Migraine Headaches Support Group

Hi there, I too trigger migraines from different odors. Perfume is a major one for me, I have to be careful not to stand too close to anyone who is wearing a strong perfume.

I think it is common for many people as I have noticed that some doctors offices are now posting 'no scent' signs.

You might want to try products purchased from a health food store that don't contain any perfumes. I find that essential oils don't bother me at all just the chemical ones. There are a lot of products that use essential oils rather than chemically based ones. By the way I do know my liver function is good as it gets tested every year. Take care Kelley

Me too. It started when I was in my 30's and slowly got worse. At 46, I eliminated as many chemicals from my life as possible. I use only natural cleaning supplies and body care products, and nothing is scented unless it's a natural oil I can tolerate. This is often called; multiple chemical sensitivity, and can be mild or severe. My liver enzymes are fine. I make sure I drink plenty of water, this makes me less sensitive. If I come into contact with a chemical trigger, like perfume, I go outside and take some deep breathes. Avoidance is the key.

Many migraine sufferers have triggers involving smells, from both artificial and "natural" odors. (I can't stand the smell of many foods, including raw onions, and these trigger me as badly as any "chemicals" do. Also, mold is a very "natural" thing and most of us will trigger from that. I don't personally think whether something is "natural" or not has a thing to do with weather it triggers or not. ANY invasive aroma may trigger most migraine sufferers.

As for your question about your liver, it's doubtful. Your olfactory nerve doesn't have much to do with your liver and neither do your trigeminal nerve, your serotonin level or most of the other stuff that is related to migraine. I know I have had many LFTs in the past few decades (This is a Liver Function Test) and liver enzyme tests and mine are always normal. (the reason I am tested is that the medications I am on are rough on the liver, but as I don't drink alcohol, which is a trigger for many of us anyway, my liver appears very healthy even after decades on liver eating medications. But, my migraines and my trigger from smells is NOT related to liver function, at least not in my case.

I find that smells are stronger and more bitter, acrid, when I'm going into a migraine. I don't wear perfumes/body sprays/anything! I have skin sensitivities too, so I don't use any hair products--hair spray has always been a negative, overwhelming smell to me.

I agree with the food point too. Even food I like can smell horrible to me at certain times. If someone thinks something in the fridge smells--they ask me. lol

My last liver test showed damage, but I don't think that has anything to do with smells--I think it's all my medications (and years of them).

Thanks for your response's everyone. Smells are stronger when I have a headache also like you said CXEXB and i get a weird taste in my mouth- like metal. food smells do not bother me though thankfully!! hmmm.. not fun!

Oh, yeah, for me, too. I have a very good sense of smell anyway, but before a migraine (and when I am ovulating) my sense of smell goes into over drive.

I can smell ANYTHING ANYWHERE before anyone does. A few years ago, I smelled gas while sitting upstairs in our two story, with a basement house. I called the gas company because I was scared AND it was making me sick. They came and tested the upstairs stove etc nothing, they did the dryer, the water heater etc. Finally they did the furnace, and the man was saying, "Nope nothing here, it may be sewer gas you are smelling.", (we have septic. not sewer and they smell different) While walking around the furnace. Then he said, "OH MY GOD, there's TINY little leak at this juncture in the piping, the machine barely picked it up, I nearly didn't get it. HOW did you smell this at all, much less 2 stories up?" They fixed it, but my sense of smell is VERY good. (I always know when my kids try smoking and WHAT they have tried LOL!)

haha well there is always a positive