What can I do.Feeling paranoid with hot flashes and colleagues mentioning smells😢

[whatisforteamum]

I've always loved work.A bit of a workaholic most say.Recently I've felt depressed and irritable so the Gp looked into HRT as a possibility as DM had ovarian cancer so it has taken time to obtain.
Meanwhile I am having more hot flushes.I also work in a very hot environment.So for a few years I get up at 7 have a bath.Have one in my lunch break with new clothes and one at night when I get in at 10.
The other day a teenage colleague was hungover and almost gagging at work.I was working near.them and decided perhaps my uniform hadn't dried properly so changed it.
They commented again.This co league doesn't particularly like me and as far as I know wants my position at work.
The next day someone said they could smell cabbage!.
When I was doing some strenuous work at the end of the day I had a huge hot rush come over me.
I've always maintained great personal hygiene and clean clothes.I've invested in the best fruity shampoos and deodorants.
My self esteem is in my boots.WWYD.I do have extra uniform s btw.Help.
Also I know there is a kind of witch hunt on me of sorts which I have never experienced as the team changed a bit and I am 30 plus years older than most of them now.

Sorry you're feeling this way, OP. Would you feel able to confront them about it, as in "Are you saying I smell?"

I'd go to the doctors to ask them.. but
could it be coming from down below? if so maybe try some BV gels?
i always feel I smell fresher after a scrub in the shower rather than bath too.
are u changing all clothes including underwear?
Extra strong deodorant such as mitchum?

Can you ask a family member if you smell. I'm surrounded by hot flushing women at work and none of them smell! Get a good deodorant and use some talc.

Your colleague sounds very immature.

Do you go home for a bath at lunchtime?

Do you have a bad odour or is she being horrible?
Or are you unsure?

You poor thing. Yes ask someone you trust who will be honest with you. I am having hot flushes and they're horrible. Wish people would be kinder to each other x

That sounds like bullying to me - do you have an HR team?

I do all the above.My pinny did smell perhaps dried poorly.I swopped it.I could smell my own hair as I wear a hat as it is falling out Alot.
I did jump in and say I hope it is not me however all the food smells would be bad if you are a hungover lad.
Some very petty other things have happened at work too.
Hard to know what is low peri mood and what is bullying of sorts.I normally rise above but I am struggling tbh.😢

I second a shower rather than a bath.

Are you clothes smelling fresh. If they are left out to dry too long they can sometimes get a horrible odour.

I hope this thread helps you - your colleagues sound horrible. Ask your friends what they think.

Is it just these two incidents or are there others?

Gagging when you have a hangover isn't unusual, and one other person making an isolated comment about a smell of cabbage may not be directed at you, but obviously you'll have a better perspective on this than we do.

With the amount you bathe and change your clothes I would really be surprised if you actually smell.

That sounds horrible. You poor thing. Do you feel able to confront them or even escalate the fact that you’re clearly being bullied to a manager?

If you suspect you do smell here are a few things to try:

1. Talk to your GP, there are routes you can take if it is you that smells. Is there a particular area of your body that you suspect the smell might be coming from?
2. If you do smell you might want to switch to a good soap rather than shower gel. There are many threads dedicated to just this on Style and Beauty and many people talk about the difference this makes to their body odour.
3. Try a shower rather than a bath if possible.

OP, fresh sweat doesn’t smell. It needs to be acted on by bacteria for several hours. With the level of washing and clothes changes you are having, it sounds wildly unlikely that you smell.
I think that you are either being a little paranoid, and assuming every innocent remark is directed at you (the cabbage smell could be the drains, a colleague’s lunch, or another colleague’s surreptitious fart!) or a PP is right and there is malicious bullying going on.
If you suspect the latter, definitely speak to HR. It is not uncommon after a team reorganisation for there to be adjustment of the pecking order, and bullying to vie for positions. Change can cause insecurity, and cause colleagues to behave like dicks.

All the suggestions above sound great. I just wanted to add you can buy washing liquid specifically for sweaty gym kit. You could wash your work clothes with that and at a hotter temperature every second wash or so to really make sure they are properly clean. I do this with my gym kit every few washes as I’ve noticed that sometimes they seem clean but then start to smell quite quickly.

But there is a good chance it isn’t you at all. Sorry you are working with such shits.

You can get panty liners that are fragrances to put in your knickers. Use tea tree oil body wash. Get a body freshener spray. Get one of those sprays to freshen up your clothes. I’m menopausal too so I get it. If your hair is falling out you need to go get a blood test. Get them to test your testosterone level. There’s lots you can do to ease symptoms. Take menopace daily. You can also get the coloured root sprays from boots (L’Oréal) that you can spray on your scalp that hides the white patches

You are washing too much and becoming paranoid.(that doesn't mean they aren't bullying you).
Being smelly is not a Meno symptom so I doubt very much that you smell.
Coming to work hungover and gagging is not professional and this college must have smelledof alcohol and I would have commented on that.
Are you on hrt yet as the flushes go,sleep comes back and your self esteem and resiliance will start to be restored though your tolerance to those you work with may take longer

I second that hot flushes won't make you smell instantly. If you sat around in a sweaty uniform for hours it might get a bit whiffy, but not just from the flushes.

Are you drying your uniform indoors? Because there's a smell I always associate with clothes that are hung to dry on an airer and left for hours with no air circulation (I usually call it 'single man smell'). Any way you can hang your stuff outside for a blow, even for a short while?

I had a colleague once who smelt, turned out she was using non bio washing powder. Sometimes you need biological or the addition of laundry cleanser (Dettol or similar) to tackle old smells.
Hope you get to the bottom of it OP

Don't use the scented panty liners they cause a lot of irritation and smell vile.

IIRC from your former threads, you work in a kitchen, right? A very hot and sweaty atmosphere for everyone, let alone if you're going through menopause!

If you only have a bath and not a shower at home, I'd seriously consider joining a local gym (Pure Gym, XCerise4Less and The Gym Group) are all generally under £20 per month) just so you can go and shower there. When I lived in Brighton I knew of a lot of students doing this rather than using the manky underpowered shower in their shared accommodation!

But given what you've said, I doubt you're stinking too badly given the level of washing and clothes changes you describe. The only thing that occurs to me, is there something you eat/drink that you may be sweating out and unaware of? Such as lots of garlic or alcohol? Do you dry your uniform at home - if so are there pets and/or smokers in the house?

Do you think your journey through menopause might be easier if you were supported at home?

I have.body sprays scented pant liners new clothes dentist says I brush teeth really well 3 times a.day.I asked my son he said I don't smell.I have an increased smell myself and could tell a diabetic was.key tonic the other day.
My son said his top smelt so we I don't have a tumble dryer perhaps the airing cupboard isn't not enough yet.
I even cut caffeine and wine and spicy food almost out.

I’d go to the doc if you feels this is you as there are things they can do for you.

Your colleagues sound awful

I am finding the reusable bamboo liners are a lot less smelly Maybe invest in those. Better for the environment too.

Think I would be more concerned about hair loss. Could that be a thyroid problem? Go back to your gp and ask for blood tests.

I also came on to say don’t use scented panty liners! They are well known irritants and can disrupt the pH balance of your vagina. This might lead to an infection which might genuinely smell.

If your uniform is smelling unfresh or musty make sure you wash it at 40 degrees using a bio powder. Washing at 30 degrees will allow some bacteria to survive and then body heat will regenerate ‘old’ sweat smells. If even that doesn’t help, try a washing product called Halo (form Amazon). Someone on MN recommended for my husband’s foul smelling gym kit and it is very effective.

And as other people have said, bar soap is much more effective than gels to keep you fresh. It’s made a massive difference to me.

I doubt very much that you are noticeably niffy, it’s probably just the people you work with being unkind but following some of the advice on here might boost your confidence.

not sure i've posted this in the right bit i'm new on here, just looking for some advice or some ladies who have went through something similar.
I'm 15 weeks and 3 days and for a few weeks ive been having shortness of breath, pains in my chest at the left hand side and heart palpitations and heart flutters. I went to the docs and she listened to my heart and lungs and said everything sounds fine? i'm not convinced and a bit worried

@whatisforteamum I get the feeling the issue is your colleague, not you.

It sounds like you don't smell and your colleague is just an idiot.