For about a week, I've been "smelling" smoke when nobody else does-at work, home, non-smoking places

Hi Daniel,

That's a weird one! But I think I know what you mean. I've experienced similar sensations before, but not a severe as yours (and they didn't last very long).

I looked around online and found out about something called olfactory hallucinations or "phantosmia." Yeah, sounds crazy. And it might be. According to the MayoClinic.com, phantosmia could be an indication of brain damage, schizophrenia or Alzheimer's Disease. Read more about it by clicking this link.

By the way, do you have migraines? Sometimes people who have migraines experience strange sensory events -- like smells or bright flashes of light or spots -- before the migraine hits. Those sensory events are called the migraine's aura.

The MayoClinic.com site also says that phantosmia could also mean that there's been damage to your smell receptors. Either way, because it could be a sign of a serious illness, you need to see your doctor right away to get help finding out what the problem is. Hopefully, it's nothing serious.

Hi Daniel,

That is crazy... I have been smelling the same thing for about a week now and I think it is going to bring on a migrane. I am online now trying to find answers when I saw this!!!  I am so glad I am not alone.  I guess I will have to call my doctor to find out what is going on.

Thanks,

Robbi

I am also having that same thing!  Started really faint, occasionally last week and today I realized it is constant.  Driving me crazy, hate cigarette smoke.  I used salt water and it cleared out my sinuses, but smell is still there.  Had a really bad cold, or allergies the first of May and has lingered.  So we have the sinus thing in common!  Has your gone away, or have you found out anything.  I can not go to the Dr. unless gets really bad, have a huge deductible.  Let me know if you have found anything about yours.  Haven't taken any antibiotics.

Hi Daniel-

I have also experienced this on & off for about 2 years. I had it all day & night yesterday & it has promted me to try to find the answer since it really bothers me. It actually feels like my sinuses are burning at times. I also had migraines and allergies in the past, but because of lifestyle changes and supplements have not had problems with that in about 4 years. Very confused and would like anyone that has figured anything out to let me know.

Thanks

Well, my smoke smell went away about 2 weeks ago.  Did not do anything to get rid of it, just went away.  Guess what?  It is back. Came back with a vengence yesterday.  I'm so bummed!  I hate it.  If anyone knows ANYTHING, please share.  HELP!

Well i have had the same sensation for the past week or so. I have also read the same articles pertaining to this. It is linked to sinus problems, and at the moment i am waiting  to go in for an operation to remove nasal polyps, from which i have been suffering from for several years. These only came to my attention once they had started swelling into the nasal passages when i suffered a cold. Now my nose is blocked most of the time, which was shown to me after a CT scan. Hopefully the smell of smoke will go after i have had the op.....Hope this is helpful.

I wish I had an answer to share with you, but unfortunately I am in the same boat as all of you. I started having this issue in just the past week - and I cannot stand cigarette smoke at all, my wife & kids think I am nuts cause I keep bringing it up, and they cannot smell it either. At home, work, in bed - it still follows me for some reason.

It is affecting my sleep, and is irritating my eyes as well.

I only take medication for blood pressure, and will take tylenol pm to sleep - no others - I have not been sick in months, but did have a concussion - but that was over 9 months ago now, and had no complications since that time.

I hope that someone recognizes what may be causing this and posts something soon - I will be seeing my doctor by the end of the week, and if he says anything, I will pass it on.

To the others with the same problem , I am in the northeast/mid-atlantic area - south central Pennsylvania, if we have anything in common with that let me know too.

Good luck to you all as well.  Bob D,Hanover,Pa.

About three weeks ago I had some dental work done and the dentist thinks he touched a nerve with the needle.  I've had severe pain in the lower two branches of my trigeminal nerve.  Basically the bottom right quadrant of my face hurts from midlip to ear and down to chin, inside and out.  I was put on a steroid pack for six days that ended about a week ago. 

When I was on the steroids, I noticed an occasional metalic taste in the right side of my mouth.  Since the nerve injury, I've been oversensitive to hot and cold there, so I thought maybe my taste buds on that side were also effected.  There is no metal in my new dental work, and I wasn't bleeding as far as I know.

Sometime around ending the steroids and beginning taking ibuprofen at 600mg 24/7, I developed a phantom smoke smell.  I hate the smell of smoke of any kind.

I am smelling phantom smoke right now, my eyes, nose, and throat burn as if it were real.  At first I thought it was just oversensitivity to a library book I was reading, but everyone else in my family says that the book does not smell like smoke at all.  No one in my house smokes, but I grew up with a dad who smoked until I was 16.  Before looking into this, I told my husband it's almost as if I can taste cigarette smoke.

I read online that it could be a nerve problem caused by head injury, seizure, or brain damage, or some problem with the olfactory receptors themselves.  It could also be a mental health issue, but I don't believe in the phantom smell--I know it's not real, so it's not like I'm delusional.  But this may just drive me crazy!

I've got the number for a local neurologist, so I am going to call when the office opens tomorrow.

I forgot to mention my family physician told me I have the second worst sinuses he's ever seen.  I've also had a dentist comment that I had small sinuses.

I too am constantly smelling smoke of some kind. It is very annoying!!!  I really don't know what it might be from.   It has been going on for about a year or so off and on.

If you find out anything please let me know. 

                                           Going crazy and getting nasause.

                                                 Erin in Wa.

                                        honeycoffee@live.com

I live in kentucky where there are lots of allergens, and on a farm to beat all!  I've had really bad problems with my allergies since last year.  Always in and out of the Dr.'s office.  I just found out about  a month ago that my white cell count was up, so they've been doing tests and bloodwork trying to find the cause. So far, it's not leukemia, but it's possible it could just be stress, or maybe a chronic sinus infection. I've been on the Z-pack,  (which is like popping candy!), and they put me on flonase. since then, I have had the cigarete smell ALL the time!  It's like someone is standing right beside me blowing smoke in my face, and it's burning my eyes, and throat like crazy !!  I'm wondering if there's not a connection.... I think I'm gonna go back to the dr. and see what they say.

It's been two weeks since i had the operation to remove sinus polyps, the smoke smell has now gone, (thank goodness), and i can smell and taste everything, in fact i am sleeping better, my asthma seems to have improved, and my whole well being in general has never been as good for several years.

I am willing to bet that this will be another unexplainable condition in the story of my life.  I too have been smelling smoke for about 4 months.  I thought it was my hair care products, perfumes, cosmetics, lighting in my house and then I realized it was happening towards the end of day and not only in my house.  No one else smells it!  The only thing that I can possibly attribute it to is that a few months ago a half of gallon of milk was spilled in my car and although we cleaned it thoroughly I thought that maybe the remnants are still in the  ventilation system and it may have molded.  Any thoughts out there?  

It can be a few things:

1) your nose sensory receptors have been damaged (all things heal and with time)

2) you are having sympoms of  seizure / stroke (but dont get alarmed, you should be seeing other symptoms too right? - blurred vision, or really messed up vision, behaviour not normal, cant lift left (or one side of body, left or right) arm above shoulders etc.

3) Alergies

now best thing to do is see someone.

Are you noticing other symptoms? Do you currently smoke?

First thing to do: if you are on any drugs, medication or otherwise, speak to your physician to see if those drugs are causing a side effect.

second thing: try to recall in the last while if you smelled something really strong that could have screwed with your sense of smell.  Example: i smoke, so i sprayed a crap load of perfume in the car so no one would smell it. Then on the way out of the car i took a normal inhale, and i smelled a very concentrated area and it just threw me back.  That could have done it. 

I saw a doctor about it: they suggestion 2 things

1) take a nasal spray (my nose is always congested), and this opens up the nasal area's for smoother air flow

2) see a ear throat nose (ent) specialists

Seizure was not discussed/ stroke / heart attack was not discussed.  We always assume the worst!

I started smelling smoking faintly about 2 weeks ago and really didn't pay much attention to it because it was mainly during the day.  I noticed that this past weekend that I am smelling smoke all of the time.  I keep asking my husband if he smells anything and he doesnt. My symptoms do not include the eye burning, just smoke smell.

I looked on-line today for a cause and as stated on this website it comes back to nasal conditions or worse.  I do not suffer from allergies, I have not been hit in the head nor do I suffer from headaches. It is somewhat of a relief that others also are experiencing the same condition and that I am not alone.

I do live in Arizona so our climate doesn't change that much here.

Hi

Hi, I have been feeling a burn smell in my nose and all a way to my lungs. I asked my wife if she smells the same and she said that she doesn't smell anything. I don't have this sensation if I am outdoors, unless there are some fires far away.  I always had very sensitive sense of smell, but now I am anxious  about it, especially reading about the neurological problems all over the internet.   I never had any allergies, or headaches. What is this possibly could be? I can't find any answers. My doctor said its distorted sense of smell. Its annoying and Distracting. Well, one way to find out is to do the MRI test.

 I wish I could find the cure or the answer.

Thanks,

I've had this problem myself for the last 6 months.   I noticed I wasn't experiencing it when I was traveling away from home, but experienced it a lot when home, or in my office, or sometimes in the street.   My doctor thought it might be an allergy (not having symptoms of anything more serious), so he told me to take claritin for at least 10 days.   And after 10 days, the problem almost completely went away.   I continued taking it, and everything was fine.  Then last night, I forgot to take it, and today the problem is as bad as ever.  So it does look like the Claritin helped.

I am glad that Claritin helped. But do you want to take the medicine all your life? I hate pills. I rather smell fire... :0) I wonder what is those thing around my house and other offices that bring this kind of allergy symptoms?  If I never had any allergies what caused to get one, like this one burning smell.   At start I felt a burning coffee, maybe it is burning coffee, settled on the surface of our furniture. I know for a fact that the coffee acids can stay around the house for a long time.

I have an interesting thought, that the smoke smell is a result of a brush fires, which penetrated into a house either through windows or air-conditioning system.

I smell in some areas of the house more and some less and there are some places that I don't smell at all. I don't smell outdoors either.

I had a bad case of high temperatures a few weeks back. Flu like symptoms without the blocked nose, coughing etc. But did have the headaches, aching body, temperatures and sore throat. Since then my taste buds have issues with certain foods. KFC for one, can barely taste it, was going to complain until I realised it was me. But yes the same SMOKE smell, all day long. Thought it was my clothes or environment, but its everywhere all the time.

I do think the eyes being bad is all related to the mind over matter thing of THINKING you are smelling smoke so your eyes start to get sore.

The wife came down with a similar high temp a week later, and occassionally SHE smells smoke too! WTF!!

It looks like I may be a little late for this discussion, but if anyone returns to this spot, I hope that I can shed some light. I am 60 and have suffered from these smoke hallucinations for about 10 years. They usually last from 2 to 5 days and include burning eyes, sinuses, face and and a sinus-type headache. Although I have been very careful in my eating habits, choosing whole grains, legumes, seeds, nuts and produce, as well as fish and meats that have not been produced using hormones, antibiotics and pesticide-ridden feed, I still deal with this periodically. I have found, however, that when I eat a preponderance of sweet foods, in other words breads, cereals (even whole grains), desserts (even when just sweetened with dates or honey), potatoes, corn and even fruit, any time I get into BBQ or any other smoke, I will definitely have a phatom smoke episode. It seems that according to the research that I have done, our immune systems have a hard time holding up if we consume too many sugars, and if our immune systems are not working well, then we become subject to respiratory and allergice trouble. I have also found that too much salt in the diet dries out the sinuses making them vulnerable to allergens and bacteria. When I am able to keep to a diet free of too many sugars, only have fruit occasionally and nix salt; and when I make sure I am getting plenty of protein in the form of fish, poultry, legumes and grains, I seem to fair well. I hope that this has been of some help.

It sounds to me like there are two groups here.  Those that have had this for a few days or weeks, and those that have had it for years.

I too had a bad sinus infection and a fever, etc..  Three different antibiotics over a period of 5 weeks did nothing to cure me.  I got better gradually on my own, but I STILL smell the cigarettes a lot.  My wife had the same bug that I did (seems to us) and she smells it too.  No matter where we are, and we do NOT smoke, nor is there any in our home, cars, etc..  We even smell it when we are out and about.  We KNOW it's false, but we smell it.

Lately, it's worse when I chew food, than it is when I am simply sitting around.  I can TASTE the cigarette when I eat, and I cannot taste my food very well.  The wife and I both assume that it is related to the very hard to kill bacterial infection that we had.  By the way, several doctors looked in my ears and sinuses and said, "Yup, that's bacterial all right!  Look at all the brightly colored congestion!"  and yet, no help from the antibiotics.

Just wanted to share our experience here in case it helps.  We are assuming it will go away in a few more weeks.  We are on week 8 since the whole thing began, and no symptoms left except for the smell/Taste of the cigarette.

I would think that those of you who have had this sensation for years, have a different cause.

My 2 cents.

Oh, one more thing that I forgot in my reply above, I have NEVER had any ALLERGY problems in my entire life.  I am  an old (56) country boy, and I can still bale hay, etc.  with no problems breathing anything indoors or out.

Again, just FYI.

I've been having the same problem with smelling smoke for about 1+ years.  The smell gets so bad that it causes me nausea and makes it hard for me to breath.  In my house we don't smoke and the few people in my family that do smoke don't come around.  There are eight people in my household and the only people who have experienced this problem are my husband, my daughter and myself.  The only thing I can tell you about this will come from a spiritual point a view.  First, I want to give you some background  about my daughter.  She smelled smoke in the pass few months while she receiving  Chemotherapy for her cancer.  We didn't think much about this smell of smoke because we had other issues going on and we prayed often about them.  About a week ago I took my daughter to get an Ionic Foot Bath and to my surprise the bath showed that there was nicotine in her system.  The doctor asked if she or anybody in the house smoked and our answer was "No".  How is nicotine showing in her system when we don't smoke?  We are confused about what could be causing this to appear.  Could this be from the smoke smell we've been smelling?  Is it something spiritual?  The more we thought about it the more we believed there may be something spiritual to it.  Secondly, the smell caused me so much major discomfort that it feels as though I am being harassed by some type of spirit (a smoky type spirit). Every time that smoke smell comes my husband and I rebuke that spirit in the name of Jesus.  Every now and then it tries to return, but we continue to stand our ground, because we are in battle.  Go to your pastor at your church and ask him about the constant smell of smoke to see what he thinks.  Also, ask God to reveal to you what is going on.

I'm with Yvonne in Dallas.  I have this problem sometimes, too, along with distorted taste. I will sometimes think something tastes awful while everyone else thinks the food we're eating is fine.  I do all the cooking in my house and am careful because of allergies and because we want to eat healthy.

I do pray about this, rebuke any spirits of confusion or destruction or whatever I discern may be going on.  We are spiritual as well as physical beings.  :)

Also, regardless of from where the problem stems, try EFT-emotional freedom technique.  You can look it up online.  It is like accupuncture without needles; tapping on meridians of the body to induce wellness.  You may find the problem never returns once you try it.

Blessings, Marci

Well, I'm back!  All this crazy smoke smell started in July, I left a post!  It went away, then came back.  Changed to a weird smell, can't describe.  I could also taste it.  I started on natural/organic foods in November.  Also, doing proper food combining for ultimate digestion.  Eating mostly alkaline food.  Feel like a million bucks, but still have smell.  Also, Dr. gave me three rounds of Cipro in November for infection. Got better, but still had funny smell.  Im still doing same food.  Have lost 22 pounds.  I highly recommend food combining (using www.greattastenopain.com) method.  Anyway smell and taste JUST went away.

I am drinking lots of water.  I only drink green tea, almond milk, soy milk and water.  The food combining helps detox your system, helps with arthritis, allergies, digestion and reflux.  Also, I am not taking any more meds.  Discovered Tylenol was messing with my liver, and liver problems can cause weird smells and taste.  Also, figured out that anytime I used any of the spray ODOR ELIMINATORS, the smell seemed to get worst and get a different odor to it for a couple of days.  So I have quit using those.  I am getting there finally, I will lick this, even it kills me!!! Haha....

Just wanted to share, may help some figure out something....this is just crazy. 

Hey, all,

I'm so relieved to know that I'm far from the only one experiencing this. I first got this phantom nicotine odor following general anesthesia last April or May; it disappeared, but then I had another surgery last December, same anesthesia. This time it took about two months to begin, and emotional upset seems to set it off, but it is more frequent, and now almost omnipresent. The toughest part is trying to figure out when there is NO cigarette smoke as opposed to when there actually is. I told the surgeon and the internist I saw about it last spring; neither was concerned. I also have some sharp twinges on occasion in about the same region of my head. George Gershwin died of a brain tumor, and it was reported he smelled burning rubber. I don't know if that's pertinent to my situation, but it sounds like a lot of people of all ages are smelling this cigarette smoke whether it exists in actuality or not, and that's a strange coincidence. Maybe it's something the tobacco companies, or enemy nations have concocted against us? Think conspiracy theory. Not that far-fetched, when I reflect on the rumors about the CIA using the NYC subway system to test odorless gas as a weapon.

I should get it checked out, as I hate the smell of cigarette smoke (as an ex-smoker, especially). If it's nothing, then I have to go with the conspiracy theory. I wonder if a blood-gas analysis or count would expose anything for any of us... If we smell it (but can't see it) and there are molecules of cigarette smoke elements in our blood, then the conspiracy theory is true! Evil-doers, trying to hook us on nicotine, or nations on a vengeance path for the US tobacco-marketing efforts against these countries... Camel unfiltered, anyone?  :-)

I feel you guys!!! I really thought it was my late Grandmother, who died of enphasema, blowing smoke in my face to get my attention. I thought I was not getting what she wanted me to know so I googled my symptoms and low and behold I found all this info. I have a pulminologist appt to clear up an upper respiratory infection that is just not going away, so I pray this is a side effect to it...so maybe she was blowing smoke in my face to go see a doctor. I do not smoke and am allergic to it...it makes it very difficult to get through the day when our breathing usually goes by unnoticeable but with each breath I take I smell cigarette smoke and it continues to bother my already troubled lungs. I have also had some weird vision stuff the last 4-5 mts that has gone unexplained so if this is not related to respiratory stuff then I will have to go into brain inquiry. I will hold all of you in prayer since this is absolutely miserable to live with and really affects our quality of life!!! ~ lori

From what I read, I know that several of us have the same symptoms.   I could continue to talk about my symptoms but it is not my intent.  What I would like to know is if there is a remedy for it.  Can someone out there talk about how they got rid of the symptoms.

ME from Palo Alto, CA

I may have a solution for some of you. I have had an inner ear problem with clogged eustachian tubes (they run from your inner ear down to the back of your throat) for over a month. I tried a lot of things, including Sudafed, Advil, and one doctor gave me AllegraD, and another doctor gave me a steriod based nasal spray. Didn't work. Then, about a week ago, I received a newsletter from a health food store - Vitamin Cottage Natural Grocers - which had an article about inner ear health, mostly related to children, since their eustachian tubes are smaller and, therefore, more likely to have inner ear infections. The article spoke of a probiotic called S.salivarius K12, which I believe is like a good kind of bacteria, that attacks the bad bacteria in your nose and throat. This probiotic is similar to what they use in producing yogurt. At any rate, they advertised this probiotic for sale and I bought the product. Because it's directed toward children, it's in a pink box that says Nature's Plus, Animal Parade, Children's Chewable INNER EAR Support, on sale for $10.49 for 90 tablets. The directions call for children to chew 2 tablets per day. Although it doesn't have directions for adults, I have been chewing 4 tablets after my first meal of the day, and 2 more right before going to bed at night. I also purchased Acai Juice (a Brazilian berry very high in antioxidents), and take 2 tablespoons per day. I have been doing this for only 4 days and although I am not 100% back to normal yet, I am extremely happy with the results so far. Before I started taking this, I had smelled that horrible smoke constantly for over a week, and now I smell it only a few times a day, and only for a very short period of time. It appears to improve with each passing day. Oh, I also have been taking 2 Sudafed before I go to bed, in hopes that it might assist in my eustachian tubes not clogging up when lying in bed, since they have a hard time draining at that angle. I don't know if this will ultimately resolve this issue for good, but I am really happy with the results so far, and I hope that this information will be helpful to others suffering from this problem.

I just want to clarify my response above, regarding using probiotics and Acai. I am NOT a doctor. If you have an inner ear infection or any other medical condition you should be diagnosed and treated by a physician. Many conditions require prescription medication, such as antibiotics for some types of inner ear infections for example, or other medicine, and certain conditions can be serious if left untreated. Please seek advice from your physician. My intent in relating my experience with the probiotics and Acai, was that I personally found relief regarding smelling smoke constantly, which is what this particular blog is all about. I just wanted to clarify that. Thank you. I hope you all are able to find relief from this problem.

I just want to clarify my response above, regarding using probiotics and Acai. I am NOT a doctor. If you have an inner ear infection or any other medical condition you should be diagnosed and treated by a physician. Many conditions require prescription medication, such as antibiotics for some types of inner ear infections for example, or other medicine, and certain conditions can be serious if left untreated. Please seek advice from your physician. My intent in relating my experience with the probiotics and Acai, was that I personally found relief regarding smelling smoke constantly, which is what this particular blog is all about. I just wanted to clarify that. Thank you. I hope you all are able to find relief from this problem.

I've read in other forums that this is nasal polyps, an infection that can only really be removed by surgery. I read that some people thinking they had tumors, went to get brain scans and they found out it was only polyps. I'm posting because I didn't see that answer here and it made me feel better to think that I probably DON'T have a brain tumor, (phantom smells are sometimes caused by this, but I can't see a phanotm smell making my eyes water).

I have had one horrendus infection in my life. It was a bacterial, fungal, viral nasal infection. My fault for letting it get that sever. I waited until one of my eye closed shut and I could sleep because I was in so much pain. The doctor put me on 4 medications at once. That was some five years ago. And after that when ever I lay down my nose gets clogged, also when I don't get enough sleep my nose will be clogged sometimes throughout the day. I think about last year I began smelling smoke. I only did some internet research because yesterday my eyes began tearing. I assume it was from some medication I took, I seem to get a sinus infection every other year...might also be related to the fact that I haven't gotten my tonsils taken out, I'm 24.

Try doing sinus rinses with saline/water mixes. A naturapathic doc made me up a solution of hydrastis glyorite (goldenseal and glycerine?) to mix with sinus rinse). I used that twice a day, then used Zicam allergy relief gel swabs. The smell went away after about two days. When it returns (no pattern), I'll try the same treatment. It's a pretty low cost alternative and worked for me. I hope it helps you as well. The smoke thing is not much fun!

Sorry - that mixture should be Hydrastis GLYCERITE (goldenseal and glycerine, I believe).

Geez... I thought I was going crazy with this phantom cigarette smell.  On a lark, I decided to do a web search and came across this site.  What a relief to find others who are experiencing the same thing.  Mine started about a week ago while I was visiting my parents in their Florida condo.  I thought it was just smoke coming in through vents somehow from a neighbor's apartment.  Then I started experiencing it everywhere, including my own house when I got home.  I'm going to try some of the remedies suggested here.  Thank you all.

I smell smoke when nobody else does at work, home, non-smoking places

I have this problem too...a smell of smoke in my nostrils and burning eyes, usually at the end of the day or when I'm in bed.  It comes and goes, and typically last for a few weeks to a month.  I also have a history of sinus infections, snoring, sinus headaches, and resipiratory infections.  Glad to hear that I'm not alone and many thanks to the other posters for relating your experiences. I just tried brushing my teeth, saline spray, eye drops, and dabbing some Carmex around my nostrils...helped for 5 minutes.  If this is a neurological problem, why can't I smell frehsly baked chocolate cake, why does it have to be smoke?

I can't believe there are others out there with this same problem!  I have been experiencing this weird smell of cigarette smoke off and on for several years now. Does anybody out there take Lexapro?  I seem to notice the smell when I've tried going off Lexapro, so I think it has something to do with the serotonin in my brain.  I also have a terrible headache with the smell, from the front of my head clear down to the back of my neck, and no amount of Advil or Tylenol helps!  I also smell it clear down into my lungs.  I haven't told my doctor about it because I'm afraid he'll think I'm crazy!  I don't use any dryer sheets, so it can't be from that (I think I read that on another post), nor do I have sinus infections.  If anyone else out there thinks it could be linked to antidepressants like Lexapro, let me know!  I'm so glad I found this site!  I don't feel quite as crazy now!  :)

I started smelling this phantom smoke/coffee smell a few months ago, and I thought it was because I may drink too much coffee.  I cut down on it for a few days and it went away.  Now its back, yesterday I started smelling it in the evening, was fine all day today, then just about an hour ago it started again.  I do have sinus issues, every winter I have at least one infection sometimes more.  Not sure if I just payed more attention to it this time around, or if it's getting worse, but now my eyes seem to burn a bit too.

I'm a workaholic, don't usually get more than 5 hrs of sleep at night, so it might be exhaustion related too.

Do all of you drink coffee regularly?  To me it's a mix of cigarette smoke/coffee smell, that's why I'm relating it to my coffee drinking.  My wife tells me sometime that my breath smells like coffee, so I've even related it to that, thinking that I smell my own breath somehow from my throat.  I've never smoked, for probably 25 years no one in my family smoked either.  For the last 14 years I've been working in a manufacturing firm where metalworking is done using CNC machines and lots of coolant is used.  I am in the office however but do have to go out often to the shop.  Also before that I used to work in my parents' frame shop for 8 years so both of these things could be affecting me.  I might go see a doctor in the next few weeks to make sure it's not a brain tumor or something similar.  I've been told I have a deviated septum as well, so who knows at this point what is causing this.  It's a little comforting to know there are others with this issue, at least I'm not going nuts...well not yet anyway.  Best to everyone.

Hi Daniel, I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one with this problem. I have been smelling smoke for the past 6 months on and off.  I am not a smoker and no one else in my family smokes.  This is driving me crazy because I am the only one that can smell it.  I have searched many articles to find a solution, but was unsuccessful. I have an appt. coming up in May, with the hopes of an answer.  My family thinks I'm nuts because they cannot smell it.  Good luck to everyone with this problem and know that you are not alone.  This is to Bob from Hanover Pa, I am from Exeter, Pa maybe we can chat about about our unusual problem.
Michele

Well thank goodness you all are here. Mine started tonight for the first time ever. My older sons are looking at me like I am crazy and my 14 year old has always had Spidey Smell Senses and he smells no smoke. Then I had myself convinced one of the cable installers from yesterday was hiding in my attic lighting up. lol I had to find an explanation somewhere!!! I am in the middle of a sinus cold cough issue right now Maybe it is due to that Hopefully it passes It's driving me crazy I will try some of the home remedies here Thanks

Well, count me in as yet another person who smells smoke.  I just googled it this evening and from what I have read there seems to be some connections.  I have smelled it on and off for about 3 years.  I always thought my neighbor was outside sneaking a smoke and it got caught up in my house.  So recently,I had a sinus infection and was put on an antibiotic.  Two weeks later I cut my hand with a chisel and was put on another antibiotic for infection.  I ended that on Monday and the smell is so bad now (Friday) that this past week I called the front desk of a hotel I was staying in and complained that the people in the next room were smoking! I literallly feel like someone next to me is smoking.

So getting back to the connections, can people respond to a few questions.  Maybe we can figure out a pattern or something.

*Did you have a sinus infection/ear infection before this started? Or did a sinus/ear infection make it worse?

*Were you put on antibiotics for any infections? More than one type?

*Have you had recent yeast infections?

If anyone can think of other possible connections add them to this list.

My smell of smoke has been going on for several months.  Here are some things that I have that have been listed already.  I began smelling smoke as I was trying to get off Lexipro.  I also have a deviated septum.  Mine is worst in the vehicle with the air blowing on me.  I also use generic Flonaise or Nasonex for allergies and use a CPAP when I sleep.  Do we have any patterns?  Thank you for your help!  Smelling Smoke all the time will drive you NUTS!

I suffer with the same smoke smells as you do. I have researched online a lot lately and just found some very interesting and promising information. Here is the site...http://www.tasteandsmell.com/may08.htm     Tests were done with folks like us and with people without our problem. The results were that we may be deficient in something that we can get at the Health Food stores. I am very excited about this!!!!!!!Hope and pray that it works for all of us!!!!!! 

Hi ive been smelling burning when no-one else can for over 7 months now. today i was at my doctors and mentioned it to him, I told him i felt silly to even mention it,

He has made me another appointment to go get a full medical check up, he said i should have mentioned it to him sooner, it could be one of many things,

so what i suggest is anyone with this problem should go see doctor and not listen to people who guess what it is. I am back at doctors next week so will keep you all informed to what happens

I have been smelling smoke too. It is so bad that my eyes, throat and nose burn. If I put my hand over my nose then I breath through my mouth and i can taste the smoke.

I went to the doctor. I was told it was a sinus infection and they put me on antibotics. It got worse which can only mean it is a fungus infection in the nasal cavity. Also i was told that i had chronic dry eye syndrome. SO have that checked out too. I was told that the eyes and nose are connected and can send wrong signals to each other and we smell different things.
And the last thing you need to have checked is acid reflux which i am having that checked on monday. I was told acid goes up and can burn your throat and nose when it goes up. The tissue is sensitive so then you smell the damaged tissue. That is why nobody can smell it but you. I was told by a naturopath doctor. Now im going monday to a medical doctor to see what to do.  I will be taking fungal medication, diflucan, to rule out the fungal infection too.
Good luck and God bless everyone.

well my better half was smelling smoke like ye guys. Obviously we heard all the horror stories (tumors etc). She went for an mri last week and got the results yesterday..thank god she is totally clear-- nothing nada...zilch. we are relieved.

Still has the smell of smoke now and again.

So for all ye people who are worried, go get checked, but expect to be clear and unfortunately still to have the smell of smoke.

if anyone get any ideas, we will try it and thanks for this forum. its good to know we are not alone...

we are going to use a saline solution spray from today. if anything changes i will come back here and let ye know.

good luck...

To all of those who suffer from "smelling" cigarette smoke that is not present:

I believe I have figured out what might be going on, from personal experience coupled with deep knowledge of medical science. First, I believe only individuals hypersensistive to mold spores will experience this, and the anecdote that follows  provides the rationale. I became quite ill, as others have reported, including the mother of all sinus infections, where I completely lost my senses of taste of smell for more than one month. This was merely a coincidence, as many others who report these phantom odors or olfactory hallucinations, as I like to refer to them, were not previously ill. At around the same time, my dehumidifier in the basement was failing, which I eventually replaced. This friggin' odor of cigarette smoke just would not go away. It seemed to be worse in the rooms of the house that were located in the rear portion, but that said, the odor would follow me everywhere I went - in the car, the gym, even outside, although to a much lesser extent. I did, however, notice that it was absolutely worse in my home. I also went the route everyone else did - set up an appointment with the ENT guy, who, of course, immediately moves to rule out a brain tumor and orders an MRI. He looked up in the sinus cavity, and saw that there was some mild inflammation, but needed the MRI. A few days later, the ENT guy calls me up on the phone, and says the good news is that there is no brain tumor, but the bad news is that he has no clue what to do to alleviate the phantom odor. Aaaahhhhh...the science of modern medicine. We might as well be back in Hippocrates times...at least they would have attempted trephination or something. Anyway, I'm downstairs in the basement last night finishing up some laundry, and I just happened to look up in a corner (in the REAR of the basement), and low and behold, there was a fairly significant patch of mold growth on the wall adjacent to a bend in the clothes dryer vent pipe. I bleached the crap out of it, cleaned it up, and the next morning (today), I no longer "smelled" cigarette smoke anywhere in the house.

OK - so here's the theory: The mold spores spewing forth from this undetected patch of mold in the basement, to which I am hypersensitive already, was causing my olfactory epithelium, as well as the remainder of my sinuses, to become inflamed and irritated. This irritation of the olfactory epithelium (which is at the very top of the sinus cavity) was simply being interpreted by the brain as cigarette smoke, since smoke is an irritant to this epithelium, and I am also hypersensitive to cigarette smoke in particular. The watering eyes and irritated throat are also the result of irritation of these mucous membranes by the allergen. The reason the phantom odor travels with you wherever you go is because these mucous membranes have become chronically irritated and inflamed over time, and that does not subside in a matter of a few hours while temporarily away from the source. Now, not everyone experiencing these phantom odors and irritation will be due to mold spores, but I guarantee you that it is due to something in your home or work space to which you are hypersensitive. You must find the source, remove it, and you will be cured.

Hello. Like almost everyone here I'm surprised and relieved to know I'm not alone. I googled 'smelling cigarette smoke' 'altered sense' and couldn't believe how many websites and forums there are. Of course I'm EXTREMELY disappointed not to read of a solution to the problem. I started smelling smoke 4 days ago. I had just laid a lot of 'mulch' outside in my garden and though I must be smelling that. Then I decide it was definitely cigarette smoke and went outside to see if it was coming form my neighbor's. It wasn't and my husband couldn't smell any smoke at all. It's been driving me crazy and I actually got a bit upset and cried today. I have a 5 month old baby and I feel as if her room smells of smoke. It's awful. I've got myself all worried about it being something wrong with my brain as I had a sharp pain on the front right side of my head yesterday. Please, I'd love to hear more stories of people with this problem going for scans and getting the 'all-clear'. I've made an appointment with an ENT specialist for next week. I will definitely post the results here as I know that answers are really important to people like me searching with this strange condition. I saw a lot of posts with people saying they would report back but didn't. I'm hoping it's for a 'good' reason because the problem just went away and they forgot about it....

Anyway, I'm slightly intrigued by the last post about the mould!! It certainly has a connection to me now I think about it and as soon as I finish typing I'm off to deal with what I think may by my source. I've been going crazy lately with my towels never smelling clean no matter how many times I wash them and dry them, as soon as they become wet after one use they have an awful 'damp' smell. I googled the problem yesterday and found the reason is bacteria that regular detergent can't remove and it was suggested to use white vinegar in the wash. It also said to clean the washing machine and look under the rubber boot in the door for mould. (I have a front loader) I looked last night and it needed cleaning....meant to do it today but I forgot (too bust worrying about why I'm smelling cigarette smoke all day). Point is I've been jamming my nose into and inhaling deeply my towels regularly to see if they still smell and I'm wondering now because of the last post if I've inhaled some kind of mould bacteria and that has cause this 'smoke smelling problem'??? I'm excited to go and clean my washing machine with bleach to see if it helps.... By the way, washing towels in vinegar certainly worked, if you're having the problem!! So, it's trying to find a link here for everyone suffering this....I'm clutching at straws because I SO DON'T want to believe there's anything wrong with my brain.....Do your towels have a weird 'damp' smell??? I know it's a common problem......other things that are a bit out of the ordinary for me to see if anyone finds a link are:

* I'm breastfeeding.

* I'm on a very restricted diet because my baby has 'sensitivities' No wheat and no dairy for the last four months.

* I've recently laid a LOT of mulch in the garden.

* I'm tired because I'm not getting a lot of sleep.

* I don't have allergies that I'm aware of.

* I consider myself to be a bit of an anxious type, I'm chlastrofobic.

I can't think of anything else worth mentioning but if I do I'll certainly be back.

I'd love to hear if anyone else has 'musty' smelling towels though....wouldn't it be fantastic if THAT was the problem......

Ok.

I posted a couple of days ago. I have an MRI appointment tomorrow.

In the meantime I've been reading more and I'm convinced this isn't anything to do with the brain although now I'm worried so I'm going ahead with the MRI to rule it out.....

I just bought a neti pot to try as a few people seemed to have had success...I've used one before many years ago so I'm not new to it and I know how to do it. I can NOT get the water to come out of my other nostril!!! I've tried many different head angles and even just watched a 'how to' video on youtube. I'm relaxed, I'm not afraid (as I said, I've done it before) I'm doing it RIGHT and the water will not come. All I'm getting is a pain in my forehead.

Is it possible to have blocked sinuses without even knowing it??? I can breathe fine.....

This is so interesting.  I have been having this smoke smell for a few weeks and am sort of relieved I'm not imagining it though sorry you all have it too.  I had brain surgery to remove a pituitary tumor in February  -- it was removed through my sinuses.  They have been sensitive ever since and I have a chronic infection in the sphenoid sinus right near where they accessed my tumor.  I think the sinusitis is the key and I'm on an antibiotic to try to kill it off.   I also have been trying to follow the "sinus survival" guide program to approach it from a more holistic direction.   Yeast and fungus could be culprits.... 

I forgot to mention that in Arizona, the tree pollen is very high right now so my allergies are unlike they have ever been before with burning sinuses-- another factor in this smoke mystery.

Well, after a day of horrible anxiety because I'm claustrophobic, I went for the MRI on my brain at 5.15pm. I got through it with the help of two lovely receptionists!! One held my hand and the other watched my baby!

The technician isn't allowed to tell you any results but the lovely receptionist told me there was 'nothing'!! I can't tell you how relived I am after reading a few posts here about brain issues. I still have an appointment with a neurologist next week so we'll see what he says. Maybe he'll suggest an EEG because I know some people mention un-known seizures? Who knows? I also have an appointment with an ENT specialist and an allergist.

My gut feeling at the moment is that this is an allergy matter. AS I mentioned earlier I laid a TON of mulch the day this started. I looked up 'mulch and allergies' and there's a big connection because of possible mould and spores that lie in mulch......

I'm still smelling cigarette smoke really strongly and it's been almost a week now. I have a mild headache but that's probably due stress worrying about the MRI. I do however also have a bit of earache in my left ear which may suggest an ear problem which hopefully the ENT guy would detect......Maybe it's all sinus related.

I'm absolutely determined to get to the bottom of this. I'm 38 years old and have never experienced anything like this before. I have good health insurance so I'm going to ask for ALL the tests and I'll let you know what I find....

I'll keep you posted....

Hi again.

Just been to an ENT specialist and a neurologist.

I have a mild inflammation on my sinuses. I checked out 100% with the neurologist.

It was recommended I use a saline rinse twice a day. Take a zinc supplement. He also suggested a steroid nasal spray and maybe anti-biotics but because I'm nursing I'm not able to take these.

I still have an appointment with an allergist and then I'm at a loss.

The second last post, ashgar30 seems to be in exactly the same situation as I am.

The neurologist thinks this will resolve itself soon enough, but because of all the posts I've read here I have my doubts!!

I'm going to the UK for 5 weeks in 2 weeks time. If I still smell smoke I'll be interested to see if it goes away when I'm in the UK. If it does, and it returns when I come home, I'll maybe assume it's something in my house causing an irritation.....

Also, I suppose this COULD be a stress related thing. I have a 5 and a half month old baby, I have no help and I'm pretty tired....

If I can't get to the bottom of this I'll try acupuncture, Chinese medicine, hypnotism, ANYTHING to get rid of the smell. It's awful and I do NOT want to think I have to live like this permanently.