Tell us about your symptoms and treatment experience. Take our survey here.

My Wife

I registered on Migraine.com on behalf of my wife who has been dealing with this issue for about 12 years. Over the years the number of "triggers" increased. She currently is at the point where she cannot read a single sentence, cannot look at a computer screen or smart phone for two seconds, cannot focus on any type of close work like sewing, cross stitch, etc. and now smells! This is like the last straw for her! The smell issue continues to get worse. Generally speaking it is not "bad" smells, but "good" smells like perfume and cologne. Her sensitivity has become extremely acute. Just walking by a woman wearing perfume and bang! another migraine. The only two activities she can still enjoy is watching TV and going to movies. However, she always has to go to movie theaters on working days, during the day time when only a handful of other people are there. And, even then as she is walking past anyone going or coming she must hold her nose or put on a nose clip. Same thing if we go out to a restaurant ..... never on a Friday night or weekend when they are the busiest and must always try to find a table furthest away from everyone. I have to actually smell the waiter/waitress before they approach our table to insure there is no obvious perfume or cologne. This is driving her crazy.

She is extremely depressed and becoming a recluse. I also fear she is becoming addicted to her strong migraine pills. I have tried to find any information on how a person might be able to temporarily or even permanently deaden the olfactory nerve. Supposedly there are tests being conducted on rats, but use on humans may be many years away. Does anyone have any input on this?

By providing your email address, you are agreeing to our privacy policy.

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The Migraine.com team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

Join the conversation

Please read our rules before commenting.

Community Poll

Do you feel comfortable advocating for yourself to your healthcare provider?