Weirdest Question About Smells....ever

[ophelialit]

OK, well...if all of you nice people don't think I'm crazy after reading what I'm about to write, I'll be shocked! And relieved!

Sooooooooo....I know a lot of us have sensitivity to smells from time to time, and that can be super annoying. But, has anyone ever just FELT a particular odor without being able to actually smell it? Wait! Stick with me! Let me try to explain! I'm not experiencing phantom smells....it's more like my mind is conjuring up the memory of very specific odors (gas, burning leaves, perfume, cleaning solution, etc.) and I can imagine EXACTLY what those things smell like even though I don't actually smell them at the time. It's been happening off and on all day, and I'm also in the middle of one of those previously mentioned bouts of being hypersensitive to odors, but this is a weird one and, honestly, nearly impossible to explain....anyone? Perhaps someone who can explain it more accurately than I?

Don't leave me hanging, peeps!

[issie]

Dr. Oz just recently had a show on this. The mind is a powerful thing and you can think about things to stimulate the senses and from your thoughts perceive it with the senses. So ---no not odd and even Dr. Oz says we can do it.

For example if I say - Vinegar or Lemon Juice or Dill Pickle---do you get the sense of tart on your tongue --does your mouth start to water like it does when you introduce that onto your tongue.

If I say - the coldness, smoothness and rich creaminess of the ice cream delighted the senses ---can you sense the cold, smooth and richness of the ice cream ---first with vision then with touch (coldness) and with texture and then with taste of richness. I'd like a little chocolate syrup with that ---please. I just introduced another flavor to you and you saw the gooey, dark rich color of the syrup and the smooth texture of the yummy chocolate! (Ugh ---I gave up dairy --can't have that ---dismiss thought ---dismiss thought. Ha!Ha!) I could elaborate with the vanilla scent....and . . .and ----dismiss thought --dismiss thought

We visualize things and then we experience them --whether we do or not.

Issie

[Katybug]

I can do this....mostly with smells that set off my symptoms, like patchouli(sp?). I'd rather stick needles in myself than be around patchouli because it makes me so sick. So, I can think about the smell and experience it and if I think on it too long, it will even make me queasy. Same thing with incense and certain household cleaners. I wish I could produce the same effect with nice odors.

[Racer]

I got the cure for you, its called aromatherapy! Block out those bad scent memories with good smells

http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=4342142

[Relax86]

I smell fire or gas which wakes me up in the middle of the night during adrenaline surges while I sleep. I smell ammonia before I faint.

[SaraC628]

I know exactly what you are talking about. I got on a guacamole kick several years ago, like 9 or so, and then after eating some one night I got really nauseated. I could not say the word or think of it without almost puking for at least a couple of years. And even now I get a little queasy talking about it. And last night I was feeling really sick and I remembered what I had for dinner and I swear I could taste it and I went running for the bathroom!

[ladyt]

I do understand. And also well i sort of smell metal at times, its Weird i know. Can really explain it, ist ust a sort of cold smell. Had it on and off for years.

Rigth know i whant icecream and chocolat tanx to issie.

[Katybug]

I don't keep ice cream in the house so I can stick to my 1200 calories a little easier. I happened to go my mom's yesterday after reading Issie's post and ended up melting peanut butter in a bowel and then adding a big scoop of chocolate ice cream! Lol! So much for my diet yesterday!

[issie]

LOL!!! Ha!Ha! Power of suggestion.

Issie

[ophelialit]

That sounds FABULOUS!! Thanks to all of you for, once again, helping me better define something that's, well...basically undefinable....stupid phantom-phantom-smells!

[Katybug]

I should post a poll in a week that asks if you've had melted peanut butter and chocolate ice cream! Lol! Just kidding. :-)

[Foggy01]

Guess what you're saying sounds familiar.

[Libby]

Haha this thread is reminding me of my acting class. Sense memory exercises, remembering all sensory aspects of an experience (like sledding down a mountain, the smell of the cold air, your moist, hot breath condensing against the scarf covering your mouth, wind whipping in your ears) are a big part of a few of the approaches. Uta Hagen's books are full of it.

Ice cream is definitely a good one, mmm.

[cmreber]

Sadly, I have no sense of smell...lol, so I am absolutely no help. If I suddenly do start smelling things, then I'll know something's wrong! haha

But I do suddenly want ice cream after reading this thread...lol!

[dpeeps]

I am not sure if I experience phantom smells, but OMG just the thought of incense makes me feel nauseous!! So calling it up from memory is pretty bad too. If I walk past someone with strong perfume or cologne, the nausea and headache (sometimes even migraine) comes on fast! Perfume and Incense are the absolute worst for me. Hairspray is bad, but not as nearly as bad as the other two. If I could magically blast every bit of incense and perfume into outer space, I would!!!

[blueskies]

if ive had a bad physical reaction to a smell I only need to think of the smell to feel the reaction. (this only happens with 2 odours that I can think of) but its nowhere near as bad as the original reaction. I get phantom odours too which is quite weird because I can rarely smell anything.my strongest phantom smell is fire,too, often,but not always. sometimes the smell of fire heralds a migraine. sometimes not. I can go weeks unable to smell anything and then I might have a day or a few hours when my sense of smell returns. at those times you'll find me sniffing things like fresh oranges etc.

usually I don't want to hear about dr oz - not a fan - but this stuff is interesting.

blue

[RichGotsPots]

Dont think you are weird that happens to me and I wonder if maybe the smell got trapped in my nose and I'm just smelling it internally lol

[POTLUCK]

I do not know if this has to do with it but I have been diagnosed with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy ( Simple Partial Seizures ) I recieved this diagnosis long before POTS and am not sure which causes which or if the Mitochondrial diagnosis causes both ( Mito commonly causes epilepsy, and autonomic dysfunction. ) My TLE was Dx by EEG, POTS by tilt, and Mito by biopsy.

Anyways, smells lasting by definition from 30 seconds to 2 minutes with a maximum of 30 minutes are a sign of TLE. The most common smell is burning rubber and this is considered nearly pathognomonic if it fits the above parameters. More of a solid diagnosis on that sign alone than on EEG can be made. Also other senses such as taste and strange hard to describe senses are often found in patients with TLE ( but again 30 sec to 2 minutes common with a maximum of 30 minutes ) Metallic taste is the most common taste. Others such as Deja Vu, Deja vecu, Jamais Vu, and Jamais Vecu are sometimes present.