increased sense of smell?

Hello Chel

This seems to come and go with me but has happened since my major lupus flare in 2000. The worse the lupus symptoms the more acute my sense of both smell and hearing. I can no longer tolerate any scented washing powders, household cleansers and walking through a perfume department is a store is a nightmare some days. And of course living in the city that lovely smell of drains on hot wet evenings. Today there was a lovely smell of onions in one area of the city, bakery making pies I think. My partner could barely smell it until we got close but I could from half a mile away!

Rheumy thinks it is central nervous system stuff and so did psychiatrist I saw when I had my last CNS flare.

As I said it does fluctuate, some days really acute others back to normal. And one bonus - it is best not to clean with really strong over scented products anyway. They do the environment or ourselves no good.

Sara
x

Looks like I'm in your club too. I have superhuman smell, taste, and hearing. My hearing test last spring proved the hearing one! *lol*

If only my eyesight were as good!

My heightened sense of smell is extremely annoying. I can smell if someone is smoking in their car several cars ahead of me (& I hate the smell of smoke). Whoever is in the car with me can't smell it and doesn't believe me until we pass the car with a window cracked letting smoke out!

Can't stand the semi-truck exhaust fumes which I never noticed before a few years ago as being *that* bad. I cannot do the cleaning anymore as the smells are so strong and overpowering they make me choke/nose run/eyes hurt. I only use unscented products and for a while even required unscented shampoo/conditioner which is not easy to find!

For me it has lasted a few years now, although the severity waxes and wanes. I don't expect it to go away at this point...

Hi again

Bicarbonate of Soda, washing soda and vinegar (diluted) all make great natural cleaning products. Although the vinegar smell can be very overpowering it is better than the parfum and ammonia used in shop bought chemically products. Some of the environmentally friendly ranges are less scented as well, there is a german one we buy called Sonnetti that is less perfumed than ecover.

Natural and organic hair shampoos etc tend to be less smelly I find. I also use E45 lotion as a moisturiser and the cream when skin really dry as there is no scent. In the UK there is a washing powder/laundry liquid and fabric conditioner called Surcare which has no smell or scent, we use it because my partner has skin allergies - which weirdly, or not, started around the same time lupus flared in me after we both got flu twice in 4 months.

Glad I am not alone, although I usually don't mind a hint of cigarette smoke some days, as an ex smoker I still miss it occasionally.

Hope you are all having a scent free weekend.
Sara