Phantom Smells

Hello

I had coiling in 2018 and stent 2019. Everything is ok. I still battle headaches which are manageable and some depression.
I do still have a small aneurysm that is being watched.
For a few weeks now I’ve been having phantom smells .
Smelling things that are not there.
Had anyone experienced this?

I still get phantom smells, 10 years out from a rupture. Usually it’s a chemical smell, like gasoline or burning plastic, which can be momentarily alarming. But I do check to make sure it’s not real :wink: It only lasts a few seconds or a minute. There’s interesting literature out there now, because of covid’s impact on some people’s sense of smell.
In regard to your headaches, I finally got relief about 6 years ago when a neurologist put me on amitriptyline. It’s an antidepressant that has an off-label use for chronic headaches. The downside is that it makes you sleep long hours at night, but my theory is that that’s why it works: it forces me to let my brain rest, which is just something it continues to need since the rupture. I also take zoloft, which keeps depression at bay. I’m not a big pill popper, but both of these drugs have been invaluable to me. Good luck to you!

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So glad to hear I’m not alone with these smells they just started a few weeks ago. I was thinking should I tell my dr about them . Thanks for the info Anna . I may give those meds a try. Some days are good and some NOT so good.

Stay healthy!

Quindaylay, I think you’re on the right track in letting your doctor know! It does no harm and the worst that they can say is they don’t know. I can’t remember if you have a neurologist, but I think that’s the doctor to tell. Good luck and please keep us posted.

All the best,
Moltroub

Thanks so much for the advice. I am going to make a cal to my neurologist and definitely let her know. I will keep you guys posted!

@Quindaylay how are you doing? Any news?

Curious or is it nosy?
Moltroub