smelly husband after evening drinking

[tulip2004]

hello, I am asking for opinions as I think I may be being harsh. I don't drink alcohol (don't like the taste) and I know I have a sensitive nose to all smells. I worry about my husband as he often smells really badly of alcohol the day following drinking. not just boozy breathe but oozing out of pores smell. He says this is normal after a few drinks and but I think he smells more now than he used to drinking the same amount and it concerns me a) that his liver is not coping making him smell worse and b) that he is oblivious to it as I would want to know if I smelt like that and c) quite frankly I don't want others thinking he is is complete wino. He currently works from home but may soon be back in an office and I don't want him smelling like that at work - personally I think its unpleasant and unprofessional. I find the smell makes me want to be sick and a massive turn off (he can't understand that I don't want sex the morning after the night before) But as i say I know my nose is sensitive to all smells stinky so wonder if I am over reacting or is it something that others may not notice or if I would not notice if I drank myself. He also doesn't think him smelling like this the following day is a bad smell and thinks I just don't like it because I don't drink and I don't like alcohol. I can't think this is true but made me wonder if IABU? Is it just me who thinks it is a horrible smell and do others like it or just really not mind it? Should I just shut up and let him get one with it?

He probably spends £20-30 a week on alcohol and yes this is way more than he should spend on it but he only buys £5 bottles of wine

Don't minimise for him. He is drinking up to 6 bottles of wine a week? That's 60 units. That's 3 times the recommended limit of 21 units.

He is an alcoholic!

He certainly is.

its a revolting pungent smell, I know exactly what you mean, OP.

I remember getting on the tube one morning around christmas and the collective pungency literally made me gag. All these suits looking like butter wouldn't melt - clearly had been a big night in the city.

I dont know what it means though in terrms of alcohol being metabolised?

OP No one on here can diagnose your DH as alcoholic. Ignore the posters doing so

I think it's pretty safe to say anyone who is drinking THREE times the recommended amount has a serious problem.

My ex smelled like this, even before he stopped showering and changing. He was going through 2 bottles minimum every night though. (Needless to say he's an alcoholic)
I don't think your DH drinking as much as he does means he's an alcoholic at all, but he should have a good long look at what it's doing to his health and relationship. If he's not willing/able to change after that then maybe he needs to consider that he might have a problem. As it stands though he might just like a drink and not see the problem.
But no- yanbu- it's a horrible smell.

No it's not safe to say that at all. A recommended amount for HEALTH (pretty unproven at that) has zero to do with a drinking problem

Ok

My husband rarely drinks a lot. We occasionalky have a glass or two of red wine at meals type thing
He goes out once a month and has 2-3 pints and absolutely stinks. It's as above, a shower won't sort it its a whole body smell and I really hate it.

Don't think his liver is failing though. I expect if you're both drinking or its you yourself you don't notice it but I do notice it in lifts and things on others sometimes.

Same way someone can smell "oniony" the day after a curry.

I didn't realise not everyone noticed this!

www.nhs.uk/Livewell/alcohol/Pages/Alcoholhome.aspx

MyDH can occasionally smell exactly like that when he's had a lot to drink. I know exactly what you mean, it's horrible and it's not the sort of smell that goes away by showering or cleaning your teeth. I hate it when he has to go to work like that and I wonder what his colleagues and boss might be thinking.

I've told him he needs to ease up on the heavy sessions because of it. It can't be a sign of anything good, can it?

I used to have an alcoholic neighbour and when he left his flat to go to work in the morning (god knows how he kept his job!) the whole stairwell would smell of this "fumey" smell even though he'd just spent a few seconds passing through it. It's an awful smell and I think you're right to worry about him smelling bad at work.

If your H doesn't drink every night, could he limit it to a saturday night maybe then have a lie in on Sunday (while you get a lie in on Saturdays)?

If he reacts badly to that suggestion, I think he definitely has a problem.

OP I know that smell. It is disgusting. An ex boss of mine had it and I could hardly bear to be near her. (She was an alcoholic) My mum worked in the same office and couldn't smell it at all. Its exactly what you say - sour alcohol sweating out of every pore. Ugh!
Get some strong shower gel (lemon or tea tree Original Source are powerful) and chuck him in the shower first thing if he wants to get close to you in the morning.

Maybe he should try liver salts. And cutting down on drinking.

You generally dont smell after a few drinks, a bottle of wine and several beers is not a few drinks!

The smell is also being exuded from your lungs. Which is why nrushing your teeth neither gets rids of the smell nor fools a breathalyser.

Eating parsley or cardomom might madk the smell - they are noth exuded in a similar way (works for garlic).

But neither will mask the lt effects of drinking that much.

However, if he is very stressed right now, it may not be the time to pull him up on his drinking.

^sorry for typos. I have not been drinking so no excuse

I have a really good sense of smell and it is a curse not a blessing. I can often smell things that others can't, and most of the time that isn't a good thing!. I know the smell you are referring to, and its not normal to smell like that if you are in an office, he would very soon get a reputation (as smelly). I agree that the amount you describe is a lot of booze twice a week. Could you get him to start counting his unit with an app to help him realise it might be a lot?

My husband really stinks the next morning after drinking. We went swimming one Sunday morning and in my experience smells are maximised in a swimming pool and I think everyone must have noticed.

Is it the smell of death you are smelling? Is it vile?

Thingy is describing foetor hepaticus. It tends to happen with alcoholics who are in the later stages of cirrhosis. It's a sickly, almost faecal smell. Sometimes it's called 'breath of the dead'.

Heavy drinkers who have liver damage often smell of things they've eaten or drank, hours afterwards - particularly things like alcohol and coffee.

I agree with PPs that he needs liver function tests - liver damage can be silent, right up until end stage cirrhosis when the symptoms present themselves loud and clear. A lot of surgeries won't automatically test for GGT levels, so you need to ask for a full liver panel to be performed.

Hopefully there's no lasting damage, but I'd take this seriously - he's drinking dangerous amounts and it may be the warning he needs.

Thankyou Beauty Feotor hepaticus is what I was attempting to describe upthread but I couldn't put a name to it.

I would be concerned Op, even if he has cut down on his drinking of late, you mention that he used to be a heavy drinker so the damage may be done. Heavy drinkers are also experts in playing down what they have actually drunk.

If DP has had a bit to drink the bedroom smells like beer the next day. There is a definite aroma.

Ilost, it's a very distinct smell, isn't it? Nothing else like it! You're also right that the damage may already be done, especially at that level of drinking.

its not the smell of death. Just the smell of a heavy night. I think he has got so used to drinking a bottle of wine a night and a bit more that its just normal for him. I do worry massively and he thinks he does not have a problem as he is drinking less that he used to. thankyou ladies for your help. At least I know that everyone thinks the day after smell is one that everyone hates and not just me 'because I don't drink'
x

he thinks he does not have a problem as he is drinking less that he used to

I'd be worried, tulip. Denial is a powerful thing when you have a drink problem - I know, I was brilliant at minimising my own drinking.

How's his health generally?

He eats well and is fit and does a fair amount of sport. He does have highish cholesterol though and takes milk thistle and vits etc.