Sorry but Im super agrivated from this.

Almost a year now. Been to the ENT, naturopath, accupuncture.

Sensitive to smells and CHRONIC VERTIGO.
Im so upset.

I used to get this only when I would get a sinus infection, but now Ive had this every day. I cant wear colognes anymore and other peoples bother me so much.

I smell mold a mile away, I wear no colonge. deordarant etc.

My husband put on his deordarant this morning and the smell from the other room woke me up.

Yeah, it can get pretty bad, then will get better and I don't know why, maybe yeast who knows. But the mold one was espcecially bad when relapsed and not treated. I am on week 7 of abx and the mold thing is better but the rest is getting bad again.

Used to smell something burning alot and would go looking around the house for it.

i walked into a new building and had an instant headache, and if anyone with lots of perfume comes around me feels like my head will crack in half.

Funny side effect is I can tell if the people in the car in front of me on the highway are smoking dope, even at 70mph. I can smell it. I have proven this time and time again. I'll say to the Mrs. Do you smell that? they are getting high in the car in front of us. She'll say how can you tell were doing 70 and they are 100 feet from us. I'll tell her I can smell it, I'll pull up along side and sure enough there it goes being passed around. My kids will not get away with a thing in this house!! LOL

I am sensitive to some smells now too, and sometimes I smell stuff that isn't there, that can be really strange.

I know I'm overloaded with toxins, and I am seeking an appointment with Dr. S in Maryland (the creator of the cholestyramine protocol).

This is one of my most frustrating symptoms. And it gets tiresome trying to explain why I can't visit someone because of one substance or another.

Recently, our fuel oil gelled from the cold, and some had to be pumped INTO the house. The stench was overwhelming, and I was on the porch in the middle of the night, crying.

I run past people smoking in front of doors, holding my breath. I fret when someone enters an office reeking of cologne. I got sick at a laundromat because a woman was cleaning the floor with Pine Sol.

Eww. I think an ant just farted.

You know how dogs can sniff out drugs, etc.? Maybe I should apply for a job. Arf.

Steph

You are just too funny, haven't laughed so hard for a long time. I was like that for so many years. Since being on prednizone (steroid drops after glaucoma operation) for 3 months, I now can't smell anything. Some tell me that can be dangerous. For years people thought I was nuts and would often get angry with me, like I was imposing on them or something. Humph!!

could he be chemically sensitive? i hope not!!! maybe after abx it will leave too. i'm severly chemically sensitive and use all sort of neat products that don't smell. let me know if you need anything like that, i'd be more than happy to help.

my hubby is a mechanic, so he smells like oil, we wave to each other when he comes home from work, he takes his clothes off in the freezing cold mud room, runs to the shower, i bag his clothes, then we kiss later. been living with this ~ 20 years...so if you need ANYTHING, write.

Since I got Lyme this problem has gotten much Better!!! I can think of 2 reasons. First, I had Bells Palsy and took a lot of Prednisone for 1 week at the beginning of my Lyme symptoms. From all I've read here this wasn't good for my Lyme recovery but did put an end to my Super Nose and other chemical sensitivities that had been out of control for so many years.

Second, After my 28 day cure didn't work last August(anyone suprised?)and I knew I'd be on abx a long time I went on a strict anti yeast (candida) diet.

For the first 3 months I was very strict and ate primarily meat, vegetables and nuts and a little fish (lower mercury ones) and a little yoghurt. Now I have added in a little cheese & beans. I cheat only once or twice a week if I'm eating out and have a little rice or crackers. No big cheating though.

Food lists from wholeapproach.com have been helpful. I think that this diet, plus probiotics (Primal Defense) have improved my health greatly. I am of course at the same time really sick with Lyme but many symptoms that plagued me most of my life are vastly improved. I think it is likely this diet would have helped me long ago.

I've gotten really creative at preparing foods on this diet and will stick with a modified version of it once I beat Lyme.

So, if your nose is turned up too high, my advice is: consider this diet and remove every trigger you can from your home and workplace. I opened my own company so I could have a fragrance free environment!

The absolute worst triggers for me were scented products especially candles and air fresheners, Bounce fabric softener sheets, scented detergent, perfume, scented deodorant, carpet fresh... All are poisons and must be removed. Also I had extreme reactions to mothballs.

I was also having trouble with formaldehyde coming from new kitchen cabinets. I noticed improvement after getting a big air filter that removes gasses. It also has a blue light that kills germs. My filter is called Sun-Pure, I ordered it from the Harmony catalog. It has been working great for approx 6 years. Worth every cent. Several neighbors bought them after noticing how much better they felt in my apartment.

--Annie

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``The best way out is always through.'' -Robert Frost

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Yes, smells: perfume, cologne, hairspray, office supplies, certain foods, diesel oil, some cleaning supplies so I could NOT even go to the grocery store for around 5-7 years!

Ok no honestly, yes I am super sensitive to smells, big time.

I can't stand the smell of cooking ground meat, cleaners, GASOLINE ( UGH), certain chemicals like my idiot live in keeps using ( some wood staining crap)

and perfume. A lady walked by me the other day at the hospital and I politely asked her if she BATHED in her perfume.

This is something I've read more about as a model for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Chaudhuri and Behan explained that these symptoms are a result of acquired neurological channelopathy which results from damaged cellular ion channels

According to Chaudhuri and Behan, ``The olfactory (nose) system is a very fast route to the limbic system, and the cells in the limbic system seem to have very excitable ion pores, therefore hyperreactivity is likely.'' http://www.ahmf.org/99booth.html Fallon has also written about the ways Lyme disease affects the limbic system - Lyme rage, for instance.

I believe Free2reckon discussed this phenomenon as an explanation for why Lyme patients often experience exaggerated static shocks. While I was sick with Lyme, I found that I was always shocking the heck out of myself whenever I would open my car door. There were times when it really hurt.

I sure hope not.

What is Im not super sensitive to sounds just smells and have chronic vertigo ear pain and phlegm,,what does this mean?

You can't smell anything? Is there anything "they" can do for that? Should your sense of smell return after a period?

My mother's boyfriend can't smell anything, but he had a brain injury.

Yikes.

Although I did smell something the other day (Thursday). I had left my lights on (-12 degrees C here), of course car did not start. Eventually found someone to give me a boost, except with my poor eye sight in poor light, I put cables on wrong anodes, whoo boy, the smell was horrible, another 2 seconds and battery would have been on fire. Worst problem was the person who gave me the boost was a coworker and I dreaded to think what it would have cost me to buy her a new batter for the brand new lincoln continental. Well her car was ok, and for some reason, mine was ok too, except I can still smell a lingering odor, others call it a very strong odor.

I don't miss smelling all the things that really bother me, but notice that I still get the migraines, etc., with some chemicals, and perfumes.

I don't consider it a problem, but sure would love to be to smell the roses, in more ways than one. I don't know if one of the side effects of prednisone is loss of smell so will check.

You know I think lyme is far worse than most people realize. Let's see I can't see to well, I can't hear too well, I can't taste too well, my hands are kind of numb lately. What's the fifth sense? That's probably diminished too. I am a mess, no not really, I still have my mind, at least it is still fucntioning, I think.

I took oral prednisone for three-and-a-half years due to an inaccurate diagnosis. I don't think it causes a loss of smell, but I'm not certain.

I'm glad, though it was unpleasant, that you smelled that acrid odor. I know it's important to have a sense of smell at least to detect dangerous substances. I guess that's still working for you! I hope you can smell the pleasant things soon!

Mmm. I love the smell of roses, too. And I love the smell of bookstores and bakeries!

Steph

I thought the post about static shocks was very interesting. I'm always getting shocks! For the longest time I would get a shock every single time I would get out of my car. Good thing I don't have the hand strength to fill up my car with gas.

Starphoenix, I am still laughing about ant farts!

Hatsnscafs - Thanks for the great links! I have been looking for a good air filter/ionizer - as well trying to start a serious candida free diet! So those are great. As well, I have found Primal Defense to be the most beneficial supplement I have taken!