Terrible smell toward end of Tx....Is it from the Radiation?

Hi Everyone...

So now he says he keeps smelling something terrible...like a sulfur smell...just terrible.
Is this just the effects from radiation? Or could it be from the prescription cream they have him putting on his neck. He says no matter where he goes he smells it and it's making him sick to his stomach. He even kind of tastes it in his mouth.

This normal? What is it? What can you do to help eliminate it?

Comments

  • luvofmylif
    luvofmylif Member Posts: 344
    My husband hasn't complained
    My husband hasn't complained of that , yet. The one thing I might worry about is that it could be some kind of infection in his mouth. Hopefully others may know

    Joan
  • ratface
    ratface Member Posts: 1,337 Member

    My husband hasn't complained
    My husband hasn't complained of that , yet. The one thing I might worry about is that it could be some kind of infection in his mouth. Hopefully others may know

    Joan

    Silver sulfadiazine cream
    is commonly prescribed for radiation burns and could very well be what he is smelling. In addition the sense of smell can get really refined and becomes much more efficient for some reason I have no knowledge of. I remember being able to smell cigarette smoke, perfumes, and dryer vents with a strange new found ability. Once my taste returned my sense of smell went back to it's limited self?
  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,724 Member
    smell this
    Hi Cris,

    There is a condition around here known as bionic nose. You smell many things intensely. For me it was the Jevity (PEG food). I could smell it a mile away and I did not like it. Skiffin smelled things during rads, I tried but got nothing. For me the Silver Sulfadiazine Cream never was obnoxious, matter-of-fact it worked so well it could have smelled like skunk I liked it so much. I think it is sensitive nose, but where there is sulfur smell there is often fire, better check around. The real tell is if you do or don’t smell it too.

    Best,

    Matt
  • ditto1
    ditto1 Member Posts: 660
    CivilMatt said:

    smell this
    Hi Cris,

    There is a condition around here known as bionic nose. You smell many things intensely. For me it was the Jevity (PEG food). I could smell it a mile away and I did not like it. Skiffin smelled things during rads, I tried but got nothing. For me the Silver Sulfadiazine Cream never was obnoxious, matter-of-fact it worked so well it could have smelled like skunk I liked it so much. I think it is sensitive nose, but where there is sulfur smell there is often fire, better check around. The real tell is if you do or don’t smell it too.

    Best,

    Matt

    I too would
    smell something, not real sure about taste. I would ask my wife or whom ever was with me if they were smelling something and then I would try to describe it, the answer was NO so I assumed it was just me. Cannot tell you what it was or why, not much of an issue now that Im 11 weeks out of tx.
  • cureitall66
    cureitall66 Member Posts: 913
    CivilMatt said:

    smell this
    Hi Cris,

    There is a condition around here known as bionic nose. You smell many things intensely. For me it was the Jevity (PEG food). I could smell it a mile away and I did not like it. Skiffin smelled things during rads, I tried but got nothing. For me the Silver Sulfadiazine Cream never was obnoxious, matter-of-fact it worked so well it could have smelled like skunk I liked it so much. I think it is sensitive nose, but where there is sulfur smell there is often fire, better check around. The real tell is if you do or don’t smell it too.

    Best,

    Matt

    I don't smell it....
    I have a very strong sense of smell and I do not smell it. That's why I'm thinking it's the radiation tx(after all, it is "cooking" flesh right? ) and not the cream. He says he smells it on towels, his kleenex, and he feels like he tastes it.

    I teased him asking if he thinks he was passing gas and he kindly shook his head no...LOL. I was just trying to lighten the mood. Guess he didn't find much humor in it. :)

    Cris
  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,724 Member

    I don't smell it....
    I have a very strong sense of smell and I do not smell it. That's why I'm thinking it's the radiation tx(after all, it is "cooking" flesh right? ) and not the cream. He says he smells it on towels, his kleenex, and he feels like he tastes it.

    I teased him asking if he thinks he was passing gas and he kindly shook his head no...LOL. I was just trying to lighten the mood. Guess he didn't find much humor in it. :)

    Cris

    that smell
    Cris,

    Passing gas would definitely answer it, but burning flesh does not smell like sulfur (generally). I think Skiffin and other described an ozone like smell (what ever that is). Don’t get me wrong, during rads I tried real hard to taste, feel or smell something but got nothing, but then again, I was wearing a mask.

    Matt
  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    Bionic nose....
    I had it, too, during treatment. I could have done tracking competitions with my German Shepherd during that time. If he's using the burn cream that Matt used, then he probably can smell sulfa...and with his new abilities, I imagine it IS strong.

    p
  • blackswampboy
    blackswampboy Member Posts: 341
    CivilMatt said:

    that smell
    Cris,

    Passing gas would definitely answer it, but burning flesh does not smell like sulfur (generally). I think Skiffin and other described an ozone like smell (what ever that is). Don’t get me wrong, during rads I tried real hard to taste, feel or smell something but got nothing, but then again, I was wearing a mask.

    Matt

    the ozone
    oh yeah, I got the 'ozone' smell. but it was only a minute or two toward the beginning of rads session, then it faded. disturbing--like scorched flesh. *shudder*
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    Ozone...BSB
    Like BSB, I would get the ozone smell right at the beginning of rads.

    It's a very destinctive smell...where I work, there is some elctronics rooms with ozone generators in them....once you smell it, you always remember that smell.

    With Kreg, it could very well just be him that he is smelling....

    With the throat so tore up, I can easily imagine the smell..., but it's also probably a bit of taste combined withthe smell...that he is smelling.

    Burnt, raw, flesh from insidde the throat.

    Dawn (sweetblood) use to smell it too...she eventually figured out, it was herself she was smelling...

    JG
  • Billie67
    Billie67 Member Posts: 898
    Skiffin16 said:

    Ozone...BSB
    Like BSB, I would get the ozone smell right at the beginning of rads.

    It's a very destinctive smell...where I work, there is some elctronics rooms with ozone generators in them....once you smell it, you always remember that smell.

    With Kreg, it could very well just be him that he is smelling....

    With the throat so tore up, I can easily imagine the smell..., but it's also probably a bit of taste combined withthe smell...that he is smelling.

    Burnt, raw, flesh from insidde the throat.

    Dawn (sweetblood) use to smell it too...she eventually figured out, it was herself she was smelling...

    JG

    Me too
    I started having increased sense of smell a little more than halfway thru rads. I also could detect a burnt flesh type smell. I didn't use the same cream as Matt used so I am sure what I smelled was my burnt skin. It's funny, my dog who is like my shadow and won't leave my side wouldn't get near me during that time. I remember telling my husband that he could smell what I could smell and he didn't like it either. As soon as my burns were almost gone the smell went away and my dog started hanging around me again. My husband could never smell it or was just trying to be nice, not sure. I really am convinced it was my torched skin and I felt as tho I could taste it too. I did mention it to my rad RN and she said they hear that complaint from time to time.
    Billie