Naked Science Forum
Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: Sandylou on 08/09/2003 03:22:18
-
Hi Chris.
> I am Sandra Houghton from Australia. Can you answer a question for me?
>
> I have for about two year had a strange odour that comes upon me I smell
> this strange odour it frightens me .
> There is nothing that I have in my home to cause it.
> It is a strange smell and feeling that comes over me , it lasts for a
couple of seconds intermitantly.
I cannot explain but it is like a chemical but I am the only one that
smell it.
I am afraid of it as I feel that it may have something to do with an
illness .
Hope you can assist me .
Kindest regards Sandra
Sandra Houghton
-
You describe a strange smell and feeling, which leads me to suspect epilepsy with an aura. And although you're not having grand mal seizures, you can have petit mal with a very brief loss of consciousness that might be imperceptible to others, but should be detected with an EEG. I don't know that I've heard of petit mal seizures with an aura, but I suppose it's possible. How about you Chris?
Bezoar
-
Hi Sandra
People with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) describe symptoms of a funny taste in the mouth or a strange smell (which no one else can smell - often oranges for some reason). There may be a brief period afterwards when the person is a bit vague, confused or unresponsive, and then the recover with little recollection of the event.
I think you should report your symptoms to your doctor because you need an EEG and for someone to get to the bottom of why this has started to happen.
Chris
"I never forget a face, but in your case I'll make an exception"
- Groucho Marx
-
I thought people with temporal lobe epilepsy also had personality changes. Not all the time?
Bezoar
-
My s had a type of fungal not sure if it was thrush or something from taking one of meds. He would smell like a mold in his nose and even asked me if I smelled it strange looking seeing me go up to his nose and take a sniff. He ended up where he had to take some type of pill he said tasted like bleach to him and this was to kill it. I will talk to him and see if he can tell me any more about it. karen
-
Karen - your idea is a good one, but Sandylou has intermittent symptoms highly suggestive of temporal lobe epilepsy.
The nature of epilepsy depends upon the site of the seizure focus. In TLE people classically experience olfactory hallucinations because the focus is close to or related to the olfactory centres and hence the abnormal activity in this regions triggers off strange 'smell experiences'. Foci in other places can have other manifestations including strange religious sensations...
Chris
"I never forget a face, but in your case I'll make an exception"
- Groucho Marx
-
Hi Cris.
Thank you for your answer I have printed it and will take it to my Doctor.
As a child I believe I had fits, my grandmother put me under a tap ( faucet) to bring me around, my mother also said that I was very highly strung.
One of my daughters has taken fits as a child until about 5 years ,I took her to the dentist once and she had a seizure when she felt her face become numb, Lea would take days to get over her seizures her first was at eight months of age, her children have had seizures as babies.
My son took 3 seizures in six hours he never had another one , his children have taken them as well. Regards Sandylou
Sandra Houghton
-
The symptoms definately sound like some sort of epilepsy to me. Fortunately it sounds like yours is not affecting your life at all, which is the real ticket. Although you should still definately get it checked out.
Just out of personal curisity, would you mind trying to describe what the smell that you sense, smells like?? I used to work with a lot of people with epilipsy, and its somewhat of a persona intrest. If you can't or don't want to thats understandable too.
BOW DOWN TO THE LORD OF THE FLIES!!!!
-
This thread is scaring me. I've been smelling some really bad smell intermittently for about a year now. It is sort of a combination of mold and smoke, and sometimes makes me kind of choke just like I do when someone's cigarette smoke gets in my face. I'll smell it sometimes for hours, sometimes just a whiff. I've smelled it mostly at my work, but also at home, in the car, and outside (basically everywhere) at one time or another. Other people don't smell anything. Days when I smell this for a long time I end up very tired, confused, and depressed feeling. I've just figured it was some mold or something I was allergic to.
I don't remember ever being unconsious, but of course I'm unconsious most of the time at work.
----
John - The Eternal Pessimist.
-
Hmmm.... this doesn't sound as much like any case of epiliepsy I've ever heard of, howvere, its not alltogether impossible since there are so many forms and each case is different. I wouldn't doubt its due to some form of temporary imbalances in your brain (whether its a serious issue or not, is another matter). Remember that what you precieve to smell is dirrected by your brain, so if you're picking up something thats not there, thats where its being generated.
BOW DOWN TO THE LORD OF THE FLIES!!!!
-
quote:
Originally posted by tweener
This thread is scaring me. I've been smelling some really bad smell intermittently for about a year now. It is sort of a combination of mold and smoke, and sometimes makes me kind of choke just like I do when someone's cigarette smoke gets in my face. I'll smell it sometimes for hours, sometimes just a whiff. I've smelled it mostly at my work, but also at home, in the car, and outside (basically everywhere) at one time or another. Other people don't smell anything. Days when I smell this for a long time I end up very tired, confused, and depressed feeling. I've just figured it was some mold or something I was allergic to.
I don't remember ever being unconsious, but of course I'm unconsious most of the time at work.
----
John - The Eternal Pessimist.
Well you're not alone here John. I've smelled things that aren't there off and on for years. It's usually cigar or cigarette smoke, or a burnt toast smell. Sometimes I get that mouldy smell too (yuck). When it happens I usually either have an "unexplained" experience, or get a headache, then have the scrambled brain feeling and/or the fatigue and depression you describe. Do you frequently "zone out" too? I don't worry, it's been happening as long as I can remember and hasn't killed me yet.
-
Certain types of seizures are described as a brief period of "zoning out" the person having the seizure can quite often even be mostly conscious while this type of seziure is happening. Although this doesn't mean that everytime you zone out you're having a seizure (allthough this excuse would have helped a lot in college)
This is a signature.... AND YOU WILL LIKE IT!!
-
There's "zoning out" when you are thinking about something and then there's "zoning out" when you have no idea where you've been afterward. The latter is annoying because it can happen when you are totally interested in something that's going on and you've missed part of it. But even if it is seizures they are so small that there's no damage done, right? So it's just one of life's little annoyances to teach you patience.
-
What actually happens in the brain during a seizure?
-
the short answer is all the electrical synapses in your brian fire at once (at least for the "big ones")
This is a signature.... AND YOU WILL LIKE IT!!
-
Sometimes I get what I call brain overload. Thoughts go through my head as per normal, except that it's on high speed like when you ff>> a video. I can't recall what went past, it's so fast.
What is that, and does anyone else experience this?
-
I zone out a lot - sometimes intentionally. [:)]
After this thread, I thought about the "strange smell" I've had trouble with and took action. I taped up the air vent in my office. So far, I haven't smelled the smell any more and have felt better and better overall. But it hasn't been very long either.
Donnah, I sometimes get the "overload" feeling you describe, but for me it's almost like being smarter. Things just seem to fit together better and ideas resolve faster. I wish I knew how to keep it going, or at least turn it on when I need to. Unfortunately, it is happening less and less often as I get older. Most of the time I feel very forgetful and dumb compared to 15 years ago. Maybe I'm starting Alzheimer's.
----
John - The Eternal Pessimist.
-
Apparently the number one sign that you do not have alzheimer's is wondering if you have alzheimer's
This is a signature.... AND YOU WILL LIKE IT!!
-
I'll try to remember that.
Remember what???
----
John - The Eternal Pessimist.
-
John, I get those brilliant times too. Love them.
-
I love them too, I just wish I had more control over them and didn't waste them when I'm at work.
----
John - The Eternal Pessimist.
-
I'll try to remember that.
Remember what???
----
John - The Eternal Pessimist.
-
John, I get those brilliant times too. Love them.
-
I love them too, I just wish I had more control over them and didn't waste them when I'm at work.
----
John - The Eternal Pessimist.
-
hello frnds any one help me?
I want to know the whichtype of epilepsy I have ---when i awake from sleep due to any noise , mobile ringtone , door bell etc. i get unconscious and started tongue biting with a rapid eye movement up side ? my parents are in depression ? I am not getting cured permanently ? i want to get cured completely ....
is epilepsy curable?
please help thanks in advance.