triggered by scents
I just did a search here on the word 'osmophobia' and nothing came up - does no one else have migraines triggered by scents - cigarette smoke, perfume, anything? Osmophobia is evidently one of the most common causes of migraine - I can't be the only sufferer out there!
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I'm sorry nothing came up! Not sure what's up with the search. Sometimes it can be a bit finicky. Here's what I found when the search cooperated with me; https://migraine.com/search?s=osmophobiaYou're not alone in having scents trigger an attack. Also called olfactory hallucinations, scents can definitely trigger (not cause, we don't exactly know what causes migraine disease) an attack. As I age I'm noticing more and more scents seem to trigger me, which makes me very unhappy! We had men working on our chimney this morning and one was smoking outside. Of course the windows were open and I knew I was going to be in trouble if I didn't do something. I grabbed my trusty handheld difuser filled with a pleasing to me essential oil, and was able to avoid an attack. Let me share a pic of mine with you;
Let me know what you think! Wishing you a low pain day, Nancy Harris Bonk, Patient Advocate/Moderator
Thank you Nancy! Yes, it's gotten worse as I've gotten older. 35 years ago, I smoked; now, one whiff of smoke and I'm down for four days. Also, strong perfume now triggers an attack; that's new and most unwelcome since that makes even hiking unsafe as I recently learned. By this point, I'm virtually housebound. My neurologist has been of little help but researching on my own, I learned that Dilantin helped someone with a syndrome similar to mine. She was symptom-free after two months; I've been taking it for almost three weeks. I am hopeful.
Let us know how that treatment works for you. In the meantime, I thought I'd share a video on the topic- but encourage you to take a look at the comment section that follows it - both to show you you aren't alone in this, and also because our community members share some strategies for addressing the issue that you might find worthy. Thanks so much for being a part of our community. Warmly, Holly (migraine.com team).
Thanks Holly - I don't see a video link - what am I missing?
apologies- I cut the link and didn't paste it! Here it is: https://migraine.com/video/secret-smell - Let us know how else we may assist and support you. Warmly, Holly (migraine.com team)
No worries - thank you!
