constant smell of ammonia in my nose

LAGUNAKISSYFACE · Newbie Joined: 11 Feb 2008 Posts: 1

I noticed I get the worst smell/taste of ammonia when I eat things with either distilled vinegar or acids in them. And most of the time, I believe I only smell/taste it when I'm sick. I just went to the doctors on Thursday and I have bronchitis and a sinus infection. I was given the Azithromycin tablets to take, and I've also been taking Motrin for pain relief and to keep the fever down. The taste only seems to get EXTREMELY worse, and almost unbareable when I eat things with ketchup or ranch dressing on them. I also had a ceasar salad last night, and the ceasar dressing also smelled/tasted like ammonia. It's disgusting! People think I'm crazy, and don't seem to understand why I get those tastes. But I'm kind of glad I found out more people suffer with this...
Now my question is, WHAT CAUSES THIS HORRIBLE AMMONIA SMELL/TASTE? I've read numerous places it can be a variety of things. Kidney failure (which runs in my family), brain tumors (heaven forbid), ammonia splitters (no idea!), epilepsy (I don't have seizures), anxiety and stress (which I've had a lot of lately..!). So...now I'm just trying to determine what it is! Because honestly...it's driving me crazy! Confused

Guest · Guest

I noticed I get the worst smell/taste of ammonia when I eat things with either distilled vinegar or acids in them. And most of the time, I believe I only smell/taste it when I'm sick. I just went to the doctors on Thursday and I have bronchitis and a sinus infection. I was given the Azithromycin tablets to take, and I've also been taking Motrin for pain relief and to keep the fever down. The taste only seems to get EXTREMELY worse, and almost unbareable when I eat things with ketchup or ranch dressing on them. I also had a ceasar salad last night, and the ceasar dressing also smelled/tasted like ammonia. It's disgusting! People think I'm crazy, and don't seem to understand why I get those tastes. But I'm kind of glad I found out more people suffer with this...
Now my question is, WHAT CAUSES THIS HORRIBLE AMMONIA SMELL/TASTE? I've read numerous places it can be a variety of things. Kidney failure (which runs in my family), brain tumors (heaven forbid), ammonia splitters (no idea!), epilepsy (I don't have seizures), anxiety and stress (which I've had a lot of lately..!). So...now I'm just trying to determine what it is! Because honestly...it's driving me crazy! Confused

Guest · Guest

I am having the same exact problem, I can barley eat anything and the constant smell being indoors is making me feel ill. I am on the exact medication as you are azithromycin and motrin??? I can't eat anything with dressing, sauces, chesses. I can not get rid of the amonnia smell. Please help, I am going crazy

Guest · Guest

I have a sinus infection and upper respiratory infection. I am also on Zpac(azithromycin). I am a ketchup aholic and I now gag everytime I put it in my mouth! It is so strong. I described it to my family as a burning sensation. This has happened to me once before, when I was a young kid. I used to get URI's all the time. Good news is, it went away. So it has something to do with the infection in the respiratory tract and/or the medication. I still don't know what causes this reaction, but am curious to find out.

Guest · Guest

From personal experience, Western medicine is unlikely to resolve this health issue. Try a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner. You'll be amazed at how quickly this symptom, and others of which you are probably unaware, will disappear.

Guest · Guest

Me too!

I don't think I have sinus infection and I don't "taste" the smell. I just keep getting overwhelmed with whiffs of this "amonia-like" smell. I am making appt with my ENT today.

Also - I feel a little nauseous from this.

Guest · Guest

I would like to add my voice to this problem. Had this oddity for about a week and like a lot of the previous posts I am going a little mad with it which prompted an internet search and luckly found this site. May I ask how the last reviewer got on eith the ENT specialist?

elenajas · Newbie Joined: 16 Jan 2008 Posts: 3

I just read that poster who is sick with a sinus infection, and that poster on page 3 i think that said you probably have a sinus infection, and im sick too, and i found that things wtih vinegar and even some that dont smell too terribly like ammonia I cant even eat them.

Maybe it is sinus infections! Lets see if the ammonia smells goes away after antibiotics, im going to go to the doc soon to try to find out. I did have sinus pressure in the first few days of my cold.

pretty weird huh! But I guess if that poster was right and that certain sinus infections are ammonia spitters or whatever, and that causes the smell, then we should check it out! totally weird howt hings work!

Guest · Guest

I had that too, and I found a blog saying it was an infection and to get the antibiotic Cipro. I have had a reaction to Cipro before, so I got the doctor to prescribe me Levaquin (same family as Cipro), and it went away. It was horrible to smell that smell, so I highly recommend trying one of those antibiotics!

Guest · Guest

I first noticed it 8 years ago but thought it had something to do with my office facing a busy "Toll Way" (as we call them in the states) It comes and goes every 3 months or so.
Has a doctor ever given any ideas as to what this could be?

Anybody????

Joe

constant smell of ammonia in my nose

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