smelling things that arent there

[supermom]

Does this happen to anyone? its usually smoke for me. I do have sinus issues. Does this happen to anyone else?

[NancyW]

Yep, for several years now.

I remember it started after a bad cold. I kept smelling my fireplace, or I thought that's what it was while in my house but then started smelling it outside of my house too.

More recently, I smell something musty, like wet shoes. (Gross). Not sure were it's coming from so started to think it's ME, like I SMELL. Omg.

That's gone now, I'm not sure what that was. Sort of thinking it's menopause and hormonal.

I may never know why or what, but I am really sure it's not anything dangerous so I don't care much.

I hope you can get there wirh me :-)

[cattia]

Yep, I had this a lot last year when I was worrying about a particular illness. I had a sort of rotten meat smell that I would smell, and also a musty sort of smell. I worried myself stupid about it. I have also had a burning wood smoke smell. My dad has always suffered with phantom smells and I have read that this can be hereditary. I also have a lot of sinus issues. Several years ago I went through a spell where I would wake up in the middle of the night and have a very strong smell, one time it was the smell of chocolate cake, one time it was cabbage! I have never figured out what causes this but as I have had it on and off for so many years now I figure it would have probably killed me by now. From time to time I still totally flip out about this.

[RadioGaGa]

Yes I had this - for some reason it only happened when I inhaled. It hasn't happened in a while now, but it was a smokey/fireplace sort of smell. Very odd.

[EKB]

Yeah, I've heard it can be causes by inflamed sinuses (which mine are quite frequently) and after a respiratory infection. I actually freaked myself out one night because I woke up to the smell of smoke after a dream. I searched all over the house (with my husband wondering what the heck was wrong), but nothing. Was the spookiest thing.