Worried about phantom smells

[halfnormal]

So again the brain tumor thing. I feel like either my sense of smell is heightened or I am actually making up smells. I can't tell and its totally annoying.


Examples:

Sitting at a retaurant I swore I smelled a sweat candle and matches. There were no candles in the restaurant (Could have been perfume) and the only smoking was outside (although I guess it could have drifted in)

My pile of clothes in my room smelled funky to me. Yet my GF didn't smell it. Very strange to me. When I walked out of the room though I couldn't smell it anymore.

Sitting next to my fan at work I thought I smelled burning. I walked down the hall and couldn't smell it anymore. However, I stil get a faint whiff when back at my desk. If I smell the fan closely it does have a musky smell.

Anyways I'm driving myself batty with all these "Smells"

I did have a sinus infection/clogged sinus's for a while and have been getting them unclogged lately. I wonder if this has anything to do with it.

Its just so awful it seems that I get over one symptom only to jump to another. And of course I went and read some article about a woman with a brain tumor that scared the crap out of me!


Anyone else experience "Phantom smells"

[randomworry]

Hi
Although you are very anxious i dont think you are having phantom smells it is more likely that you are thinking about things too much because of your anxiety

all the best

[halfnormal]

Hi
Although you are very anxious i dont think you are having phantom smells it is more likely that you are thinking about things too much because of your anxiety

all the best

You mean like focusing on a tiny smell that exists and blowing it out of proportion?

[Nordvest]

I have a lot of anixiety (not just health anxiety) and when my anxiety is strong both my sense of smell and sound heightens. Even though I smoke my sense of smelling is better than my wife`s when anxiety hits me.
It`s quite natural actually because anxiety activates your "fight/flight"-reflex and pumps a lot of adrenalin around your system and thous heighten your senses.

[halfnormal]

I have a lot of anixiety (not just health anxiety) and when my anxiety is strong both my sense of smell and sound heightens. Even though I smoke my sense of smelling is better than my wife`s when anxiety hits me.
It`s quite natural actually because anxiety activates your "fight/flight"-reflex and pumps a lot of adrenalin around your system and thous heighten your senses.

Thanks for the reassurance. I woke up this morning and said "Today we won't surf symptoms at all"

Ugh. That ended quickly upon thinking I smelled something

[Cathy V]

So which fatal illness do you think these phantom smells are part of then? cancer of the nose maybe? look i know your anxieties are very 'real' to you but not sure what all of the recent symptoms are supposed to represent...exactly..sorry.

Cathy xxx

[halfnormal]

So which fatal illness do you think these phantom smells are part of then? cancer of the nose maybe? look i know your anxieties are very 'real' to you but not sure what all of the recent symptoms are supposed to represent...exactly..sorry.

Cathy xxx

Hi Cathy,

I've heard that smelling things like burnt rubber or burning can be a symptom of a brain tumor.

I'm literally skipping from symptom to symptom its awful

[Cathy V]

My partner smells things that i dont and vice-versa. So an odd sense of smell is a symptom of a brain tumour? best tell my partner his days are numbered then.

[nomorepanic]

All of your senses are heightened with anxiety so this is normal

Cathy - don't joke ok cos it a problem for halfnormal so doesn't need sarcasm

[Cathy V]

Sorry yes the best thing for me is probably if you cancel my membership so i cant get into the forum and read some of the posts that make me just want to....

Ok nic? take it away.