Heightened Sense of Smell

[RMHGordon]

Curious.....

Does anyone else experience an increase in the sensitivity of smell after beginning an Adderall regimin? The world has become a very smelly place for me now! I smell things now that I had no idea they even existed before. Driving down the street, I capture so many different scents, even when the windows are rolled up. Most of the smells are unpleasant, a few are not.

Anyone?

[oddjobace]

I haven't, but smell is a sense and it would make sense that ithis sensitivity could also be increased.

Is your sense of smell increased when you focus on the smell? Or is it something that just enters your mind?

Didn't mean to say "sense" so much but couldn't do without it.

[bobC]

Likely the adderall opened up your nose like a decongestant. More air flow would translate into a stronger sense of smell.

If the increase in smell is due to increased stimulation in the mid brain (where smell is controlled) it could also effect your mood in a negative way.

BobC

[RMHGordon]

Hmmmm....

What do you mean, in a negative way?

In that some things may become a turn-off to me now?

Right now, sitting at my desk, I can smell my co-worker in the office accross the hall from mine, and it's not pleasant (Smells like feet). I can smell my own body odor, eventhough its only been 2 hours since I stepped out of the shower.

It's weird! The coffee I drink every morning smells exactly the same as it used to and the smell is no stronger than before.

[tlhengel]

Originally Posted by RMHGordon

Curious.....

Does anyone else experience an increase in the sensitivity of smell after beginning an Adderall regimin? The world has become a very smelly place for me now! I smell things now that I had no idea they even existed before. Driving down the street, I capture so many different scents, even when the windows are rolled up. Most of the smells are unpleasant, a few are not.

Anyone?

I kid you not, I was about to post something pertaining to this! creepy.

I have noticed my own sense of smell is much more keen, and I'm very sensitive to smells normally, so this is getting ridiculous. I smell things that no one else can, and it drives me nuts. For instance, I can smell my son's dirty diaper from across the room when my husband can't even smell it being two feet away.

More than that though, I feel like my hearing is better too. I can hear very low sounds that no one else can. Sometimes I wonder if I'm hallucinating, but majority of the time I know I'm not. I'll hear someones bass from blocks away and my husband will say I'm crazy...two minutes later it's right outside our house.

Very strange.

[osiris]

I'm on day 3 of my Adderall, and I too have noticed an improvement in my sense of smell and hearing. I'm starting with a very low dose, so I expect this will become more prominent as I up my dosage over the coming weeks.

[twinch42085]

-When I first started my Adderall XR I too noticed the heightened sense of smell.

-One must know that this is a stimulant, and stimulants (such as Adderall) will in fact affect one or more senses due to the increase of neurotransmitters flowing through the reward pathways.

-The heightened smell does go away. At least it did for myself.

-There will be more experiences from the Adderall.

Good Luck,

Twinch

[ahump]

As I write this, I am being pummelled with the horrifying smell of a Febreeze plug in. The same plug in thingy that smelled REALLY nice last week before starting Adderall.
My husband has started to completely gross me out as he smells like the nastiest ashtray and I SWEAR he is actually blowing the smoke into his clothes so I can smell it on him when he comes inside. (ok, I don't really think that, but it is that strong!)

Last night when cooking I realized how AMAZING the pesto I was using smelled.

I am just happy to hear that I am not allergic to my husband.

In addition, and on a serious note...
Maybe this is actually how things smell to me, I couldn't tell before because my dang brain was trying to do/process/thinkabout/etc too many things at once.

Who knows?

[Mocodity]

oh my goodness I totally noticed this!

My hippie friends are smellier and I'm noticing food smells much more keenly. Even though my appetite isn't all that powerful these days, my psychological love of food is enjoying this increased awareness in what other people are cooking very much.

[Cathycorbin781]

Yes it’s shocking. I just returned from Boston using the MBTA. I nearly vomited from smelling offensive odors after four hours in town and riding the MBTA. I have previously noticed the intense of odors but Boston was the Grand Finale today. I’ve been on Adderall for Narcolepsy/Cataplexy Seven weeks today. I hope this is a temporary side effect. Have Mercey.

[Little Nut]

Hey CC, it may be due amphetamines keeping the sinuses clear. OTOH it may not. -LN