Phantom smell..

[HackGame]

Oh boy, I thought me health anxiety is done until I’ve noticed a hideous smell coming. But I don’t see it.. the smell is like a very old dirty factory smoke. More minty kinda bright through my nostrils. It’s been going on for more than a half of a month. A strange thing at the second week is when I took Multi-Vitamin (with Iron) supplements, the smell went down by a lot! However, I can still smell it a bit everyday. Which is still bothering me, because I heard it means there’s something wrong with your brain. I don’t know what to do, I’m just struggling atm.

[KK77]

What are all these "phantom" pongs in the HA Forum recently?

"Phantom smells" do not necessarily mean anything, let alone a "tumour". As you say, you're struggling right now and your anxious mind will latch on to any remote yet "deadly" disease.

If you feel you need multivits, then take them, otherwise, focus your efforts on treating your HA.

[NancyW]

I've been having phantom smells for the last 4 or 5 years. Not sure if it's hormonal due to menopause or from a really bad upper respiratory virus I had back then.

It started with fireplace smoke. Back then I still googled symptoms, sure thing brain tumor came up. It actually made me laugh.. oh brother, REALLY? A brain tumor?
Since then I've had other phantom smells that stay for awhile and then go.
One I remember clearly was the smell of dirty wet tennis shoes. That's the best way I can describe it. I searched high and low in my house to find it but I started smelling it at work too. Then I thought it was me that smelled like that. After a few months it disappeared.
I still smell smoke, but my most recent phantom smell just started this week... it smells like an over ripe banana. I have cleaned and cleaned in my kitchen to get rid of it, but today I smelled it in my car and at work.
I have no idea what it is, but I am positive it's not a brain tumor and it's not going to kill me.

[Anxiousamyj]

I had a phantom cigarette smoke smell thing for a couple months last year. It’s what started my HA. It was awful. I ended up in the ER for it, got a scan and told I was fine. It disappeared after that. Crazy what anxiety can do to us. It started me on a downward spiral that I’m still digging myself out of.

[Katiex]

I've recently developed a strange phantom smell. Never had it happen before. But I too worried that there was something wrong with my brain.

It started in A and E a few weeks ago when I was there for my asthma. A lady came and sat next to me and I could smell a mixture of horse manure and sweet rotting fruit. I thought it was the lady sat next to me but then a few days later it happened at home and then somewhere else.

I actually then thought it was me and became paranoid

I think its due to the pollen being so high this year that I've developed a very strange sinus problem.

[HackGame]

Few weeks ago, I've just noticed something very strange.. At the back of my tongue, there are pink bumps. Lately when I'm trying to brush them, I've noticed it could be the reason why it caused the smell, along with bad breath. But what is now scarring me is from what I've heard is an indication of very bad diseases. Like oral thrush or oral cancer.