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Drugs that Change Smell
Some drugs can cause a change in your sense of smell. We're not talking about the odor that the drug gives off but your ability to detect chemicals by sniffing. The change could be an increase in sensitiveity, a decrease in sensitiveity, a partial or complete loss of your sense of smell (anosmia).
The following drugs have been reported to cause changes to the sense of smell.
- Amerge® (GlaxoSmithKline) naratriptan hydrochloride
- Beconase AQ® (GlaxoSmithKline) beclomethasone dipropionate, monohydrate Nasal Spray
- Biaxin® (Abbott) clarithromycin
- Eligard® (Sanofi-Synthelabo) leuprolide acetate
- Flonase® (GlaxoSmithKline) fluticasone propionate Nasal Spray
- Floxin® (Ortho-McNeil) ofloxacin
- Hivid® (Roche Laboratories) zalcitabine
- Imitrex® (GlaxoSmithKline) sumatriptan succinate
- Lotronex® (GlaxoSmithKline) alosetron hydrochloride
- Maxair™ (3M) pirbuterol acetate
- Maxalt® (Merck) rizatriptan benzoate
- Nasonex® (Schering) mometasone furoate monohydrate
- Pacerone® (Upsher-Smith) Amiodarone HCl
- Prevpac® (TAP) lansoprazole, amoxicillin and clarithromycin
- Roferon®-A (Roche Laboratories) Interferon alfa-2a, (3%)
- Testim® 1% (Auxilium) testosterone gel
- Timentin® (GlaxoSmithKline) ticarcillin disodium and clavulanate potassium
- Xanax® (Pharmacia & Upjohn) alprazolam
Possible Changes
This change is described by one or more of the following terms:
- abnormal smell
- alterations in the sense of smell
- disturbances of smell
- loss of the sense of smell
- smell dysfunction
- smell perversion
- unpleasant smell
Anosmia
Anosmia is the loss or impairment of your sense of smell. This is often caused by head colds or lung infections but can also be drug induced. It is not permanent unless the olfactory nerve is destroyed such as from brain injury, tumor or chronic rhinitis. Drugs known to cause a loss of the sense of smell are;
- Beconase AQ® (GlaxoSmithKline) beclomethasone dipropionate, monohydrate
- Cipro® (Bayer) ciprofloxacin hydrochloride
- Cytovene®-IV (Roche Laboratories) ganciclovir sodium
- Flonase® (GlaxoSmithKline) fluticasone propionate Nasal spray
- Rhinocort Aqua® (AstraZeneca LP) budesonide Nasal spray
- Vaseretic (Merck)
- Vasotec (Merck) (more than 3% of users)
In some cases, anosmia can be caused by mental factors such as fear that is linked with a certain smell. Anosmia is also called olfactory anesthesia.
Strange Smells?
If you smell something that no one else does, (not counting the obvious) you could be having a drug induced olfactory hallucination. This should be reported to your doctor.
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