For the past month or two, I have been smelling gasoline. At least I identify it as gasoline. Sometimes it is strong; at other times it disappears: usually the latter, thank goodness.
It was very strong on Sunday morning, so I decided to search Google.
I got as far as. "Why do I smell . . ." when it suggested gasoline as one of several possible completions. So I am not the only one.
Mayoclinic had an answer (see article at the end). Apparently, I have a condition called phantosmia. I am experiencing a phantom smell: an hallucination of something that isn't really there.
It had been so strong in Shauna's car on Saturday that I had asked her about it. When she said that she had just filled the tank, I was mollified — for the time being. But when I asked Sue, she of the keenest sniffer outside of the bloodhound breed, she said that she hadn't smelled it at all.
It was the next. day when it also became quite strong in my den that did my search.
Tidbits from NBC News (emphasis mine)
... a phantom smell could mean something serious,” says the psychiatrist and nationally recognized smell and taste expert. “It absolutely needs to be evaluated. It could be a tumor – that’s on the top of your list of things to rule out — but it could also be a cyst or some infectious agent housed in the area of the brain where the smell is processed.”
Brief episodes of phantom smells or phantosmia — smelling something that’s not there — can be triggered by temporal lobe seizures, epilepsy, or head trauma. Phantosmia is also associated with Alzheimer’s and occasionally with the onset of a migraine.
What causes olfactory hallucinations (phantosmia)?Answer From Jerry W. Swanson, M.D.
An olfactory hallucination (phantosmia) makes you detect smells that aren't really present in your environment.
The odors detected in phantosmia vary from person to person and may be foul or pleasant. They can occur in one or both nostrils. The phantom smell may seem to always be present or it may come and go.
Phantosmia may be caused by a head injury or upper respiratory infection. It can also be caused by temporal lobe seizures, inflamed sinuses, brain tumors and Parkinson's disease.
Consult your doctor if you experience the symptoms of phantosmia, so that your doctor can rule out any serious underlying disorders that may be causing the detected smell.
Parosmia is another smell disorder that's similar to phantosmia. But, in parosmia a smell that's present in your environment is distorted. Parosmia can occur with damage to the olfactory system, such as after a severe respiratory infection.
from Mayo Clinic
23 comments:
Well, this is interesting. And timely. And a little scary. Now and then -- not always -- I go to my basement and I smell something similar to a paint thinner. At one point, I looked around pretty carefully to see if Lizzie had tipped some turpentine or something with a similar smell to no avail. Then it's not there. I hadn't had anyone else check with me. Now, I'm a woman with chronic sinus/respiratory issues so that was comforting but next time, I'm dragging Rick down there to see what he smells. Learned something today!
So are you going to have it checked out?
I smell things that other people don't. I attributed this to my superior sense of smell but maybe they are phantom smells? Should I worry? I may just ignore if for now but no doubt I'll wake up in the middle of the night mulling this over....
I think it's wise to get it checked. You're right that the medication, which does act on the brain, might be causing the perception. But please do get it checked. I'll be waiting to hear
I have experienced this for years. While some things are completely smell free, other times I smell things that nobody else does. I attribute it to a medication I took for over a decade. Now that I've stopped it, some weird smells have decreased. Best to get it checked out, AC.
Ditto to others urging you to have some professional advice too. I know they'll look through the side effects list too, and then say, nope, not one. I've lost sense of smell at times, and think my sinuses are all whacky so haven't done much about it. Today no coffee scent, whereas yesterday it smelled wonderful. But I also have migraine issues, so know that is connected to my eyes...not my nose.
I'd have it checked out.
I would agree - have it checked out. It could be nothing or it could be a warning.
My mother had it at age 78 and it was diagnosed as age-related and non-threatening. Mind you, it was a perfume smell that was ghosting to her. Gasoline fumes might be a side-effect of having to fill a gas tank and pay (YIKES) for it.
I have a keen sense of smell, but the odors are not imaginary. Hope you can work this out with your doctor.
Interesting research! Let's presume it's not all the years you've worn that cute hat causing your symptoms. You don't live in Hawaii where the Red Hill military fuel leaked through into the water systems, which made many people sick.
Please schedule an appointment with a neurologist in the area, or get a referral from your primary care doc, or see what the doc who prescribed your gabapentin says. Neurologists are usually such a busy specialty that it could be 8 weeks or longer before getting an appointment, so don't dilly dally. I'm an RN, so you're supposed to do what nurses tell you.
Linda in Kansas
That is interesting. You've never had Covid, so it's not that. At least it's not a completely unpleasant smell like many I could name. Hope you get it figured out!
Best to have it checked out. Good luck with it, AC.
If one is going to get phantosmia, why can't the smell be say a loaf of freshly baked bread instead of gasoline?
That sounds really scary! I would definitely call the doctor and ask if it's a side effect of the medication or if it's something else.
Fun fact: My dog takes gabapentin for her neurological pain.
Good grief! Getting older seems to be just one damn thing after another. (My recent bout of vertigo for one.) But I agree--a doctor visit seems to be in order.
Well well, I'm taking quite a lot of Gabapentin. But I don't smell anything like gasoline! I wouldn't get it checked out unless it's really bothering you. You can spend all your life worrying about your health!
Today, I have learned a couple new things. First about gabapentin, a neuropathy medication, and then about phantom order, phantosmia nd thankful have not experienced either, and hope not to in future. Perhaps, as others have commented, it might be worth checking out with a professional.
The only time I smelled gasoline at home, there was a leak in the gas tank of one of the cars in the garage under my bedroom.
That's enough to scare a person. I'd never heard of this condition before. Yes, I have a section of my brain that sometimes speeds up and I get a seizure. Fortunately, medication keeps it 100% controlled.
. Our bodies are all different and just because a side effect is not listed it doesn't mean it doesn't happen for you personally. Perhaps it is a rare one which they haven't had reported yet. If you consult your doctor, s/he might report it as a side effect, which must be how pharma companies learn about side effects.
George takes that med. I will have to ask him if he has had any odd smells lately.
I often self diagnose myself, BUT perhaps you should have this checked out... just in case.
I'd get that checked out. It's always good that they have a record of what is going on even if they aren't sure what it is--LOL! Really. Could be the meds. :)
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