What causes sudden, strong smell episodes and could it be an olfactory seizure?

[Hannah20]

I’ve been experiencing these brief episodes where my sense of smell is suddenly, overwhelmingly strong for maybe thirty seconds, like smelling burnt toast or something chemical, and then it’s just gone. It’s not connected to anything around me. My doctor mentioned it could be a simple partial seizure affecting my olfactory cortex. Has anyone else had this happen?

[Ronald.R]

I’ve had something similar once. A sharp, almost burnt-toast scent that hung around for about 20 to 30 seconds, then faded and left me a bit spacey for a little while. It seemed to pop up out of the blue, and it wasn’t tied to anything I was doing. A neurologist ran an EEG and later imaging, but nothing definite showed up and the episodes faded over time.

[OliverH]

I started keeping a tiny log of every episode—date, time, how long it lasted, and what I might have smelled. I also noted my sleep, stress, and meals around it. After a few months the pattern showed up in the notes more clearly and helped my doctor decide what to test next.

[AuroraJ]

Could this be something else entirely, like a migraine aura or a simple sensory oddity, and not a seizure at all?

[EmilyR]

Sometimes I drift off topic in my head—thinking about smells in cooking shows or a scent memory—and then snap back, realizing I should tell my doctor. I’m still waiting for a clearer explanation.