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Comments(5)

    • runnerjim

    • 12 years ago

    What was the result from the MRI? Hopefully it gave some clue.
    Jim

  1. MRI showed nothing other than what’s supposed to be there. The mystery remains intact!

  2. That pretty well describes the sounds of an MRI! It was like the soundtrack of every videogame I played in the ’80s. I can’t imagine what it’s like to be in a “closed” MRI. The “open” ones are intimidating enough, although i understand the technical reasoning behind the closed ones.
    Oh, and, 4T would be a fabulously powerful MRI machine. I got to play with the 0.7 Tesla machine after my scan, and it was amazing how strong that was. I know magnetic force wasn’t what you were thinking of, but your acronym fits in other ways, as well. 🙂

    • Dan Getz

    • 12 years ago

    Michele, for what it’s worth, you’re not alone. While I don’t smell phantom smells, a Google search (https://www.google.com/#hl=en&safe=active&sclient=psy-ab&q=%22phantom+smell%22+exhaust&oq=%22phantom+smell%22+exhaust&gs_l=hp.3..0i30l2j0i8i30.1036.6195.0.6500.23.23.0.0.0.0.308.2491.16j6j0j1.23.0.les%3B..0.0…1c.1.S86TpPMBTrM&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&fp=9e0d634c5b1464f6&biw=1419&bih=1079) brought up some interesting results. Especially https://www.medhelp.org/posts/Allergy/I-smell-exhaust-fumes-all-the-time/show/1245562 which has some names for it.
    Short summary, sounds like it could be anything from a sinus infection to trauma to seizures to a tumor. Since it’s not at tumor based on the tests (yay!) perhaps something else? Not a doctor, but figured I’d pass along what I found with the hope that it could help. 🙂

    • cheri

    • 12 years ago

    Certain people in my family have this same condition, and my mom (having been a nurse in her younger years) came up with the term “olfactory hallucinations”. Fortunately, I don’t usually smell exhaust, it’s usually popcorn. My guess is that these “olfactory hallucinations” are just a symptom of stress or being over-tired, but it could be related to sinus pressure.

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