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Phantom Smells after going off SSRI or SNRI
I finally asked google “why am I smelling cigarette smoke” and found out that I was NOT the only person in the world who, after FINALLY weening off Effexor XR, is experiencing phantom smells! Please tell me this will go away in time. It’s awful!
https://www.google.com/amp/s/microship.com/phantosmia-and-ssri-discontinuation-syndrome/amp/
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nccih/mindfulness here is some information about this study and others they are studying about
The phantom smell I get from time to time smells like skunk. This is not new, it has happened for decades. I can go years without experiencing it but now it's back and happening daily. I have heard phantom smells can be tied to deoderant, which because of the summer heat I started using regularly, so I discontinued it a few weeks ago. I think I'm experiencing this phenomenon less frequently. Has anyone else tied it to deoderant? I use an aluminum free deoderant because of my aluminum allergy, yet years ago I didn't and I had these experiences.
By any chance have you had Covid? I lost my sense of smell in July of 2021. I have never gotten it back, but have experienced very strange phantom smells at times.
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2 ReactionsYour loss of smell for so long must be frustrating and thanks for sharing as may have given me another clue. I did have a mild case of covid about 3 months ago. Probably a newer strain compared to what you went through a year ago. I didn't loose my sense of smell, just low appetitie, extreme fatigue requiring more sleep and brain fog. Those symtoms lasted about 3 days.
It was after that time I started up with my phantom skunk smell. I don't know if it was coincidence. As I mentioned this has happened to me on and off for years. Plus it's complicated by my resumpiton of deoderant use because of the summer heat. I did find internet mention of others sensing phantom smells when using deoderant.
Thirty years ago we had a pregnant skunk living under our house which was spraying daily to defend her territory. We did get her removed but had to live with that intense smell coming though the floor for weeks before her removal and weeks afterwards. I wonder if that smell has created a memory which surfaces from time to time.
Ong…glad I found this thread! I have post covid syndrome and taste and smell disorder, but wonder if its stress! I’m considering meds now to get rid of phantom smell and taste. 3 months in. So, for those who take an SSRI….is it possible to avoid sexual side effects? I really would hate to lose that good part of my life.