All I can smell is petrol!: This has come on over... - Thyroid UK

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All I can smell is petrol!

sandi profile image
21 Replies

This has come on over the last week. Been sleeping ok and getting up earlier than usual for me, even got some studying done BUT can now smell petrol everywhere.

Frankly it's making me feel very sick and it's hard to work up an appetite with the smell. There is no source and no-one else can smell it and it's everywhere I go. I'm sure this can't be thyroid related but just wondered if any of you thyroidies had ever experienced something similar?

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sandi profile image
sandi
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21 Replies
LouiseRoberts profile image
LouiseRoberts

Hi Sandi

Other people here with that problem

medhelp.org/posts/Ear--Nose...

Could be a sinus problem....

L

x

sandi profile image
sandi in reply toLouiseRoberts

Thanks Louise. I do have sinus problems a lot. It seems to be worse in damp weather but has been ok all summer. Never before have I had this smell though but our bodies do as they will don't they? This must be a new form of sinus problem for me.

Thankfully it is so much better than on Friday when it was so overpowering I couldn't eat and felt sick. It did get worse when I had a long bath yesterday - presumeably due to steam! Am reluctant to bother GP (be laughed at..) so hope it goes away on its own.

Sandi x

poing profile image
poing

I keep thinking I can smell gas in the lounge. Trouble is that I can smell things long before others, so there's a chance that it might really be gas. I am probably being totally paranoid, but I've switched off the gas to the house for the last three days to see if the smell goes away.

I have only met one other person with such an acute sense of smell as me, and she was severely anaemic at the time.

I think it's a detox/deficiency symptom.

sandi profile image
sandi in reply topoing

I have very acute sense of smell generally. [I gather a few generations back my ancestors were in the perfume industry so maybe it is in the genes!]

The consensus seems to be this time it is a sinus problem so am hoping it sorts itself soon.

Hope you don't have a gas leak!

Any idea what deficiency may be the culprit?

helen0701 profile image
helen0701

My OH had this problem very common with sinus problems

sandi profile image
sandi in reply tohelen0701

Did it go away of its own accord or did he do anything to help it on its way. I can't believe how horrid it is!

helen0701 profile image
helen0701 in reply tosandi

Yes he uses a sinus rinse and only smells it if he forgets to do it for a couple of days

debjs profile image
debjs

I could smell smoke all the time but has now gone as my dose of replacement has increased.

sandi profile image
sandi in reply todebjs

Interesting - maybe there is a thyroid connection after all. Or it may be sinus and thyroid combined as I think my past sinus problems have been related to my dose being too low.

A smoke smell would be worse I think as I'm not sure I would be able to sleep, worrying that something was on fire!

Sue777 profile image
Sue777

Hi Sandi, I put smell of petrol in the search button and your question came up from 6 months ago. I am hypo and getting the same smell of petrol for about a month but it's getting stronger. It's making me feel sick. My right nostril is blocked and I suspect it's something to do with this. Did you find out what was causing it for you?

sandi profile image
sandi in reply toSue777

Hi Sue.

Well it went away - eventually! I did nothing that seemed to help but I guess it just sorted itself out BUT before that I had had lots of sinus problems, blocked nose at night, for many years, and that went away too! In the months leading to the petrol smell I had tried nasal sprays given to me by both GP and ENT guy which had had absolutely no effect - unless they caused the subsequent petrol smell, of course.

So while it was a horrid time to go through it took another, obviously related, problem away with it! In fact it it only this week that the nasal problem at night has returned.

Good luck with this. It was so horrid feeling sick with the smell all the time! I sympathise. :(

Sue777 profile image
Sue777 in reply tosandi

Thanks for letting me know. I hope mine goes away soon as well. Is your hypo well under control? Mine isn't yet and I'm not sure if it could be a symptom or not. X

sandi profile image
sandi in reply toSue777

I'm really not sure. I know that is a strange response! My bloods are ok ish, so have been on same amount of meds for years but I am not well really. I still get very fatigued and generally feel awful and can no longer work. Is it due to the thyroid, I don't know?

Is it ME? Or is ME just unmedicated thyroid problems I'm not sure - in fact feel more confused as time goes on! I know that is what many people think.

I'm a bit of a coward and do fear trying any self medication, so that is why am maybe stuck. But I was worse at one stage, before starting on thyroid meds, and so fear making my health worse and ever going back to that stage again. I've lost so much and do fear losing more.

Sorry this isn't exactly a cheery reply!!

Hopefully you will have an easier path and get the pesky hypo sorted! Do hope so. S x

scatterbrain profile image
scatterbrain

Hi, just saw this, I keep getting a burning smell too, as if someone is striking matches then putting them out again, I too get blocked nostrils especially at night. Interesting.

Sue777 profile image
Sue777 in reply toscatterbrain

I googled this and it appears to be a sinus problem.Some people report it as petrol or gas or like you a burning smell. I am seeing my GP next week so will speak to him about it and let you know how I get on.

scatterbrain profile image
scatterbrain

Thanks Sue,

The strange thing is, I can't smell other things when everyone else can, do you find that?

helen0701 profile image
helen0701

My oh suffered with this he went to a private ent consultant and it was a mixture of sinus and reflux he was prescribed a spray and then omeprazole and the omeprazole worked, doesnt get it now unless he forgets to take his omeprazole which he takes at bedtime x p.s. He doesnt have a thyroid problem

Reenac profile image
Reenac

Hi I have been smelling petrol fumes everywhere for the past 2 days but I do not have a sinus problem. I am hypothyroid and am on thyroxine 50mg pp.

Kazania profile image
Kazania

Hi Sandi, I’ve had this since yesterday. Googled it and one of the causes was a Covid -19 infection, which I’ve just recovered from. It’s horrible. I really sympathise. I’m hoping it will clear up as I recover more. Take care.

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministrator in reply toKazania

I suspect you have not noticed this post is over eleven years old! :-)

Even the latest reply was over six years ago.

This link to my blog might be of interest.

helvella - Phantosmia or Phantom smells

This blog has links to many previous posts on this subject - but there will be others. I try to keep adding when new posts on the subject are posted. You will find many cross-references between posts.

helvella.blogspot.com/p/hel...

If you want to discuss further about thyroid and phantosmia, possibly best to write a brand new post.

Kazania profile image
Kazania in reply tohelvella

You’re quite right I didn’t notice how old it was. Thank you, and thank you for the blog link.

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