5 weeks ago i had a benign tumor removed from the right side of my face. *removed through the mouth. I have a lot of pain and i've been getting headaches. Over the past weekend my husband and i went on a get away for our aniversary. Well we went to a casino and there was a lot of smoking in there. After we left I felt fine but ever since the following day I have been smelling smoke constantly. It smells like i just smoked a carton of cigarettes, yet i quit smoking YEARS ago... *because it stinks!!! now it stinks once again! I've read a lot of posts on here and am hoping that this is just a sinus infection. I also have been feeling like a crazy lady because i've been complaining about smoke for days now. At first i thought the neighbors were smoking outside. and It was so strong that I almost WENT OVER THERE TO SPRAY THEM DOWN WITH LYSOL OR SOMETHING. LOL When I finally came to the realization that that was rediculous and that there is no way that i would be able to smell them all the way from here... lol... I decided to do some research and it brought me here. I'm glad i'm not the only one. lol.

IT might help to clean out your sinuses with a saline (salt water) wash. You can do this using a neti pot.

Hi everyone?
I am so mach ok now to know that I am not nut, this is going on 24/7 and I just felt like I am going crazy nobody else can smell it even at home only me, and I noticed that almost everyone who has it is under strong medication or at least taking some kind of medicine, mine started when my doctor prescribed me (Sirdalud) its a triangle medicine and really strong, does anyone else take strong medicine here? I have appointment with my doctor on Monday so I will have to explain all this I am going through and I also noticed that, that medicines side effects are many including manipulation of smell as well. But of cause I will also take what everybody else has written into consideration and ask my doctor about them as well. Thank you all for your help.

Right. Check with you doctor. Your medication COULD be the cause of the sensations. Let us know.

Hi, so sorry to see you all have this problem. So relieved to see it though. I thought I was goin' crazy! Like many of you, I suffer from migraine headaches and have visual auras with it. I haven't had one in a long time after the Neurologist suggested Magnesium supplements and B complex (THANK GOD!) I would be down for days with these headaches, puking and dealing with lights in my eyes. However, I'm still having the smoke smell and don't know if it is related. Like other moms, I've had c-section and the epidural with it. Don't know if it is related either. Just know that I HATE cig. smoke and can't stand smelling it. Will talk to my Dr. to see about it though. (now that I know it's real and not my imagination!)
Thank you all so much

I wonder if any of you are suffering from chemical sensitivity ( also called multiple chemical sensitivity.) Some people have found relief by stopping the use of fabric softeners/sheets, scented soaps/detergents, and perfumes/cologne. Fragrance can trigger migraines also.
Except for one tiny spray of scent on my chest, I can't wear perfume above the waist without giving myself a headache. If I'm near someone with a lot of perfume or cologne on or someone wearing a very 'spicy' scent I get headaches, watery eyes, sneezing... So I know chemical sensitivity is real. (I no longer wear perfume, btw.)
I recommend trying hypoallergenic/pure/ fragrance free products whenever possible and eliminating all scented products.

I am shocked to see all the messages re: people smelling cigarette smoke. I have smelled it for years. My friend said that it as my dead Mother, who smoked, trying to tell me something. Wow! Hey at least I know I am not nuts!

Smelling cigarette smoke in Granite Bay, CA

I started smelling smoke shortly after taking the anti-biotic apo-cefprozil 500 mg (cefprozil).
that was 2 weeks ago and i still smell smoke.

I'll give it another 2 weeks before seeing a doctor

After reading these posts I Googled Central Nervous System Vasculitis and the site (sorry, can't recall which one - something like CNSV.org) made a link between people who are suffering from headaches and have had c-sections. It said that cerebrospinal fluid can continue to leak from the site of the needle puncture, which actually causes the brain to lower in the head and causes headaches. You can plug the puncture with a clot of the patient's blood - apparently quite a common procedure.

Wow! I thought I was going nuts! but now I see I am not the only one. The smell is as everyone describes. I've had it on and off for about 6 months. Had a major medical last year and nothing came up as odd, although no scanning of the brain took place. I guess looking at the comments above I'll go ask a Dr but I don't see signs of much help as I doubt they'll be much for them to comment on as I don't have any other symptons etc. It was just rea-suring to see I'm not going NUTS!!

I just started smelling smoke for the past 2-3 days and thought I was losing my mind. I accused my teenage boys of smoking, but could not smell smoke on them just in my nose and throat. I also have asthma and sometimes migraines. I f anybody has the remedy please let me know, I feel like I am smothering from the smoke.

Hi everyone,
I am so amazed to find this website...I thought I was imagining things and never mentioned it to anyone. I googled it thinking I would never find any results, and here you all are

I was diagnosed with chronic non-allergic rhinitis (which I've had ever since I was a kid) which is a fancy term for postnasal drip and sinus problems. Mine isn't caused by allergies (they tested for everything), but by a nerve reaction to irritants. I'm also very sensitive to medications so doctors hesitate prescribing anything because I've had bad reactions in the past.

I've been "smelling" and "tasting" that stale smokey sensation off and on for a year or two. I'm wondering if it is some kind of nerve damage since I have had such constant, long-term postnasal drip. It's been an extremely cold and dry winter here in Ohio and this smoky smell has been occurring more often. Right now my nasal passages are so dry that I wake up many mornings with a bloody nose, my eyes are constantly itchy, and I have sinus pressure (everyone I work with is experiencing varying degrees of this). I'm also wondering if it's my diet. In the past month, I haven't been eating extremely healthy in addition to experiencing some stress at work.

I, too, have gone to doctors about my postnasal drip/sinuses, but they can't seem to offer relief, so I can't even imagine what they would say if I told them about this

I think my game plan is going to be to monitor my diet more closely and try the pro-biotics that someone mentioned. Also, once the inflammation goes down a little and my nasal passages heal a bit, I'm going to start using the saline spray again.

Sounds like a lot of people on this post have sinus problems or some kind of possible damage to the sinuses. Hope someday someone can nail down exactly why this happens.
Good luck to you all.

I too am so glad to find this blog. I have been smelling smoke now for about 6mths and was afraid to say anything because I thought people would think I was crazy. After reading these post I made an appointment with an ENT today. I just got back and the Dr. said I had a sinus infection. He put me on 30 days of antibotics and order a CT scan once I have completed the antibotics. He said that if it is not cleared up after taking the meds that I would have to have surgery.

At the visit today he looked in my nose with a camara to make his diagnoses.

I've been smelling the smoke too....for about a few days.... my smoke haze is likely in conjunction with the medicine I've been taking following the removal of a wisdom tooth. I'm taking: Penicillin VK 500mg and Hydrocodone/APAP 5mg/500mg I also took a Diflucan to ward off a yeast infection as result of the antibiotics.

Maybe it's related to that...maybe not... I have good health (Just went to the doctor and got everything from a to z checked and all was well - Thank God)... So I'm thinking this may be a reaction to these meds....

The only other thing I want to get checked is this pain in my neck (which has been there for months) and I think it's related to my being in school online and sitting in my bed using the laptop...another friend said that happened to her while she was in school...and when she graduated and used the laptop less, it went away...

I am so glad I finally googled this. I thought I was loosing it. I have noticed the smelling of smoke off and on for a couple of months. It wasnt until I had a cold with a ton of mucus that I have been smelling smoke everyday. I thought that the cold was over, but I still smell smoke every once in a while. I am going to ask my friend who is a nutritionist for any natural supplements. Will let you know if she has any ideas.

I started smelling the cigarette smoke about 2 wks ago. Neither my husband or I smoke, he doesn't smell it, I do. I can hardly stand it. I found this site, and at least know I'm not alone.
I slipped my sacroiliac joint out in July of 08, and have been in alot of pain ever since. Besides taking Ibuprohen, xtra stgth tylenol, and over the counter tumeric for inflamation. The dr. put me on Lyrica, for nerve and muscle pain, I have to wonder if the Lyrica is part of the cause of the cig. smell, as it is an anti seizure medication, and I don't have seizures. I'm at my wits end for the problem, I also have been getting cortizone shots in teh SI joint. I've had 2 and will get my 3rd one in a week. But I'm leaning toward the Lyrica causing the problem, but can't get off the med, without the pain getting more severe. If anybody has an answer to the problem, I'd be grateful to hear it.
3Jacks

I had the worst flu ever, and have not been sick in 7 years. It was all in my throat, nose, and lungs. As I got better, the smell of smoke started in. It is usually in the evening and last several hours. I have never had this before and I thought I was losing my mind. I am a Master Herbalist and am going to get to the bottom of this if it kills me. I am going to start on a strong extract of echinacea first and then move on to something I call super tonic. I will let you know. Good luck to all of you.

Does anyone post here anymore?? I have a few questions...

Being in the natural health industry, I was not going to take this "smelling smoke" thing sitting down. I realize that not all of you had a bad case of the flu like I did before this strange affliction started up, but it seems to have a common thread in regard to some kind of infection. So, I went at it based on what I thought might be an underlying infection and started experimenting with different things in the alternative arena.
What I found is that a product called "Colloidal Silver" works for me. I find that the smoke smell is subsiding and my taste buds are coming back. There are tons of companies out there that sell the product, but my research brought up three that are well respected and well known.
Ciao

I began to smell "smoke" about 4 or 5 years ago! I kind of assumed that it had something to do with a nasal surgery that I had done for a deviated septum. It started some time after the surgery, but I can't remember exactly when.

The smell had gotten to the point, where I was worried that maybe it was something more serious. I finally googled it, and now I know where to start.

Thanks for all of your posts, and I will post after I speak to my doctor (for the first time) about this! I can't believe I ignored it for so long!