Phantom smells & Anxiety

[Mathilda12]

Hey, I've been experiencing phantom smells for over a year now. I first noticed it when I started to get guitar lessons last January (which gave me anxiety)I'd have a weird metallic type smell maybe a tiny bit like burning? Not really unpleasant or strong.Since then it comes and goes, maybe I'll experience it for 2 weeks and then another 3 months will pass and I'll start smelling it again. It's never constant when I do have it but it sort of lingers. I've started smelling it again and I've just recovered from a cold and am quite stressed. Sorry this post is confusing, I've just had a lot of anxiety over it recently. Has anyone experienced anything similar? I made the fatal mistake of googling and stumbled across brain tumours and epilepsy, brilliant.

[Catherine S]

Hi there, yes i'll bet you also saw that Google said it's common with sinus problems too. Because for the last 3 days I've been able to smell petrol in my nose, and unlike you ive never had phantom smells before ever. So I Googled because my HA is a thing of the past, and I Google out of curiosity rather than fear now, and I saw that these odd smells can be because of lots of conditions including, but not exclusive to, dementia epilepsy and stroke. But it also said allergies and sinus infections amongst many other non-fatal conditions.

I'm in my 60s now and at an age when at least 2 of those conditions could be the culprit for me, but i'm choosing sinuses, because like you ive recently had a head cold.

ISB ☺

[cattia]

Yes, this has been one of the main triggers for me lately. If you search my posts you will find a few threads about this. I also went through this a few years ago too. I think you can become hyper sensitive to smells with anxiety, and some of the time I have got so foxated on it that I can't even tell whether I am really smelling something or imagining it. I have a couple of smells that I seem to get a lot.

[Mathilda12]

i've heared a lot of people say that anxiety makes you sense of smell hyper aware, but i don't think that's the case, it's always the same smell.

[MyNameIsTerry]

I posted this thread about how studies have found the olfactory system changes under stress:

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=171097

Things with no smell can smell bad. Bad smells can smell worse. It's just how that system works.

So, it can be about anxiety. Like Cath says though, there are other basic root causes.

[choccie]

So happy to have seen your post. I have this. Sometimes its like smoke I smell and no reason for it. Other smells can appear too. I also googled it but the results were not pleasant. I have been experiencing it for over a year now and it still worries me. It can happen randomly even wen I am not feeling anxious. I was told once that medication affects sinuses and sense of smell, so hoping that it what it is!!