Is this normal, am I normal?

[Daniela2016]

It's been over a week, and you might remember the grilled eggplant story, and the smoke taste is lingering in the back of my throat.  The same taste as I had as a smoker who just finished a cigarette.

My teeth are ok, I am due to a cleaning that is true, I try to limit coffee to 2 cups/day and I eat in between these.

Could it be allergies, creating extra secretions and bringing back up more cleaning of the cilia from the bronchioles?

I have the feeling someone around me just had a cigarette, not so strong, but still, no one smokes at home at least my dogs started and did not tell me...little stinkers.

[shashort]

Hey Daniela I don't know if it's normal or not but yes I have had the same problem smelling and tasting smoke and never around smokers.  It is a phantom smell and taste. What I read on it is could be what you said cleaning the lungs or with the smell may be damage in olefactory from smoking or the cilia still be cleaned.   I used to get this quite often and it drove me crazy. It could also be a memory thing. Think back and see if what your doing when you get the taste and see if linked to your triggers. Kind of sounds like it could be linked to the egg plant and your brain remembering it.  I know when I injured my hand and couldn't do anything and got bored I would started smelling it because I use to smoke when I was bored.  The information I read says it nothing to worry about suggested mints and gum to distract from the taste. The smell I would use vicks under my nose. I will look in my blogs because I know I blogged about it before. I still have them from time to time.. Hang in there I know it is annoying. My would linger a few days at a time and I would start getting nauseated form the smell and taste.  I hope it gets better for you.  This would be the time to be very vigilant while this is going on. My incidents have decreased and not having as frequent as in the past but still comes around to remind me how bad it tasted and smelled. I hope that helps.

[Daniela2016]

Thank you so much Sharon shashort‌, that means I am not really that crazy, but if I am at least I am not alone   I always get them while at my computer, either here at EX, or mostly when working.  So, definitely not bored.  I was inclined to call them as you did "phantom" taste, and to tell you the truth, I found myself blaming the quit for all my health problems I had lately.  And before anyone jumps and tells me how wrong I am, I do not romance the smoking, I have no plan to pick it up again, but just barely stated a fact: quitting upset whatever fragile health balance smoking had kept in my body...And maybe quitting did nothing by partially hiding these issues, what I can say is that some of them are still pretty raw, despite the fact they are being worked on with all my might and finances!  I am here to stay, no matter the price I pay, because I know being an EX is what I have to be for the rest of my life.

[shashort]

Isn't nice to find out your not going totally crazy lol. I forgot to tell you I took notes when I would get those phantom taste and smell and lot is where I usually smoked the most. Like the balcony is my biggest trigger still today as that is where I did all my smoking.  I think it would be normal to blame the illness on the quit, since it seemed to hit you hard. Maybe the smoking days just blinded you to see those warning signs something is wrong.  I know I wrote a blog or talked to someone about and and they said I wasn't going crazy either. Still trying to find that blog. Hugs Daniela and hope you are feeling better.

[Daniela2016]

Thank you again shashort‌ Sharon, I take it one day at the time when it comes to health, much like we did with the quit.  There are good days, and some which are not too good.  One great thing is the Cardiologist cleared me, at least until other symptoms occur (or not which I am planning on).  The Thyroid is still a work in progress, but I no longer need the intensive care I did back in January.  I do a pretty good job at keeping the Blood sugar under control, and it is mostly because I started walking again.  That only happened about 4 weeks ago when I purchased the expensive shoe inserts I talked about here, but the truth is, they really helped with the heel pain, and are allowing me to walk (either outside, or use Leslie Sansoon' s DVDs and walk in front of the TV for 30min, pretty much every day of the week).  Now, the liver is another story, and there I am in a vicious circle: I have Fatty liver (one of the genes responsible for the good liver metabolism is lacking), and that is impacting my whole metabolism: glucose intolerance, lactose intolerance, elevated cholesterol (and all other components), of course elevated liver enzymes, and Liver sclerosis, level II (according to the last Dr reviewing the liver biopsy, I do not have liver cirrhosis, as I was initially told; there is level III before the cirrhosis, and even cirrhosis can be stopped and not evolve into liver cancer).  But for the latest all I can do is: exercise, diet, and lose weight.  And I am doing the one and 2, but as long as the liver enzymes are elevated, I will not be losing weight .  But I will go for a walk outside right now, the weather is wonderful, it cooled down substantially in the last week, so I am out of here right now, talk to you later, and big hugs for your support!

[JACKIE1-25-15]

It is the phantom cigarette smoke.  Sometimes you never know where it came from.  Sometimes you do.  Have to wait it out and start sniffing to find where it is coming from. 

[JonesCarpeDiem]

It happened to me occasionally after my first year. It could be memory. Memories are real, possibly real enough to create taste sensations to the brain.

maybe

[JonesCarpeDiem]

consider panic attacks

a panic attack is focusing in a thought until it becomes a fear and then the adrenaline is flooding your system and you're out of control for 3 or 4 hours. All created by your own mind.

[Daniela2016]

Yeah, could be that too, scared I'd give in and pick it up again?  Maybe, somewhere in the back of my conscious mind, resides the thought that smoking would increase the metabolism and I won't have to work so hard anymore to even maintain, let alone lose any weight, maybe...But I have the conscious mind to override that, thank goodness, I still have that, I still have NOPE...thanks to you all, and all the crazy abbreviations

[JonesCarpeDiem]

It does speed up your metabolism as it kills you.