Smell Smoke

For months I have been smelling a smoky odor. I thought it came from my body, but no one else smelled it. It was so strong at night that it would wake me up. I mentioned this to doctors, and they were clueless. Finally, I mentioned this problem to a friend, and she told me an ent told someone she knew that had the same " smoky/burning smell issue" that she had a deep sinus infection and was, essentially, "smelling her own infection." I called my doctor because I have been very congested for months. He has put me on cipro. I am also using a saline nasal spray called ocean. I have been on cipro for three days and already the smoky smell has dissipated significantly. It's still there, but much less noisome and troublesome. I will report back once my 10 days of cipro are over. If not better, I will go to an ent.

I too smell smoke for no apparant reason and it is very bothersome. I would very much like to know what is causing it and how to make it cease from happening. I have not told anyone out of fear that people would think I was out of my mind. It is comforting to know that I am not alone.

Wow, I am so glad i'm not alone. I have been having this problem for about 2-1/2 years or so. The day it started I drove my co-workers crazy asking if they smelled cigarettes, looking for something that was on fire, etc. This happens to me intermittently and lasts for about a week to two weeks every time. Sometimes it happens after i've been around a smoker and i've thougth the smell "gets stuck" but sometimes it just comes on by itself like it has currently. I'm smelling smoke right now and my husband could smell smoke in my nose last night. It has been relieved in the past by sinus or allergy meds. I haven't been to the doctor yet, but probably should. I have had ear and sinus problems since I was a kid and have been diagnosed with asthma, so it seems to be a pretty common factor among us with the sinus problems. I just hate that so many people have to live with this horrible smell, but i'm relieved to know that i'm not going to spontaneously combust or something :) thanks to everyone who has posted things that have helped and please everyone follow up on what their ents and docs have said, and I will too when I go.

Oh, also I have never, ever smoked and have never done drugs.

I smelled smoke for many months. I had only heard of this once before and didn't take it very seriously. Even though in my past I had experienced sinus infections I in no way thought I had one. I finally saw a doctor since I had plans to fly and thought I should address it before my trip. I told her my symptoms - she took an xray and saw what appeared to be a blockage in my sinuses although I had no other apparent symptoms (except low physical energy). I was prescribed a 5 day z pak (some type of heavy duty antibiotic) and told if the smell didn't go away I would need to get a cat scan to rule out the possiblility of a tumor. That was about a month ago. The smell of smoke finally went away after the first few days and has not returned. I needed to take a moment to share this because I didn't believe I had a sinus infection - it was unlike any I had experienced in the past.

This is interesting. I've never thought much about it when I sometimes smell smoke after I sneeze. I smoked cigarettes for some years and some on the weekends when I went out. If I smoked a lot one night, if I would sneeze the day after, I would smell the smoke, like it was clearing from my sinuses or system. It was really weird. It doesn't happen to me much now that I don't smoke.

This is so bizarre. Cannot believe we all have the same problem. Hoping not brain tumors & surely seems 2 be sinus related. My 1st encounter was after going to a casino full of smoke & smelled it all the time for 3-4 weeks. Now it just started about a month ago without me aware of being around anyone smoking or any smoke, however, I suppose I could have walked by someone & not realized their was cigarette smoke. I tend to think that having some deep rooted infection & we may be smelling that.... Sent this forum to a specialist to get his opinion & will surely mention it to my doctor when I go for a complete physical..... But kinda nice 2 know i'm not alone in this.
Pelzer

So many people under this topic have just joined ehealth for this topic. The internet is a marvelous thing. I'm still amazed at how many responses received. Thanks!

I am sorry that so many people seem to have this problem but I am thankful not to be alone in this. I have smelled smoke when it wasn't there many times. I do not smoke either. I usually have been able to attribute it to somewhere I have been like a concert. Back when folks could smoke anytime anywhere they chose to. Usually it only lasted a few hours or a day perhaps. I have been smelling smoke now for several days. I don't feel like I have a sinus infection but my son was just diagnosed with one. I am very relieved to hear this connection. Previously I had begun to worry about some kind of tumor affecting the olfactory nerve. Thank you to everyone who has posted. I hope you have all found relief.

I’ve smelled smoke for well over a year, and the symptom lasts for months at a time. Whenever i’m experiencing the smoke smell I also have thick mucus in the back of my throat. Like jennlin, sometimes it just comes on by itself, but i’ve also noticed that it comes on, or is made worse by being around a smoky smell, like the recent wild-fires in los angeles. One night last week the fire was big/close enough that smoke hung in the air and the smell of smoke was really intense. Although I had been smelling smoke for a while before that night, since then the smoke smell is the worst it’s ever been. I've also thought the smell might "get stuck".

I also have asthma and allergies, so my doctor assumes that the mucus is allergy related but seemed clueless when I mentioned the smoke smell. The only thing that I remember ever relieving the symptom is rhinocort, (which my doctor gave me a sample of) but maybe rhinocort is one of those addictive nasal sprays because when I tried to get a refill she prescribed nasonex instead which by the way is useless for this particular problem.

I have an appointment with my doctor tomorrow and might ask her to refer me to a specialist. What is an ent?

It looks like z pak has worked for a couple of people, and cipro plus a saline nasal spray worked for rzaleski. I’ll remember that when I see my doctor tomorrow. I’ll let you know what if anything works for me.

I am currently suffering from this disconcerting symptom. Finding these posts has relieved much of my anxiety! (i'm making a doctor's appointment today.)

like one post, my symptoms occurred immediately after exposure to real smoke just 5 days ago. Someone at work burned <annihilated> their microwave popcorn. The smell was awful and my eyes stung and watered. I could smell the smoke that night, the next day, etc. The "oder is stuck" theory went away on about the fourth day. Realizing it was just me, I began my internet search and found this site just today. I'm leaning toward a sinus infection irritated by the exposure to smoke. (in retrospect, I think there were a few mild symptoms of a sinus infection that I was ignoring.)

anyhow, a lot of people mention going to the doctor but only a few reposted with the results, I will try to do that.

Oh, and, like another post, my odor du jour muted into more of a burning wood smell instead of cigerette odor.

... Is an ear, nose, throat specialist.

As many of the posters here, i'm very glad that i'm not the only one. In the car, at work in the house, in my nose.... You get the picture. Anyway, i've had sinus problems my whole life, but never experienced this til 3 months ago. I finally broke down today and did a search online and found this site. I had to grab my wife and show her that i'm not the only crazy one. I will investigate the sinus infection theory. Thanks doug

I googled "smell smoke" and found this site. I went to a weenie roast 3 days ago and the little campfire got very smoky at one point. The next day I began to smell the faint odor of smoke, and figured I still had some on me, even though I had showered, etc. For the last couple of days it has gotten worse, and my eyes even water, as if I were around smoke.

Something like this happened two years ago when I went to an indoor arena dirt track race, and I smelled exhaust fumes for weeks afterward.

For the last several years I have had sinus problems, and at one point went to an ent, who suggested cat scan. They found polyps in sinus cavity, and he treated me with antibiotics and nasal wash. I didn't have a problem for a long time.

Will probably go back to Dr., as have bad headache that feels sinus-related. Am smelling smoke, and have burning eyes as I write this.

I have had this ability for a few years. It has been getting worse. I am so bothered by it that other people have said that they do not smell anything. I thought that I just had an over developed sense of smell. I hate this as it drives me crazy!! I keep sniffing as to authenticate or "prove" that I am smelling smoke. Mine to smells like cig. Smoke. If anything else, we really need to stick together. I am aware of security in this day and age, but we should all share multiple points of contact, or at the very least a couple different email address. I have a ton of gmail invitations I can give out. If everyone needs one, let me know. We should also go over to yahoo and form a group on yahoo groups. That way, people have to ask to be invited and whoever wants to set it up can be moderator or assign a moderator that had the ability to control the groups postings.

Please, we need to do this as each one of us is obviously bothered enough that we are searching the web for answers! Also, someone may have the "right" doctor that figures this out and could help everyone.

What do you say people?/

my email is papagloc k@gmail.Com

I just wanted to chime in here and say that i'm having symptoms of smelling smoke too... Even my eyes feel a slight sting. This typically happens at night. A few times I have been roused from sleep because of this coming on.

Very glad i'm not alone!

Usually it just hits me suddenly, but occasionally smelling cigarette smoke seems to trigger it too.

Nobody in the house smokes.

I've recently had a zpack treatment because of a bout with bronchitis + sinus infection (though I wouldn't have known of the sinus infection, had the doctor not told me.) never heard of cipro.

Its interesting that some fellow sufferers have (or had) asthma. I'm in my mid thirties and have not had any severe asthma symptoms since age 8 or 9. Anyone know what the connection is there, if any?

I'm look into some of suggestions offered (nasal sprays, etc.) and, if possible, report back. I hope others in the same situation also report back as well.

For a while I though maybe my symptoms were somehow triggered by some environment stimuli, like stress, or some other smell that my nose/brain is interpreting incorrectly.

Last year I had surgery for a deviated septum and full sinus surgery. It didn't seem to work perhaps because my kid hit my nose pretty hard during recovery. Anyhow, had revision surgery this summer. I've been smelling cigarette smoke for 2 years and have general congestion and a diminished sense of smell. Also have headaches nearly every day. Has anyone gotten anything from an ent other than being blown off??

The antibiotics did the trick. Go see your doctor. I'm afraid I can't remember which antibiotic I had but it was a "heavy-duty" 10-day dose (not the z-pack).

Wow, I had no idea people will be talking about this in a forum.
Mine started for a few days already.
I am planning to make a doctor's appointment, I really hope that this is not some serious disease.
I will update everyone after I come back from the doctor.
And I also hope that anyone of you who are able to get some conclusions share it with everyone here.
Wish us all good luck :)