Strange Smoke Smell; Not Sinuses Related

[shay11]

Greetings. I was wondering if someone can help me with an issue. I was born with hydrocephalus, and I had a VP shunt placed in when I was born. After that, I had two revisions. Then in 2009, I was having bad headaches, I assumed it was a symptom of the shunt not functioning, however, at the time, the headaches were due to sinuses. So, I had to balance sinuses and the shunt, when it came to what was the trigger of my headaches. Now, fast forward to 2013, I was hit by a car, head trauma, and knee fracture. When I got hit by the car, the shunt cracked and I had another revision. I had a programmable shunt. A couple of moths after that, I was bloated, it turned out that there were fluids on my stomach. Within three months, I accumulated almost 7 liters of fluid on my stomach. It turned out that the fluids were coming from my brain. Apparently, the shunt was not functioning properly if the fluids were just sitting on my stomach, I should urinate it out. So the doctors decided to externalize the shunt to test the fluids and to also see whether or not I can function without the shunt. The brain can mature to a point where you don't need the shunt. Ever since I had the shunt taken out, off and on I have been smelling smoke. Recently, I went to my ENT doctor and he mentioned to me that the smells are not sinus related. He recommended that I see my neurologist. Is it posible that I may need a shunt again? Why does it seem like I am smelling a fire or a burning smell?

[GrandmaM]

My husband experiences phantom smells sometimes associated with migraine headaches. He says it smells like something burning. Perhaps your headaches are due to migraines and a neurologist could help.