[ImNotHere]

For the last few months I have been having a lot of sensitivity to certain smells, it is very overwhelming. For example there is the smell of pollen, to me the smell is so strong I can even smell it through the windows in my home, and it is driving me crazy. No one else can smell it like I can. Also things like dust, or like candles, like if I burn a candle I don't smell the pretty scent I just smell the wax. The pollen is driving me really insane and I don't know how to stop the smells.

I am on Topamax (was 150mg now going down to 100mg for anxiety) I really do not want to go off of it because it helps me but I cannot stand this smell problem. Anyone ever heard about this? have any idea what this is or why am I so sensitive to smells? Is it the topamax?

[gayleggg]

I don't remember having that problem when I was on Topamax, but could be. Is it causing you to have breathing problems, if so you may be becoming allergic to certain smells. My mother got to where anything that had a strong smell would make her need her inhaler. Perfumes were really bad. She finally quit going out in public.

I would check with my doctor and see what he says. He may have an answer.
Best wishes.

[ImNotHere]

Thanks for the response, I talked to my doctor about it once and she told me to lower my dose or topamax which hasn't helped at all. I can't really stay away from the smell of pollen, since it is everywhere and it drives me nuts. It is so strong for me but no one else smells it, I don't know what else to do. My doctor did not give me any other solutions and I don't really want to go completely off the topamax and don't know if that would even help. I don't have too much trouble breathing because of the smell, a little but mostly it is just such a strong smell.

[SnakeCharmer]

I've read that Topamax can cause "sensory sensitivity." For you that could be excessive sensitivity to smells.

Drugs in the same class as Topamax can also interfere with the body's ability to properly absorb some nutrients. Zinc deficiency can cause a person to suffer terribly from perceptions of malodor all around. There are other drugs in the same class as Topamax that may provide you with the same or better positive effect without the unpleasant side effect.

Unfortunately, when it comes to this class of drugs, it's often a trial and error process to find which one is right for a particular individual. I speak from personal experience. Maybe your doctor can switch you to something that does not have this unpleasant side effect.

I googled Topamax and smell and there seemed to be many people with a complaint similar to yours, although it is not emphasized as a side effect on the official Topamax site.

[Perna]

I would have to treat my anxiety some other way; that would drive me crazy too. I know when I got home from the hospital after an operation I had a weird smell thing going on and my poor husband had to change the bed sheets 3 times (and wash a set too) before I found a set I could tolerate. It was only then I figured out it had to be the meds throwing off my sense of smell.

SnakeCharmer has an idea with the Zinc. I'd go to my regular doctor and have blood/urine tests done to check all my vitamins/minerals and other things to see if something could be helped there or if something were badly off so I did not want to be on the Topamax because it was interfering with other natural systems.

[ImNotHere]

Thank you everyone for the responses, they have been very helpful. I am starting to cut down on the Topamax and hopefully go off of it completely soon. Hopefully that helps and one day I can have my normal sense of smell back again.