I smell chemicals in my brain

June 19, 2006 1:48 PM

Why can I smell chemicals in my brain?

When I've finished exercising (and sometimes during) I can smell acidic 'chemically' smells 'in my brain'.. that is, the sense of smell comes from there in some way. I know certain acids (lactic acid, etc) go whizzing around the body, but why can I sense them as a smell?

As a teenager (it's less common, thought not totally gone, now) whenever I got angry, upset, or surprised I also used to get strong smells in my mind which would dissipate quickly but were certainly acidic (though different to exercise - perhaps adrenaline?)

I haven't found anything worthwhile on Google about this but may be using all the wrong words. Why can I sense chemicals in my blood stream as smells in my mind? Or am I? Could they be going through the blood vessels in my nasal cavity and I'm smelling them that way? Is there a name for this phenomenon?

posted by wackybrit to Health & Fitness (11 answers total)

This thread dealt with smelling ammonia and bleach after exercise or bending over. Is that the kind of thing you mean? (Though I'm not sure anyone there had a definitive answer for you.)
posted by occhiblu at 1:55 PM on June 19, 2006

You might be experiencing a mild, olfaction-based form of synaesthesia.
posted by Jairus at 2:01 PM on June 19, 2006

This sounds (and I'm not anything in particular to qualify this) like some form of synesthesia.
posted by boo_radley at 2:02 PM on June 19, 2006

dammit!
posted by boo_radley at 2:02 PM on June 19, 2006

Um, are you sure you're not just smelling your sweat? Have you ever actually smelled lactic acid in a lab or something so you have something to refrence it with?
posted by delmoi at 2:13 PM on June 19, 2006

Isn't "Acetone Breath" some sort of indicator of diabetic onset?
posted by hermitosis at 2:19 PM on June 19, 2006

My grandmother, when she was still otherwise mentally "with it", started swearing she could smell things she saw on television, particularly french fries and cigarettes. Since everyone who talks about working out seems to go on and on talking about acidity, my guess is that it's something similar to that.
posted by dagnyscott at 2:31 PM on June 19, 2006

Sort of off topic, but apparently it's a myth that lactic acid is what causes muscle fatigue; Lactic acid is what actually powers muscles.

See this NY Times article
posted by ShooBoo at 4:15 PM on June 19, 2006

I imagine you're more likely smelling these chemicals via exhalations from your lungs and possibly tasting them in your mouth.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 4:40 PM on June 19, 2006

I don't really have an answer for you, but you're not crazy: certain specific painful things, like turning my ankle, leave me with a bitter taste that's sort of in my mouth, and sort of in my nose. As you mentioned, I seem to remember it happening much more when I was younger.

Also, if I recall correctly, lactic acid is produced during anaerobic metabolism/exercise -- the first part of exercising (think short sprints) -- before your body starts in on aerobic exercise. But if you've been metabolizing anaerobically and haven't yet hit the aerobic stage, maybe it is lactic acid? I dunno -- I'm not a biochemist.
posted by penchant at 9:20 PM on June 19, 2006

Epilepsy, MS, and brain tumors are all sometimes associated with phantom smells.
posted by jamjam at 10:08 PM on June 19, 2006