Olfactory Hallucinations

Does anyone ever experience this? It's fairly new for me but I've had it a few times. Something smells bad but its not something that's real. I'm wondering if it's from the Lyme or another problem could be causing it.

Many people have Olfactory hallucinations that have these infections. Quite disturbing too! Some end up with multiple chemical sensitivities until they heal from these infections, but most seem to just notice that they smell things that aren't there or are just overwhelmed by others perfumes/aftershaves and such.

Although I still have a touch of this, most of it has gone away for me with good treatment.

Ooh! Aren't you the 'lucky' one, Marie!!

Cat urine, gasoline, rotten food, and that vomit fragrance all followed me when I was at my worst! Aren't we just so special??? LOL!!!

I was diagnosed with BB Lyme a couple of years ago and I've been getting olfactory hallucinations on and off for about 11 months now. The smells change from a chemical like odor to something rotting ( i don't know what) to a few other very unusual odors that don't have any comparison in this world. If any other Lymers are getting similar symptoms please share them in a reply. I have to be fairly sure it's a real Lyme symptom before I seek more treatment because my Doctor is in another state 5 hours away.

Are you sure it's not a ghost? Just kidding!!!!

I have auditory hallucinations, though there's usually a source, like the fridge, that sounds like another sound, like police sirens, and there has never been a police siren around here.

They'd have a hard time driving fast on this road!

When I catch myself, I remember that it's the fridge, the fan, or whatever.

Margaret

Ah! Another symptom I didn't know was a symptom until now! I've been rooting around all the corners of my bedroom and closet for 3 months now looking for rotting meat--eeeeewwwww! I was sure a rat must've died in the walls or something, even though we have no pests in this new building.
And now I realize that the smell showed up when the Lyme was at its worst.

Recently, I smell neighbors cooking barbecue mid-morning, hahaha. The best is the brownies I smell baking all times of day and night.

I've had a lot of other symptoms over the last seven years. Brain fog, nasty knee problems ( 2 repair surgeries and one replacement), fatigue, sharp pricking sensation in my eyes, slight headache that rarely ever goes away, memory loss, cognitive problems, trouble sleeping, stomach issues due to the antibiotics and so on and so on. In short, the phantom smells are the strangest of all my Lyme symptoms. Last year (November 2013) I had just installed a coal burning stove in my home. Then those weird chemical odors appeared and I feared that I may have installed the coal stove incorrectly. A bad coal stove installation (not properly vented/drafting) can be fatal. I drove my wife and son crazy for a couple of months by continually asking them if they smelled "that" and "don't you smell that." I would hover near the coal stove and inhale like crazy to try and find a leak. (Yes, I do have CO and smoke detectors throughout my home). Then I looked up olfactory hallucinations on a reputable medical web site and discovered that they can occur from intense infections and /or neurological issues. Anyways, I've grown used to the phantom odors with one exception, the "something rotten" smell. I'ts especially irritating if it occurs when I'm eating, yuck. Lastly, thank you all for the very useful replies. As of now I'm convinced it's a Lyme symptom.

See Ya

Last month I had a watermelon smell stuck in my nose. Never occurred to me it could be a symptom. I am glad it was not the rotten smell!

One of my first symptoms was weird smells. The scariest was I would smell smoke. Not a good smell to smell in a forest. Then it was chemicals and I could swear that someone had a meth lab near us. Once I started Buhners the phantom smells went away. I love it when a symptom goes away. It has been gone now for about 3 months.

I used to smell smoke all the time and when it first started happening, I would wake up during the night and be in a panic that my house was on fire. My husband and I would run all over the house looking for smoke, but it was a hallucination for me. It has gotten better with treatment, but I find it happens every so often, especially close to my cycle. At least you know you are not crazy and certainly not alone!

I also smelled smoke and we have forest land too. Fortunately, I don't have that any more.