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Original poster

Perimenopausal Armpits

58 replies

decenteringmen · 21/08/2025 17:02

Jesus fucking Christ.

In the last six months, ONE of my armpits has started to produce the most sour and pungent sweat, despite my best efforts. I usually leave my pit hair alone, and it grows to epic, EPIC proportions. I could braid the bloody stuff if I felt like it (I don't, I really can't be arsed). One armpit is absolutely FINE, but the left one is being pretty bloody obnoxious. I've now shaved them both. I've been using hibiscrub daily when showering to clear away any hideousness. I used to use Mitchum, but even that stopped working on my one awkward armpit. Since then I've tried Pitrok, Fussy, and several men's roll ons in the hopes that it might work, but nooOOooo. I change my bra and T-shirt twice a day. I am extremely clean and the idea of skipping a shower is revolting to me, sometimes I'm showering twice a day.

The heatwaves have been torture. Upon speaking to my doctor, she told me that this can happen when you're reaching the end of perimenopause (HURRY UP FFS), and I just have to deal with it. I'm on HRT patches at the highest strength (evorel) and have a Mirena installed because my periods are like Vesuvius without one.

I probably can't do much about it outside of bitching about it. I don't wear synthetic materials, only cotton because I know polyester etc can make things worse.

What in the ever loving fuck do I do now? I've considered weaponising my one armpit to demolish men, because frankly I'm fairly sure I could poison them with it. It is a biohazard at this point.

Please tell me I am not the only one with difficult armpits, and would it be entirely unreasonable to use my newfound but extremely unwanted superpower to knock them unconscious when they're being particularly annoying?

-Noxious armpit of Yorkshire.

OP posts:
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Lampshadeblue · 22/08/2025 21:31

Try odaban, it can sting a bit when you first try it, so don’t use too much. It definitely stops sweating though.

Howmanynamestaken · 22/08/2025 20:50

I felt like I was going mad until I googled it and realised it's a thing! Mine is my right arm pit and started just after I was prescribed HRT!
I have thrown out so many tops as I couldn't get rid of the smell.
I start a new job in 2 weeks and already anxious that's it's going to be a problem, all new tops needed at the very least!
Glad to see it won't last forever and some options to try, thanks ladies!

waitingforlifeonmars · 22/08/2025 20:37

When my armpits get over stinky and the dettol soap isn’t doing the trick, I wipe them over with a bit of neat tea tree oil (from home bargains!) to kill all the bacteria and reset them! Works well. Do a patch test first.

MagpiePi · 22/08/2025 20:23

I had this a while ago and a dermatologist friend recommended some stuff called Dermol 500 - an antibacterial lotion that you can wash with and use as a rub in cream. You can get it off the internet. She uses it, so it must be good! Also, don’t sit around in sweaty clothes.
I soak sweaty clothes in diluted vinegar before washing them normally. This also works for stinky teenage boy clothes!

Robin67 · 22/08/2025 20:15

I am in peri and approaching your age. I can't give this a personal recommendation because I have not used it yet, but another thread on MN mentioned it and I took note

A company called Carpe. They do all sorts of anti sweat products and it has been given good reviews on MN and online in general.

Ablushingcrow · 22/08/2025 20:15

I'm menopausal and dear lord, I've been pouring with sweat. My armpits the same as yours, stinky and wet no matter what I used. I randomly bought Garnier roll on deodorant (had no idea they made deodorant) and despite it smelling vaguely like mild aftershave, although it is nice tbh...omg after a hot sweaty day looking after my disabled large dog, in hot temperatures, my pits were dry as a bone! It's brilliant.

alpenguin · 22/08/2025 20:12

Wish your dr was right but this was my earliest symptom in my late 30s and it’s still going on in my 50s with regular to the day periods. That said my armpit hair has all but disappeared and in the hot weather I went two weeks without BO at all - but I was in vests so maybe access to air made a difference?

SplendidUtterly · 22/08/2025 20:06

Cidal soap. Cheap but very effective!

CMOTDibbler · 22/08/2025 20:02

Is it the Mitchum roll on you used? If so, try the gel (not the stick) as it is imo massively superior.

ghostyslovesheets · 22/08/2025 19:55

Mine didn’t decide to do rogue sweating but both decided to become allergic to every deodorant know to womankind!

huge red welts and scaly itch skin - a friend finally recommended one she had used throughout chemotherapy and it worked but it’s £11 for a tiny roll on from Amazon

Armpits seem to be yet another menopausal shit show we have to deal with 😡

SimoneA · 22/08/2025 19:49

It’s important to let the Hibiscrub soak into your pits for at least 5 mins to kill off the bacteria. I use a benzoyl peroxide face cleanser and lather up my armpits and let it sit. You will also have to treat the armpit area of all your clothes with something that kills bacteria (dettol etc). I soak shirts in a bucket with water and a few good splashes of dettol prior to washing them.

Original poster
decenteringmen · 22/08/2025 00:24

A few bits I forgot to add because as said previously, my brain is a BLANCMANGE:

I don't drink alcohol, nor do I drink tea or coffee, I only drink water, and lots of it. I reckon at least two to three litres a day. I'm quite boring in that regard. At the beginning of peri, I stopped any alcohol because I was finding that after a couple of hours, I started to feel absolutely rotten. I have never been a big boozer anyway so it wasn't difficult.

I have asked about bioidentical HRT, but was told I can only get that privately, and that's not really an option for me, although my doctor did say it can be a bit hit and miss anyway.

I don't seem to have any issues with abnormal odour regarding me growler, I keep it trimmed but I don't shave it off because it's supposed to be furry and it's protective. If I didn't trim it, it would end up like Epping Forest. That's the one part of me that hasn't gone absolutely mental odour wise, but when I hit peri the hair growth went FOOMP

I do overheat very quickly, which doesn't help. Always have. Now it seems to have magnified. If this pit nonsense is the last vestiges of my body going through perimenopause, it needs to hurry the fuck up.

I am also careful with the kinds of foods I eat, I no longer eat anything heavily spiced, or anything that has a lot of garlic or onion. No red meat either.

I'm considering going into the woods to build a hut on legs like Baba Yaga, and perhaps weaponise my malodorous bits as a cautionary tale to any men who get too close, because for some stupid reason, I seem to be attracting men half my age who are looking for a mother to baby them. They can bugger right off, although I suppose I could always threaten to eat them.

This is all stupidly exhausting and I'm fed up of it now. Thank you to everyone who's taken the time to respond. 🌺

OP posts:
INeedAnotherName · 21/08/2025 22:21

Anti bac hand sanitizer sorted mine (read it on a thread here). Bar soap in the shower, squirt of hand gel rubbed in, once dry use a roll-on. Took nearly a fortnight to fully clear the first time but it did return a couple of months later however it went away after just the one shot of hand gel that time. Absolutely bizarre how it was only the one armpit, the other one was fine.

TakemedowntoPotatoCity · 21/08/2025 22:11

You poor thing. The only light at the end of the tunnel is that post menopause, my hormones have given up and I don't really get BO at all. That on top of no periods is (almost) worth the wait.

Octavia64 · 21/08/2025 22:08

Yep I had this with Peri.

very unpleasant.

Dettol laundry liquid helps with clothes. I also had to chuck quite a few as it’s hard to get the smell out once it’s in.

light loose layers helped.

i also shaved daily, used hibiscrub and Dettol anti bacterial soap.

you can get body wipes that you can use midway through the day etc to freshen up.

selfcheck · 21/08/2025 22:02

@decenteringmen mix the Hibiscrub with an exfoliating face or body wash and leave on the pit for 5 mins then wash off - it needs to be on for a bit to kill the bacteria

swab with witch hazel or glycolic acid (this can be done with any body part)
It really helps with odour

make sure the pit is completely dry before applying deodorant and again completely dry before putting your clothes on

increase water intake and drink less or no coffee for a while too

menopausalfart · 21/08/2025 21:27

I had this. My left armpit smelled of weed. Lasted about a year, then disappeared. Very strange.

Plmnki · 21/08/2025 21:24

You need different, better, HRT. Sorry, you may need to go private. Try different trea,ente of something. There’s better options than this - the root cause is hormone imbalance (not enough oestrogen). Best of luck, huge sympathy.

SingASongOfSixtyMillionQuid · 21/08/2025 21:20

Same problem here. Pits (and down below 😳) sometimes stink despite washing thoroughly in shower. I’m going to try the Secret Solid Powder Fresh deodorant recommended on this thread. I use Dettol Fresh Cotton Antibacterial Laundry Sanitiser which helps to remove odour from clothes.

Bad Body odour, menopausal belly that won’t sodding shift, and a hairy face. Ahh the joys of getting older 😞

SecretIrnBruDrinker · 21/08/2025 20:42

It's my right and I'm right handed.

I've also got some nasty eczema thing going on.

I'm using soap and a silicone exfoliating brush thing. And cetreban every night.

Watermelonnice · 21/08/2025 20:41

Not armpits but my hair started smelling really bad (despite washing and not being greasy) in peri.

It was a horrible smell, seems to have eased with hrt but still comes back sometimes!

Turboislander · 21/08/2025 20:12

I really want to test @WobblyBoots theory now. People with a uni pit problem - is it on the same side as you write with? I'm left-handed and it's my left arm pit that had the problem

unsync · 21/08/2025 19:33

Shaved pits, Wild (applied throughout the day), washing with lemon verbena bar soap helped me get on top of it. Now I'm out the otherside and it has settled. Hang in there.

I have bioidentical HRT. I don't know if that makes a difference. Also I've lost a huge amount of weight in the past year and a half, and sorted my fitness out.

NewDogOwner · 21/08/2025 19:30

My sister had this and it went away after a few months.

RealEagle · 21/08/2025 19:29

Driclor you put it on at night

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