MG and the Sense of Smell

Panorama · 01-29-2014, 05:46 AM

Is there a connection between Myasthenia Gravis and the loss of the sense of smell? My sense of sell has greatly diminished over the last few years. If not, what can cause it?

-Mark-

4-eyes · 01-29-2014, 09:03 AM

No, there is no connection with MG (that I know of). There are many causes: smoking, overuse of nasal sprays, sinus polyps, allergies, and for some odd reason, loss of sense of smell often precedes (sometimes by a long time) Parkinson's disease. I'd say it'd be worth a visit with an ENT to try and pin down a treatable cause. Another doc appt, yay!

My mom has no sense of smell, and has been that way for nearly 30 years. I also have a neighbor that lost hers.

mrsD · 01-29-2014, 09:06 AM

And I would like to add, that low zinc status will impact taste and smell ability.

There are some drugs that are known to cause it too... one specifically is Biaxin. This drug is not used much today, except for people allergic to penicillin. It is listed as a treatment for H.pylori stomach bacteria, as well. But Zithromax sort of replaced it for those allergic to penicillin, these days. It is still on the market but just not a first line treatment anymore.

cait24 · 01-30-2014, 03:15 PM

I read a couple of articles on MG patients showing a loss of smell early in the disease.

Here is one of the links.
kathie

http://www.dementiatoday.com/myasthe...ense-of-smell/.

southblues · 01-30-2014, 04:23 PM

I have had an impaired sense of smell for years.

I always thought that it was a gift from God since the work that I do stinks. (Literally, not figuratively). It probably is all related.

I was having some pretty bad CNS issues before I started getting treated for MG. I was told that I was insane. I requested treatment for said insanity and I was told that I wasn't insane after all. Hmmm.

The whole thing stinks. But I don't notice smells that much.........

Panorama · 01-30-2014, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by southblues

I have had an impaired sense of smell for years.

I just though I was doing a better job cleaning my apartment than usual.

-Mark-

Panorama · 01-31-2014, 08:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cait24

I read a couple of articles on MG patients showing a loss of smell early in the disease.

Here is one of the links.
kathie

http://www.dementiatoday.com/myasthe...ense-of-smell/.

Thanks. I'm going to print the article and bring it to my neurologist on Monday.

I also did a Google search and found the following:

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%...l.pone.0045544

http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_...2012/10/smell/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23082113

-Mark-

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