Smelling Cigarette Smoke (Phantosmia): What could it mean?

@jakedduck1 - I think we both assumed that because the amount of time I am smelling smoke has decreased over the past 2 days that it's on it's way to disappearing. Geez 😮 I hope it won't be an ongoing problem!

Hello, just wanted to chime in with my experience with phantom cigarette smoke. I'm a non-smoker.Smoked briefly 20+yrs ago. Started smelling very distinct cigarette smoke in July 2020 randomly in my 6mo old house that had never been smoked in. It started strong. After a week of constant smelling I made appt. with a very good ENT. He first suspected I had inhaled mold and had a sinus infection. Put me on antibiotic which did nothing.Next ordered a CT scan of sinus,which showed chronic sinusitis which he said was not relevant. Next was an MRI of the brain looking for a tumor,focusing on olfactory. This showed normal. He then suspected it might be an early sign of dementia / Alzheimers. He ordered a hearing test which show some loss that may be dementia related. By this time several months had passed and the smell slowly diminished and them went away completely. Then reappeared as strong as ever 3 days ago while sitting at home. The smell is now noticeable when I'm outside of my home,which wasn't the case before.I'm going to try to get an order for an MRI scan specifically for Alzheimers as I do have a very strong family history. I'm 54 yo male.

Hello, just wanted to chime in with my experience with phantom cigarette smoke. I'm a non-smoker.Smoked briefly 20+yrs ago. Started smelling very distinct cigarette smoke in July 2020 randomly in my 6mo old house that had never been smoked in. It started strong. After a week of constant smelling I made appt. with a very good ENT. He first suspected I had inhaled mold and had a sinus infection. Put me on antibiotic which did nothing.Next ordered a CT scan of sinus,which showed chronic sinusitis which he said was not relevant. Next was an MRI of the brain looking for a tumor,focusing on olfactory. This showed normal. He then suspected it might be an early sign of dementia / Alzheimers. He ordered a hearing test which show some loss that may be dementia related. By this time several months had passed and the smell slowly diminished and them went away completely. Then reappeared as strong as ever 3 days ago while sitting at home. The smell is now noticeable when I'm outside of my home,which wasn't the case before.I'm going to try to get an order for an MRI scan specifically for Alzheimers as I do have a very strong family history. I'm 54 yo male.

Geesh - I had a reply all ready to go and Poof! It disappeared! OK - I'll try again 🙂

I have not read anywhere that Gabapentin (specifically) caused one to experience this, but I did read that some medications can cause it. I began to increase my dosage about a month ago, which kind of coincides with the appearance of the odor - so it seems reasonable to try to rule out the meds as a first step.

Initially I only smelled cigarette smoke once or twice a day and I thought it was my brain finding a new way to signal a craving. (I quit smoking in April.) But over the past few weeks the frequency has really ramped up. It's hard to guess, but I would say I now smell cigarettes between 50 and 100 times a day. Sometimes it's only during one inhale - sometimes it lasts longer - constant through many inhales. I've never really tried to time it.

I noticed some very small unusual movements when I first started taking the Gabapentin - like a tugging at the muscles in my upper arms/shoulders. It's nothing anyone else could have seen as it was ever so slight, but I was aware of it. I still experience them a bit but definitely less than in the beginning. However, since I'm taking meds that act on my brain, it didn't strike me as unusual. Other than that, I haven't noticed anything terribly unusual - although I will watch.

As for doing anything different - no. The pain in my feet came back with a vengeance when my brother died (Nov 15th), and despite increasing the Gabapentin I haven't been able to get that pain back under control. Other than that, it's been Christmas, which has been very quiet and peaceful for us this year, so it's all been good.

I found this conversation after I typed in my URL “smell cigarette smoke”. What really caught my attention was seeing that you are also taking gabapentin! I have been taking it for about 20 months. I am now only taking half (600mg) what I was for the first year. But the cig smell started about three days ago and it is getting more often and stronger! Obviously no one else can smell a thing so it is just me. I too am a former smoker but it’s been 15 years or more! I have already had covid-19 and it took my sense of taste and smell but that was months ago and my senses returned slowly but surely. I just think it is so odd to have this hit out of the blue. And it is just so ODD to smell cigs!! Why not cotton candy or gardenias??

Looks like I'm over a year late to this conversation, but anyway - I'm currently trying to figure out what's wrong with me

45 years old
On 200-500mg of gabapentin daily, for about 7 months, for nerve pain in my hands caused by some minor cervical impingements
Started Lisinopril 20mg nightly for borderline high blood pressure about 2 months ago

For the last 4 weeks I've had the worst cold-like symptoms I can recall - and 2 negative COVID tests - vaccinated since April.
Tightness in chest, difficulty getting deep breaths, exhaustion, coughing. (coughing is a side effect of Lisinopril)
Before this happened, I was able to run 3 miles every other day with light upper body exercise. This congestion has forced me to cut way back on exercise.

I smell dirt/dust everywhere! Nobody else in my household is having this problem.
I've always had a very strong sense for bad smells, and the Fall Season always brings out the worst in my sinus allergies, but this season has been especially bad, and meds for my cold and allergies would of course open up my nose.
The strong dirt smell is new. I have always been able to smell my own shoe'd feet, anything sweaty, cooked broccoli always reeks.

I have bouts of depression and the worst symptoms of my cold came on during a stressful time. My worst neuropathy came on during last years holiday stress. My mom has a history of thyroid issues and fibromyalgia.

Everyone had a stressful covid year. I've continued to work full time, plus manage 2 freelance projects, both of which I am frustrated with the results of. Full time work is low stress. Interactions with people have become vastly more draining.

I'm so tired of doctors appointments, and while the gabapentin has helped, it's such a low dose that it's hard for me to believe it could be causing side effects. Overall, talking to my multiple doctors hasn't yielded a great change in my results.

I did talk therapy from June 2019-Feb 2020, with couples talk therapy mixed into the middle. Lately I'm avoiding screen time and doing more reading. I'm quite happy to spend time alone, which is hard to do with a family, but I don't want to tear up relationships just so I can be alone.

TMI?

So I'm wondering what role Stress and Anxiety could be playing in all of this, including my neuropathy. Could this all be in my head? And if it's all in my head, how can I fix my head??

And how can I stop smelling dirt everywhere?

any responses much appreciated : )

Looks like I'm over a year late to this conversation, but anyway - I'm currently trying to figure out what's wrong with me

45 years old
On 200-500mg of gabapentin daily, for about 7 months, for nerve pain in my hands caused by some minor cervical impingements
Started Lisinopril 20mg nightly for borderline high blood pressure about 2 months ago

For the last 4 weeks I've had the worst cold-like symptoms I can recall - and 2 negative COVID tests - vaccinated since April.
Tightness in chest, difficulty getting deep breaths, exhaustion, coughing. (coughing is a side effect of Lisinopril)
Before this happened, I was able to run 3 miles every other day with light upper body exercise. This congestion has forced me to cut way back on exercise.

I smell dirt/dust everywhere! Nobody else in my household is having this problem.
I've always had a very strong sense for bad smells, and the Fall Season always brings out the worst in my sinus allergies, but this season has been especially bad, and meds for my cold and allergies would of course open up my nose.
The strong dirt smell is new. I have always been able to smell my own shoe'd feet, anything sweaty, cooked broccoli always reeks.

I have bouts of depression and the worst symptoms of my cold came on during a stressful time. My worst neuropathy came on during last years holiday stress. My mom has a history of thyroid issues and fibromyalgia.

Everyone had a stressful covid year. I've continued to work full time, plus manage 2 freelance projects, both of which I am frustrated with the results of. Full time work is low stress. Interactions with people have become vastly more draining.

I'm so tired of doctors appointments, and while the gabapentin has helped, it's such a low dose that it's hard for me to believe it could be causing side effects. Overall, talking to my multiple doctors hasn't yielded a great change in my results.

I did talk therapy from June 2019-Feb 2020, with couples talk therapy mixed into the middle. Lately I'm avoiding screen time and doing more reading. I'm quite happy to spend time alone, which is hard to do with a family, but I don't want to tear up relationships just so I can be alone.

TMI?

So I'm wondering what role Stress and Anxiety could be playing in all of this, including my neuropathy. Could this all be in my head? And if it's all in my head, how can I fix my head??

And how can I stop smelling dirt everywhere?

any responses much appreciated : )

Looks like I'm over a year late to this conversation, but anyway - I'm currently trying to figure out what's wrong with me

45 years old
On 200-500mg of gabapentin daily, for about 7 months, for nerve pain in my hands caused by some minor cervical impingements
Started Lisinopril 20mg nightly for borderline high blood pressure about 2 months ago

For the last 4 weeks I've had the worst cold-like symptoms I can recall - and 2 negative COVID tests - vaccinated since April.
Tightness in chest, difficulty getting deep breaths, exhaustion, coughing. (coughing is a side effect of Lisinopril)
Before this happened, I was able to run 3 miles every other day with light upper body exercise. This congestion has forced me to cut way back on exercise.

I smell dirt/dust everywhere! Nobody else in my household is having this problem.
I've always had a very strong sense for bad smells, and the Fall Season always brings out the worst in my sinus allergies, but this season has been especially bad, and meds for my cold and allergies would of course open up my nose.
The strong dirt smell is new. I have always been able to smell my own shoe'd feet, anything sweaty, cooked broccoli always reeks.

I have bouts of depression and the worst symptoms of my cold came on during a stressful time. My worst neuropathy came on during last years holiday stress. My mom has a history of thyroid issues and fibromyalgia.

Everyone had a stressful covid year. I've continued to work full time, plus manage 2 freelance projects, both of which I am frustrated with the results of. Full time work is low stress. Interactions with people have become vastly more draining.

I'm so tired of doctors appointments, and while the gabapentin has helped, it's such a low dose that it's hard for me to believe it could be causing side effects. Overall, talking to my multiple doctors hasn't yielded a great change in my results.

I did talk therapy from June 2019-Feb 2020, with couples talk therapy mixed into the middle. Lately I'm avoiding screen time and doing more reading. I'm quite happy to spend time alone, which is hard to do with a family, but I don't want to tear up relationships just so I can be alone.

TMI?

So I'm wondering what role Stress and Anxiety could be playing in all of this, including my neuropathy. Could this all be in my head? And if it's all in my head, how can I fix my head??

And how can I stop smelling dirt everywhere?

any responses much appreciated : )