foul ashy smell everywhere

Hope this info could help some folks. Have you ever smelled something like dirty ashtrays or worse, all day every day for weeks, and wondered whether it was your CPAP causing a fungal infection in your nose? That is my situation. I searched on the forum and found a few threads where people report this type of smell, and some respondents suggested that it had nothing to do with CPAP and could be nasal polyps. Yes nasal polyps do seem to cause that, but I probably don't have them. I also had a terrible taste in my mouth, which made me go to the endodontist and have the apicoectomy on my abscessed tooth that I had been putting off. I thought after the apico that the smell and taste would both go away. No, only the taste went away. WTF, sez I. Then one day I closed one nostril at a time and realized the smell is IN MY NOSTRIL OR SINUS, only on one side. (There has also been minor pain and visible irritation near the nostril for a few weeks.) Weirdly, the nasal smell is activated by regular smells in the environment. For example, when I walk into the kitchen, bathroom, or cat's litter box room where there are more smells than in my study, I notice the ashtray smell more. Immediately went to the doc and she looked way inside, and said yep, there's an "ulcer" (not polyp). She thinks it could be connected to not cleaning the CPAP or changing the nasal pillows often enough. But I've used CPAP for years on the same lax schedule – I wash the nasal pillows and Tap Pap mouthpiece daily, but not all the other parts. We did move to a more moldy location on the coast 10 months ago, and the water here is different, and I had a very bad bronchitis in Jan-Feb this year. I figure all of that could contribute. So now I am squirting saline 4X day, and did a week of bactroban ointment. It seems a bit better but not gone. Trying Flonase now, which has a corticosteroid, as advised by the doc.
If you smell ashy/rotten smells all the time, get your sinuses checked out!
I still don't know if the CPAP had anything to do with it. Thoughts?

surf_rower wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 26, 2019 3:10 pm

She thinks it could be connected to not cleaning the CPAP or changing the nasal pillows often enough. . . . I still don't know if the CPAP had anything to do with it. Thoughts?

Unless that doc is a sleep-breathing subspecialist with long experience, I would not put much weight into the doc's imaginative theories about remote possibilities of the cause. That said, I'd like to thank you for posting your experience; I can see how it might be helpful if someone ever experiences anything similar.

surf_rower wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 26, 2019 3:10 pm

I still don't know if the CPAP had anything to do with it. Thoughts?

People, (including doctors) blame CPAP for all sorts of unrelated things...

I don't know if it's the CPAP or not. However, since you think it might be, clean it very thoroughly on a regular basis.

Did they culture the wound to see exactly what you are dealing with? Any chance a humidity level adjustment (either direction) could maintain a healthier mucosal lining less susceptible to infection?

kteague wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 26, 2019 4:59 pm

Did they culture the wound to see exactly what you are dealing with? Any chance a humidity level adjustment (either direction) could maintain a healthier mucosal lining less susceptible to infection?

They didn't. She thinks either the Bactroban or Flonase should chase it away. If not, I'll go back. Interesting thought about humidity, but I'm not particularly susceptible to infection, this is the first time I've had anything like this. If it turns into something chronic, I'll experiment more with humidity. Thanks

Might try Spry Nasal Spray. It is a Xylitol-based spray which starves bacteria and yeasts-funguii (funguses looks too weird LOL). I use it during tree-orgy (pollen) season, if I get an upper respiratory bug, bloody nose for whatever reason, or congestion that won't go away. I too get that occasional ashtray scent.

Muse-Inc wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 28, 2019 5:29 am

Might try Spry Nasal Spray. It is a Xylitol-based spray which starves bacteria and yeasts-funguii (funguses looks too weird LOL). I use it during tree-orgy (pollen) season, if I get an upper respiratory bug, bloody nose for whatever reason, or congestion that won't go away. I too get that occasional ashtray scent.

Haha "funguii" looks pretty weird too. Thanks for suggesting the spray, I'll check it out. A few months ago, I had a ringworm-type small fungus on my chin and used Mucatin(sp?) to get rid of it, worked great. That's when I realized a fungus has to be attacked with an anti-fungal -- the anti-bacterial things don't work on it. So, if this current corticosteroid Flonase doesn't work, I'll try an anti-fungal. I guess it's possible the same fungus that got my chin could have gotten into that nostril. They say cats can give it to you, and vice versa, and we have two cats. Breathing through a silk scarf over my nose and chin on cold days while I was sick could have spread it. So many possibilities so little clarity! Thanks again.

The plural of fungus is fungi or funguses Still looks weird!!!

Muse-Inc wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 29, 2019 12:05 am

The plural of fungus is fungi or funguses Still looks weird!!!

When we're with two guys named Gus, should we call them the Guses, or the Gi ?

NOTE: Unexplained odors can be a sign of a stroke or brain tumor.
Do see your doctor.

surf_rower wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 29, 2019 11:50 am

Muse-Inc wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 29, 2019 12:05 am

The plural of fungus is fungi or funguses Still looks weird!!!

When we're with two guys named Gus, should we call them the Guses, or the Gi ?

to further confuse, the french pronunciation of "Guy" is "Gi". how do the french handle a plurality of Guy?

zonker wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 29, 2019 11:54 am

surf_rower wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 29, 2019 11:50 am

Muse-Inc wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 29, 2019 12:05 am

The plural of fungus is fungi or funguses Still looks weird!!!

When we're with two guys named Gus, should we call them the Guses, or the Gi ?

to further confuse, the french pronunciation of "Guy" is "Gi". how do the french handle a plurality of Guy?

Geezers. Like us.
JPB

jimbud wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 29, 2019 12:00 pm

zonker wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 29, 2019 11:54 am

surf_rower wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 29, 2019 11:50 am

Muse-Inc wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 29, 2019 12:05 am

The plural of fungus is fungi or funguses Still looks weird!!!

When we're with two guys named Gus, should we call them the Guses, or the Gi ?

to further confuse, the french pronunciation of "Guy" is "Gi". how do the french handle a plurality of Guy?

Geezers. Like us.
JPB

well played, sir!

surf_rower wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 26, 2019 3:10 pm

CPAP

surf_rower wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 26, 2019 3:10 pm

saline 4X day

surf_rower wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 26, 2019 3:10 pm

a week of bactroban ointment

surf_rower wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 26, 2019 3:10 pm

Trying Flonase now, which has a corticosteroid

If your doc keeps guessing, she may eventually hit on something in your lifetime.