phantom smells

[monkeyvirs]

I been smelling cigarette   smoke from my right side only and no one around me smokes and I do not smoke
and  I have no real pass neurology history

[catspeaks]

Hello,
8 months ago I had shingles quite bad on the upper left quadrant of my face and in my eye. Afterwards, I kept smelling exhaust fumes. My doctor did an MRI and sent me to a Neurologist. No tumors or anything significant however the doctor did say that due to the nerve affected, it is possibly the cause of the smells since that nerve directly affects my olfactory senses. It is 8 months, I will still occasionally get the smell, today it was a plastic/chemical smell. I still have a slight mark where the shingles first started and it is still somewhat sensitive. Have you ever heard of this?

[S. Kaul, MD]

Hi there!

Well, without a detailed clinical evaluation it would be difficult to determine the cause of your symptoms. Possibilities that may need to be considered include viral infections, inflammation, radiation exposure, micronutrient deficiencies etc. I would suggest taking plenty of fluids and vitamin supplements for a few weeks. If the symptom does not seem to resolve in 4-6 weeks, you may consider an evaluation by a primary care physician to look for secondary issues and appropriate management.
Hope this is helpful.

Take care!