I smell and co-workers are being so insensitive.

[MummikinsOopNorth]

Since I was a teenager I have had issues with body odour. I am so embarassed to go to a doctor but things have come to a head.

I came on my period at age 8 and was a C-cup in bra's by 9 so I don't know if this has anything to do with it.

I was viciously bullied because of it through secondary school, and at 17 when I started working at a nursery, the staff used to talk about me being my back. I eventually left.

Now, at my current job, my collagues are constantly making jokes about body odour and sometime hinting that it's them but I know it must be me. No one at this job has ever confronted me, but I wish they were because when 3 of them were joking about it today, I wanted to sit there and cry. I just put my head down and did my work and ignored the co-workers in question and was abrupt to them the rest of the day.

i DON'T know what to do. I shower every day, change my clothes daily and wear expensive deodrant. I can't actually smell any odour on me myself when they have been mean (I can smell my own odour after exercising or not showering sometimes). I am so depressed through it but don't know what to do. I am also an aspie (aspergers - type of autism) so find it difficult in any group situation as it is, let alone when I know people are laugjing behind my back.

Go to your GP. For a start, GP's don't think of medical conditions as being "embarassing to own up to" or otherwise. And, they'll have seen it before, many times over. If all else fails, think about embarassing medical conditions you could have....excessive sweatiness just isn't going to be on the scale!
Re: your work colleagues. They are idiots. You don't need to be powerless in this though. Go to your boss, or the HR person and explain what is happening and that you are going to the GP about it. Point out that workplace bullying is unfair in any circumstance, and that this is a medical issue which you are sorting out. Your employer has a legal obligation not to allow this (workplace bullying for any reason, let alone a medical one) to continue, aside from anything else. Ask her/him to speak to your colleagues about it and to make sure it stops. If you feel your boss won't help, speak to his/her boss instead; alternatively anyone who is sympathetic and effective and who out-ranks them. If it's too painful to do it face-to-face, at least do it by e-mail or letter - anyting other than feeling like you should put up with this.

As an aside: are you sure you do actually smell, rather than just being hyper-aware? What I mean is that the overwhelming majority of people will be BO-y after exercise or if they don't shower. It doesn't sound like you're any different from that, BUT obviously I can't tell from t'internet!

Sorry I've not read the whole thread but if your problem is due to excessive sweating, esp under arms, then give driclor a try.

I had no self confidence as a teen as I was permenantly dripping in sweat- I didn't stink as washed it often, used deodorant but always had the wet patches under my arms. I have stinky feet too! Driclor has really helped me- I don't get any sweat when I use it.

Well worth a try, they have it at boots with the normal deodorants so you don't even have to ask for it.
Good luck.l

Please go to your GP. When you tell them that it has been this way since you were 17, you should get sympathy and solutions. Not a lecture about your weight. promise

ISNT is right, and if it is mentioned, a firm "I used to be skinny, and it was just as bad" would rule it out.

Oh Mummikinsoopnorth. I'm so sorry to hear about your problem and that your colleagues are upsetting you. If it's any consolation we are a bunch of sweaty stinkers and have to take great care - even the dc - and dd developed early like you with first period at just 10.

We all shower every day, DS twice but I think he's developed teenage paranoia, now using the 48 hour antiperspirants that have come onto the market and us girls keep regularly defuzzed. Something I have noticed (and it's a fact) is if you wear fabrics that aren't pure cotton (ie, viscose or 65% polyester) if you get BOey just once at the end of the day, it doesn't really wash out; when you warm up it gets the pong going again.

Finally, OP, I hope you have noticed that nobody on here is bullying you. Everyone has offered support and would like to help you. I hope you keep in touch and let us all know how you get on. Actually I feel really upset for you and wish I could give you a big hug .

If you do all that and you are still having problems, please see your GP - if it's too embarassing to tell him/her why not try writing it in a short letter and handing it over during the consultation.

I think your colleagues are being really mean. They may just be immature and embarassed.

Are you sure it is you? If you say you can't smell anything on yourself normally (but sometimes can so it's not unawareness iykwim) maybe it's remembering your teenage years is making you a bit paranoid?

Yes do what longtalljosie said if they try to link it.

Also I used to sweat an awful lot as a young woman/teen. Like onceamai I realised that some fabrics seem to hold the smell - so you think they're clean and when they warm up the pong comes. It's also noticable if you iron when the clothes are damp so that's one way of checking. Also I bought some Febreze and that helped with the clothes. I also used driclor at around that age (early 20s) and it calmed down a lot. I was always more of a sweater than a smeller though, so what embarrassed me was usually the damp patches around the armpits. I think that what happens with you sounds a bit different. If you do try driclor remember that it is strong stuff, and is something you use for a bit and then stop, and it should have sorted you out. it's not something to use as a normal deodorant forever. Also it made me itch like a bugger.

Lots of suggestions on here anyway. But really I think that your first step should be your GP. Often we suffer with stuff for years, get up the courage to go to the doc, they give you a cream or some pills and bingo it's better in a week. And you just think, why the bloody hell didn't i do this a decade ago???

celticlassie makes a good point too. Do you have anyone close who you can get to sniff you? My mum has lost her sense of smell and she asks me to smell around the house when I go around, she gets paranoid about the toilets. It's a perfectly reasonable request i reckon.

I have found that you don't get the itching with Driclor/Perspirex if you:

Make sure your armpits are dry when you put it on. Wash. then dry carefully, then put a little talcum powder on, then the Driclor

Don't put it on if you have shaved your armpits in the last day or so

I am sure there is medical treatment for this, so please go to your GP. AFAIK some people can have injections in their armpits (not sure but have read it somewhere) which stops them sweating as much.

In the meantime I second what onceamai said. It helps to keep de-fuzzed (all over, including down below) and if you can, wear cotton next to your skin this will help an awful lot. You can wear a cotton vest or a close fitting long-sleeve cotton top or tshirt under most dresses or floaty tops and they do help really well with not smelling.

Another thing is to ensure you have plenty of bras and put a clean one on every day. Women who sweat more than others definitely need to change bras every day.

I use a roll-on and double up with a spray deodorant (same brand/smell) and also put baby talc under boobs and where the bra strap sits against the ribcage. I shower twice a day too (quick showers but all you need is a minute in the shower and you're fresh!). Clean clothes every day (except weekends when I might wear something twice if I'm feeling lazy [smile).

I often get complimented for smelling pretty even though I don't wear perfume, so it's probably down to all this. Hope you feel better soon, try to ignore your unkind colleagues and get yourself down to the doc's.

Do you eat a lot of stinky food and processed food? a lot of meat? that can make body odor worse. try looking at what you consume and how that may contribute.

Onceamai makes a good point about the fabrics - not only will cotton breathe more, but should be able to be washed at high temperatures thereby giving the bacteria which causes the smell more of a bashing.

It might also be worth trying Napisan in the wash, that zaps germs at lower temperatures.

Do you perspire a lot as well or is it just an odour issue?

Hi. Definitely go to your GP. We DO see this all the time, and we can usually help. If you are overweight, then part of treatment will be weight loss (for example generally if you are overweight you sweat more, and many people who are overweight are eating the wrong things eg high sugar which can make yeast infections more likely...), but preparations like driclor and others can be brilliant for sweating.

If there are other problems like vaginal odour or areas of skin like under the breasts smelling, then swabs can help to identify some causes.

Also if you ask directly, most GPs will tell you honestly if you smell - it can be difficult to get an honest answer from friends/ family etc. Good luck!

So sorry for your torment.

I was in charge of a large staff in a theatre years ago where one of the team had a dreadful body odour issue. The others didn't want to be unkind to her but they found it hard to work with the smell plus this woman was dealing with food and serving the public. It fell to me to have a word with her, in the most diplomatic way. She was very receptive and said she has always had body odour but thought she had solved it. She was engaged and I wondered if her partner had noticed. Anyway, the problem did not go away, she continued to smell and it was very hard to deal with then. I have no idea if she went to her doctor. I felt I couldn't broach thte subject again unless to issue a warning. I did and she resigned. It was sad to see her leave with the issue not resolved.

I do know there are many things doctors can do to help now. Please go and see your GP, it is not nice for you to be the subject of gossip but it's natural for people to talk about it and most are too afraid to offer help as it's a delicate subject.

So sorry you're going through this. I'm a shy person and get a lot of hassle because of it.so in a way I do understand. Please speak to your gp, who can help.

Another one who thinks you have to see your GP.
What sort of smell is it? Is it just under your arms or do your think it comes from other places too, feet, genitals etc?

If its just under your arms then like someone else said if its just a "sweat" smell then botox can help, if its more than "sweat" then again like someone else said, you will get help with diet and medication off the doctor.

Again, like others have said, GP`s have seen and heard it all, many times, dont be embarrassed.

I also think that maybe your collegues arent being unkind, they just dont have the courage to say something to your face, do you think you could say somethng to one of them, privately? Something along the lines of, you know you have a problem, its medical, and you are getting help for it?

odaban Is truly amazing and I got it from the net. Good stuff. And I second the napisan recommendation .

I have trouble that I sweat a lot when I'm anxious, especially in difficult social settings. I've found that using vinegar instead of fabric softener in the rinse cycle and soaking clothes in vinegar if they're really bad helps get the smell out.

Btw (sorry about hijacking) does anyone know if dricolor etc work for that kind of anxious, periodic sweating?

Really do see someone. Dealing with something like this can ruin your life (socially too embarassed to make frienships and other relationships) and there are so many possible things it could be with lots of potential solutions.

good luck

I don't honestly think your colleagues are being intentionally hurtful. It sounds as though they're giving you some heavy hints and are attempting to avoid embarrassing you by saying simply "You smell." If you don't tell them that you have a medical condition, how are they to know? It's not an obvious presumption.

TBH, it's awful having to be in close proximity with someone who smells bad, and the responsibility is with you to do something about it, not for them to put up with it, especially as there are remedies available through your GP.

Good luck! :)

I completely agree with the following:

-Go see your GP and if you're not happy with his reply (ie he says "just lose weight) point out that this started when you were skinny and then ask to see someone else.

-Change deo to one of the ones suggested here.

-Only wear natural fibers and make sure to wash them at high temperatures with a GOOD washing powder. No eco friendly nonsense here

-Don't let these mean and nasty people push you out of a job. Yes being around someone with bad BO isn't fun but that doesn't give anyone the right to treat you like shit. Email HR or boss or someone regarding that it is a medical issue and you are getting treatment and that it needs to stop etc. Company wont want to be dragged to an employment tribunal so it will stop.

This and the other things you mentioned have obviously given your self esteem a huge bashing. Have you thought about therapy? Helped my poor mother who had terrible depression due in part to a lack of self esteem.

Good luck and chin up.

"Eco friendly nonsense"? That's a ridiculous thing to say.

Nevertheless, the eco washing powders don't shift the smell.
Soaking tops in a solution of soda crystals before the wash does though.