Body Oddity: Why when I sneeze do I smell honey?

June 11, 2010 10:29 AM

Body Oddity: Why when I sneeze do I smell honey?

I have searched Google but have found no answers, just more people asking the question. Urban Dictionary has a related entry.

posted by axismundi to Health & Fitness (6 answers total)

Heh, this has actually come up before.

Are you diabetic?
posted by punchtothehead at 10:42 AM on June 11, 2010

punchtothehead has a good question. For a while, I had a very brief vaguely sweet/coppery smell after sneezing. I was recently diagnosed with Type II diabetes and put on medication, and the smell has stopped. I hadn't related the two until seeing this question.
posted by catlet at 11:48 AM on June 11, 2010

Response by poster: I am not a diabetic.
posted by axismundi at 12:39 PM on June 11, 2010

I notice this too. It also makes it hard for me to enjoy honey, because it reminds me of nose innards. Eeeeew.
posted by Ouisch at 1:33 PM on June 11, 2010

I love metafilter. I've been wondering this for ages. Also experience it, also am not pre or otherwise diabetic, blood sugar levels testing normal even after fasting for an extended period. But I do very frequently go a long time between meals (18-36 hours), so ketoacidosis might be occurring very quietly.

Beespit's still delicious, though.
posted by notquitemaryann at 2:17 PM on June 11, 2010

Consider ketosis (a by-product of fat loss) instead of ketoacidosis (which is dangerous). In notquitemaryann's case, I would assume ketosis for example. I get a sweetish taste in my mouth most of the time from being in ketosis -- for me, it's not honeylike, and I find it rather irritating, but it's different for different people.

Are you eating few refined carbohydrates, or are you having long breaks between meals? If so, might be ketosis.
posted by Nattie at 9:59 PM on June 11, 2010 [1 favorite]