1. < Brain & Nervous System

Experiencing a sweet smell like Juicy Fruit gum.

Posted by mikeythecat @mikeythecat, Apr 22 2:49am

I get the juicy fruit gum smell intermittently for 12 days a year. It happens mostly in the spring. I have written to neurologists and other doctors who do sensory research and the best they can come up with is some sort of brain trauma.
This has happened to me for almost 13 years. Ther have been a couple of years in which it didn't happen, but I have no idea why. About 4 or 5 years ago I started counting the days that it existed and found that it usually goes away in 12 days just like clockwork! I know this is a weird one, but has anyone had the same phenomenon?

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Mentor
Cheryl, Volunteer Mentor | @cehunt57 | Apr 23 11:25am
In reply to @gently "The breakdown of fat creates acetones. The smell is distinctly like juicyfruit gum. It can be..." + (show)
@gently

The breakdown of fat creates acetones. The smell is distinctly like juicyfruit gum. It can be a sign of ketoacidosis, which might be a warning of diabetes. When your body doesn't produce enough insulin to move sugar from your bloodstream the liver will breakdown fat.
Next time you could do blood work to to check glucose and keytones. You'd need to repeat the serum check again after two hours.
The pleasant order would be in your sweat, on your breath and in your urine.
On the other hand acetones are released by plants, including trees, volcanos, exhaust from cars cigarette smoke and landfills.

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@gently thank you for the explanation of ketoacidosis. I over simplified it in my reference to diabetic ketoacidosis in my response just after yours. Actually the insulin is necessary to get sugar OUT of the blood and into the tissues where it can be used to fuel the body. Sugar is the fuel of choice for the body but is useless and harmful in the blood without insulin. Insulin is like a key that is needed to unlock a door (to carry the sugar out of the blood into the tissues). Without this key the body looks for another source of fuel and turns to fat. When fat is burned it turns to ketones, acetones, acid. Too much of this is toxic. (Acetones / Acetates are the main ingredient in nail polish remover; you would never ingest that!).

REPLY
gently | @gently | Apr 23 11:41am

Cheryl, how gently you compliment me before correcting my inadvertancy. Can you correct or delete my post.
Thansk

REPLY
saucy | @saucy | Apr 23 12:44pm
In reply to @mkoch "Several years ago I started smelling cigarette smoke. Of course, when it happened at Starbucks, I..." + (show)
@mkoch

Several years ago I started smelling cigarette smoke. Of course, when it happened at Starbucks, I assumed one of the baristas was sneaking a smoke in the back room. (I don't know about the rest of the U.S. but smoking is not allowed in any restaurants or coffee shops in California-thankfully) But then I would notice it in my own house. It wasn't constant and maybe a month would go by and I wouldn't smell it at all. A year ago I found out I had a meningioma close to my optic nerve and had to have it removed surgically. The meningioma had been growing, unbeknownst to me, for 5 years. After my craniotomy, I was told to let the doctor know if I smelled anything odd that no one else could smell. I was told that could be a sign of a brain seizure. Well, truth be told, I have had that cigarette smell maybe 4 or 5 times since my surgery 6 months ago. But I didn't mention it to my doctor as I figured I have had it over the course of 5 years anyway , way before my surgery, and was afraid the doctor may be too eager to put me back on anti-seizure meds which I took for a month after my surgery. Just as an aside, finding the meningioma was unexpected, incidental to another scan I was having. Three doctors told me many people have them and are unaware if they are not causing symptoms. I've often wondered if smelling cigarette smoke was the first sign of the meningioma. A totally unscientific theory.

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Interesting..since Covid I had a burning smell for months, even thought our house was on fire! It went away after many months now replaced by a rancid smell that I think is coming out of me somehow! Husband doesn’t smell anything. After working out my sports bra stinks like the order I always smell. Getting very self conscious about it!

REPLY
mkoch | @mkoch | Apr 23 1:35pm

As I mentioned, the burning cigarette smell started what I termed "several years ago." That very well could have been March 2020 when a Binax test indicated I had covid. I never connected the two. I also got covid last September and that could explain the intermittant episodes since my surgery in November. Thanks for sharing your story. It is well documented that many people lose their sense of smell with covid and perhaps the experience of smelling something burning is a variation of that.

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1 reply
mikeythecat | @mikeythecat | Apr 23 2:50pm

Were you hospitalized because of it, or did you get it while hospitalized?

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mikeythecat | @mikeythecat | Apr 23 2:54pm
In reply to @mkoch "As I mentioned, the burning cigarette smell started what I termed "several years ago." That very..." + (show)
@mkoch

As I mentioned, the burning cigarette smell started what I termed "several years ago." That very well could have been March 2020 when a Binax test indicated I had covid. I never connected the two. I also got covid last September and that could explain the intermittant episodes since my surgery in November. Thanks for sharing your story. It is well documented that many people lose their sense of smell with covid and perhaps the experience of smelling something burning is a variation of that.

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I haven't had Covid...yet!

REPLY
mikeythecat | @mikeythecat | Apr 23 5:35pm
In reply to @cehunt57 "From that perspective the fruity smell can be the result of diabetic ketoacidosis. It is extremely..." + (show)
@cehunt57

From that perspective the fruity smell can be the result of diabetic ketoacidosis. It is extremely high blood sugar and can be life threatening. Those of you who are experiencing fruity smells (coming from yourself, like your breath and body) should ask your medical provider at your earliest opportunity. At the very least, mention it at your next appointment.

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In the 13+ years that I've been experiencing the smell, I have never been diagnosed with any diabetic maladies. It has been one of my first concerns, but never proved to be serious.

REPLY
saucy | @saucy | Apr 24 1:33pm
In reply to @mkoch "Several years ago I started smelling cigarette smoke. Of course, when it happened at Starbucks, I..." + (show)
@mkoch

Several years ago I started smelling cigarette smoke. Of course, when it happened at Starbucks, I assumed one of the baristas was sneaking a smoke in the back room. (I don't know about the rest of the U.S. but smoking is not allowed in any restaurants or coffee shops in California-thankfully) But then I would notice it in my own house. It wasn't constant and maybe a month would go by and I wouldn't smell it at all. A year ago I found out I had a meningioma close to my optic nerve and had to have it removed surgically. The meningioma had been growing, unbeknownst to me, for 5 years. After my craniotomy, I was told to let the doctor know if I smelled anything odd that no one else could smell. I was told that could be a sign of a brain seizure. Well, truth be told, I have had that cigarette smell maybe 4 or 5 times since my surgery 6 months ago. But I didn't mention it to my doctor as I figured I have had it over the course of 5 years anyway , way before my surgery, and was afraid the doctor may be too eager to put me back on anti-seizure meds which I took for a month after my surgery. Just as an aside, finding the meningioma was unexpected, incidental to another scan I was having. Three doctors told me many people have them and are unaware if they are not causing symptoms. I've often wondered if smelling cigarette smoke was the first sign of the meningioma. A totally unscientific theory.

Jump to this post

What other symptoms did you have besides bad smell?

REPLY
mkoch | @mkoch | Apr 24 1:38pm

Burning in my left nostril only, not the right -it wasn't everyday all the time but at least twice a week for a few hours at a time. It was very uncomfortable when it happened. I saw an E.N.T. three times. Spraying the mist into my nostril didn't help.

REPLY
pb50 | @pb50 | Apr 26 6:25pm

Have you had any imaging of the brain or EEG aince the removal of the menongioma? ? Given my long ago career in Neurodiagnostics, my mind jumps to cortical disruption from any number of things. But this falls undernthe adage “if you hear hooves, think horse, not zebra”.

Unless I’m missing something, regrowth needs to be eliminated. You had a mass in a brain area that could impact smell. Dont dwell on timing of symptoms - just the fact of them should be the focus Imho. Tell your doc!

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