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Is Olfactory Dysfunction A Prodromal Symptom Of Epilepsy?
Question: 54 year old Male , good health, take Sertraline /Zoloft
Recently ate an average of 4/5 mandarin oranges a day for a week or so...tore the peels off with my teeth to open them.
A week since I stopped Now all I smell is a flowery perfume
Very annoying
Epilepsy ? No other symptoms except your average mid life crisis.....
Recently ate an average of 4/5 mandarin oranges a day for a week or so...tore the peels off with my teeth to open them.
A week since I stopped Now all I smell is a flowery perfume
Very annoying
Epilepsy ? No other symptoms except your average mid life crisis.....
Brief Answer:
Epilepsy unlikely
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to HealthcareMagic.
Yours is an interesting and unusual case. The causes of abnormal smell may be multiple. Usually the most common ones are respiratory tract infections or polyps, more common than neurological conditions.
Regarding neurological conditions there can be several like Parkinson's, brain trauma or tumor involving the olfactory nerve. Temporal lobe epilepsy which you mention can also be a cause, but it's in the form of seizures, attack, not continuously persistent for a week. Also epilepsy doesn't come out of the blue at the age of 54, at this age there has to be a triggering cause like infection, stroke, tumor etc which would have other manifestations.
After listing these possible causes I would also have to say that any of those have no relationship with the mandarin and orange peeling with teeth and eating, so the association in time is a little bit strange and there might be also a psychological factor at play.
If it persists though, the above mentioned causes should be considered, starting with an exam of the mouth and nasal cavities and if there are no signs of respiratory tract issues a physical exam for parkinsonian signs and a brain MRI should be scheduled.
I hope to have been of help.
Epilepsy unlikely
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to HealthcareMagic.
Yours is an interesting and unusual case. The causes of abnormal smell may be multiple. Usually the most common ones are respiratory tract infections or polyps, more common than neurological conditions.
Regarding neurological conditions there can be several like Parkinson's, brain trauma or tumor involving the olfactory nerve. Temporal lobe epilepsy which you mention can also be a cause, but it's in the form of seizures, attack, not continuously persistent for a week. Also epilepsy doesn't come out of the blue at the age of 54, at this age there has to be a triggering cause like infection, stroke, tumor etc which would have other manifestations.
After listing these possible causes I would also have to say that any of those have no relationship with the mandarin and orange peeling with teeth and eating, so the association in time is a little bit strange and there might be also a psychological factor at play.
If it persists though, the above mentioned causes should be considered, starting with an exam of the mouth and nasal cavities and if there are no signs of respiratory tract issues a physical exam for parkinsonian signs and a brain MRI should be scheduled.
I hope to have been of help.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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