odor of cigarette

BlueKat · Oct 16, 2003

I experienced the same thing while living in an apartment complex. Must have been coming from one of the other apartments. Are you the only one in your household that is smelling this?

Also smelled it once while walking along a country road, no one else was around except hubby who doesn't smoke but he did smell it too. Strange.

pattyg · Oct 16, 2003

It is happening everywhere -- alone in the car, outside, in different houses, everywhere. It has nothing to do with location or there being cigarette smoke around. It is an olfactory hallucination. We're just wondering what's causing it. Brain tumor?

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Oct 16, 2003

Well, I'd mention it to your doctor and see what he/she thinks, although brain tumors tend to manifest themselves in other types of aromas, e.g. oranges. There's got to be SOME reason for you to be smelling this "eau de tobacco"........it's worth getting it checked out.

pattyg · Oct 17, 2003

luci

I made an appt with the doctor for my husband today. Maybe you should too. Better to be safe than sorry, you know? It just seems too strange to ignore.

I noticed from your profile that you work on a child/adolescent psych unit. Thought you'd be interested to hear about our wierd family. We have no history of mental illness in the family as far as we know, yet my sister's two sons, my two sons, and my brother's son have all become ill, two diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, two with schizoaffective disorder, and one with bipolar. They range in age from 16-31, but each began to have symptoms around age 13-14. When my oldest son first began having symptoms (he was the third one to become ill) I called McLean Hospital in Belmont, MA, and asked if they wanted to study us as we don't fit the genetic norms at all. I thought maybe our family could offer some clues to cause/cure. So far 15 or 16 family members have been tested (blood/eye tracking/ memory and other standard psych testing. Every now and then they send us a copy of something they publish, but no big revelations yet. Three of the boys (my two sons and one nephew, ages 21, 23 and 29) live with my husband and I and two of them (my nephews, ages 16 and 31) live with my mom next door. The oldest two boys had the hardest time initially because they weren't diagnosed until later when their hallucinations/delusions had a chance to become more of a permanent part of their belief system -- much harder to shake. By the time my son began to have symptoms we knew what was happening so he was able to get treatment early, as did the other two boys, so that they were able to learn how to manage their illnesses more successfully. They still all struggle, and it is very sad to watch, especially for my 72 year old mom as these are her only five grandsons. Strange that all the boys and none of the girls became ill (there are four girls).

Anyway, thought you might find our situation of interest. Good luck with the cigarette smell. My husband's appt is on Monday the 20th -- I'll let you know what happens. :)

pattyg

lsyorke, RN · Oct 17, 2003

Here one for the most embarrasing moments! I was working on a surgical floor 3-11 years ago. We all smelled smoke in one patient room. No visible smoke, no heat coming from the walls. We called maintenece who came up and took out ceiling panels, checked outlets, nothing!!

The decision was made to call the fire department and have them take a slow ride over to check it out. Three fire trucks later, nothing was found. Everyone agreed it smelled like smoke but couldn't find anything.

After the fire company left one of the CNA's was putting something in the patients bedside table, came running out into the hall yelling "I found it!!"

The culprit was a cheap pair of rubber soled slippers!!! Man did they stink!!!!

lucianne · Oct 17, 2003

pattyg, it seems to have stopped while I have a cold, which makes me think its truly odor-related and I'm just super-sensitive. I'd like to hear what your husband's doctor has to say though.

How strange and sad about the boys in your family. I've had cases of schizophrenia or bipolar showing up in a family with no previous history (although there's usually an undiagnosed uncle or someone who had a difficult, risk-taking life and died young), but not all the boys in one generation. There's got to be some mutation in the DNA. You'd think someone studying your family would have found something. Good luck to you and all of your boys.

luci

P.S. Working inpatient adolescent psych has cured me of ever buying cheap shoes for anyone in my family. We've had some real stinkers but they didn't smell anything like cigarette smoke.

pattyg · Oct 23, 2003

My husband went to the doctor for the cigarette smoke hallucinations, which is called parosmia, and he took him off Atenolol (high blood pressure medication) as this is one of the possible side effects. He's going to give it a month and if it has not gone away he wants to send him to the University of Pennsylvania where they have a special clinic devoted to smells, real and imagined.

Are any of you who are also having this problem on high blood pressure medication?

Dayray, RN · Oct 23, 2003

I'm curious..

those of you who smell phantom smoke, Are you extremely antismokeing? or are you maybe a past smoker?

I'm just wondering if the smell is so offensive to you that it is popping up at times of stress. Ive heard of people having auditory or visual aberrations at times of stress i.e seeing starts, hearing bells, that kind of stuff.

pattyg · Oct 23, 2003

My husband smoked for a short time 35 years ago, maybe a year or two, and then quit when his wife became pregnant with their first child. He hasn't smoked since then but lived with smokers for 20+ years after that...nothing to make smoking an issue with him.