Does anyone smell odd things that don't exist?

[stoughton1]

Hey all, I'm new here. I have suffered with anxiety and panic for years. Periodically, every year or so, I have an episode of smelling something that is not really present, like a chemical smell, or sometimes a sweet smell. It can lasts for days or more. I'm not sure if this is related to a high stress issue or to the anxiety at all. Does anyone else experience this? Any input at all is appreciated. Thanks!

[Sprinkle1]

It could be your olfactory system reacting to the stress you are going thru, as you probably know stress plays havoc with the body, have you talked to your Dr? I cannot think of anything else at this time, hope this is of help. Sending you love, answers, joy and peace, Sprinkle 1......

[stoughton1 in reply to Sprinkle1]

Thank you for your response! I do see my doc coincidentally on Friday. I have had this in the past and a reason was never found so figure it is due to high anxiety/stress level. Just looking to see if anyone else experiences this. Again, thanks for your response!

[NWGal]

There could be any number of benign reasons for this. Since it doesn't happen frequently it might be something as simple as recovering from an illness. Does anything else happen when you experience this? I found a few case studies that conclude that olfactory perception is influenced by emotion, including anxiety. Basically charged emotions and anxiety can have the effect of messing up the olfactory system making neutral smells into weird ones. Good luck Friday friend.

[pandaeyes1]

Sometimes that can be associated with an atypical migraine or a seizure. Though if you don’t experience any other symptoms, it’s a lot less likely