip of wine.

My neuro? Not particularly concerned with fixing the problem. I think it was related to a flare but, cynical me, what do I know?  

[17o_bandslater]

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS...

I had brain damage from CO poisoning, and this started after that.

Here's the fun part: I also had a roommie that secretly smoked, and denied it. I told him he needed to fess up, because phantom smells were part of my seizure aura.

Finally I caught him. And moved out. Where I moved, there was no one within half a mile. Still smelled phantom cig smoke, and pot. When I got on the right meds, this stopped.

There is some interesting literature on brain injury and subsequent development of MS, FYI.

[ccorina]

Very interesting posts!

I smell both cigarette smoke and pot!  I have for years.  I use to be a cigarette smoker (quit 18 years go), so I thought I was just sensitive, but I smell both even in my home where no one smokes.  

Drives me crazy.

[doublevision1]

Not cigarette smoke but pot, I smell if often, in places I am fairly confident it's not being used.

[jensequitur]

I used to get a smell that seemed to be burning, moldy, wet paper.  This would come and go in weird places that seemed to have nothing to do with the smell.  It was the weirdest thing - I've never smelled anything else like it.

[RazCarver]

I get phantom smells sometimes and phantom tastes. luckly it goes away. I've no idea if it is MS related. I know it can be, but it can also be caused by other things as well. - Raz

[Lulu54]

Funny that you ask this because I just talked to DH about this yesterday.  For about 6 months I get a phantom smell - dust, the scent of the furnace burning for the first time in a heating season - that comes and goes pretty regularly.  

At first I thought it was my hair - but I get the smell no matter what shampoo/conditioner or curling iron I use on it.  It is definitely not my hair.

I've switched up my laundry soap and softener, thinking it might be something there.  

This is a problem that is mentioned with Ms, but it isn't very common.

Lulu

[tripnstumble]

I have no idea if it's associated with MS but I have a problem (this is terrible!!!) with smelling marijuana & smoke as in fire smoke. WHY these two things is beyond me but they always have me trying to run around the house looking for a fire. The marijuana stumps me cause everyone who lives around me is in their 80's :)