Neurological Disorders Forum - Symptoms of phantosmia

Conditions and Diseases > Neurological Disorders Forum > Symptoms of phantosmia

How can you tell if a headache is serious, or not? What types of headaches are there? Get started learning the facts about headache here....

Q: Symptoms of phantosmia

asked by: DoctorQuestion on January 16th, 2009

When I breathe through my nose I get a pungent aroma of amonnia. It does not come from my breath nor my body (sweat) or my urine. I know this cause no one else around me smells it. I have been smelling this for approximately 3 weeks now. I have experienced muscle cramping, lethargy, mood swings, and pains through my lower abdomen. What do you think it is and what should I do? It's been more of a nuesance than anything!
Thank you for your time!

Replies(1)

Dr. Andrijana Shterjovska , MD

replied on January 20th, 2009

Neurological Disorders Answer A5413

According to the major symptom you reported (aroma of amonnia when no amonnia is close), you might be experiencing phantosmia. It is a condition when a smell is sensed that does not originate from any surrounding source. It is usually caused by nervous system damage. The damage can be due to a viral infection, brain tumor, surgery, and trauma. You might want to visit a neurologist to exclude the first two diagnoses.

DISCLAIMER: "Ask a Doctor" questions are answered by certified physicians and other medical professionals who volunteer their time on eHealth Forum. For more information about experts participating in the "Ask a Doctor" Network, please visit our medical experts page. You may also visit our Neurological Disorders , for moderated patient to patient support and information.

The information provided on eHealth Forum is designed to improve, not replace, the relationship between a patient and his/her own physician. Personal consultation(s) with a qualified medical professional is the proper means for diagnosing any medical condition.

This question has been answered by the doctor. This topic is now open for public discussion, however no comments below this point will be answered by a doctor.

Learn About Us

Get Help

Join In

Do More

We comply with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health
information:
verify here.

The site is not a replacement for professional medical opinion, examination, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your medical doctor or other qualified health professional before starting any new treatment or making any changes to existing treatment. Do not delay seeking or disregard medical advice based on information written by any author on this site. No health questions and information on eHealth Forum is regulated or evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and therefore the information should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease without the supervision of a medical doctor. Posts made to these forums express the views and opinions of the author, and not the administrators, moderators, or editorial staff and hence eHealth Forum and its principals will accept no liabilities or responsibilities for the statements made. Schizophrenia health sitemap.
This page was last updated on January 1, 2009.
© 2008 eForums, Inc