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Prescription Medication Use and Phantom Odor Perception Among US Adults
Kathleen E Bainbridge1, Danita Byrd-Clark2
1National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.
Chemosensory Perception
|December 21, 2020
Summary
Taking five or more prescription medications is linked to a higher chance of phantom odor perception. Certain common medications like antidiabetics and proton pump inhibitors may cause these phantom smells.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Pharmacology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Phantom odor perception, or smelling odors when none are present, is a common complaint.
- The association between prescription medication use and phantom odor perception is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between the number and type of prescription medications and the prevalence of phantom odor perception in U.S. adults.
- To identify specific medication classes associated with phantom odor perception.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2011-2014.
- Included a nationally representative sample of 7,417 U.S. adults aged 40 and older.
- Assessed phantom odor perception through in-home interviews and prescription medication use via validation with prescription bottles.
Main Results:
- Nearly a quarter of adults (23.3%) reported using five or more prescription medications.
- Using five or more prescription medications was associated with a 70% increased odds of phantom odor perception (OR 1.69).
- In adults 60 and older, antidiabetic, antihyperlipidemic, and proton pump inhibitor use showed significantly higher odds of phantom odor perception (ORs ranging from 1.74 to 1.88).
Conclusions:
- Phantom odor perception may be an olfactory side effect of certain common prescription medications.
- Antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic agents may contribute to phantom odor perception.
- Proton pump inhibitors might be linked to phantom odors, potentially due to gastric reflux.
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