I think I smell - need help!

[christophefoyle]

I'm early 50s, taking HRT, fastidious about keeping myself and my clothes clean but I've noticed that I smell. It's an odd combo of urine/fusty/old smell and appears to be coming from "down below" apologies but that's the only way I can describe the smell. I've noticed no physical changes at all so I don't think it warrants a GP visit. No one else appears to have noticed but I feel really self-conscious.
Has anyone else had this or have any suggestions as to what I can do? I've looked at buying persimmon soap but not sure if that's what I need

Should also have said, I only use unscented soap

I'm thinking it could be hormonal as you're on HRT? Maybe a localised hormone treatment would help?
I'd certainly get a gp referral. Vagirux pessaries may help

Thank you for the reply, unfortunately I've been using vagirux for a while with no change

I feel the same, OP. I'm also on HRT. I honestly feel like I smell 'feral' and my urine smells strongly (sort of metallic?). No one has commented, and I have a kindly (but blunt) 20 something DD who assures me I don't.

I hope no one else can smell us!

I'm sorry that you're feeling like this too but it's good to know I'm not alone! It's not a nice feeling and I'm finding that I don't get too close to people just in case they can smell me. They probably now think I'm bloody odd or rude!
I've realised this evening that I've barely drunk anything all day (tbh that's a regular occurrence esp during the week as I work in a school and there's not time to wee!) but I wonder if I up my water it'll reduce the smell a bit. Worth a try I think.

I creasing water intake is worth a try if you think you may be dehydrated? I find my wee has a distinctive smell if I don't drink enough

• increasing

I smell different - stronger and musky. Also on HRT but the change of scent started before i went on HRT and no amount of washing or changing products has helped. I've also noticed my skin smells different - I don't like it, by DH says that whilst its different to before he doesn't think its unpleasant.

I read somewhere that persimmon soap can help. I bought some on Amazon and think it does, unless it’s just my HRT kicking in. It’s about £7 for two bars.

right...this was me a few months ago and I have def found ways to alleviate it

1. most obvious but I drink a lot more water and eat more veg. Raw carrots good etc
2. take a probiotic. I had Covid and started taking one that was supposed to be be good post Covid- Yourgut+ and as an extra bonus noted a difference in my smell after a couple of weeks
3. chlorella tablets, 4 a day- works as internal deoderiser
4. I use this to wash the old undercarriage ! Not cheap but lasts months and causes no irritation

Prior to this I hated the way I was smelling and my Micthum anti perspirant gave up the ghost. I smelled kind of scorched and feral like the cushion the cat sleeps on

I definitely smell more strongly "down there" and everywhere else since starting menopause. My smell is more kind of sweaty and tangy! My urine is more odorous too. I don't take HRT but do take Soy Isoflavones. I'm sorry I have no good advice because my solution is to be rather too liberal with antiperspirant deodorant, which is probably not a good idea, but it's good to know it is not just me.

Have you considered that it may be Bacterial Vaginosis? Don't worry, that sounds worse than it actually is! It's when the normal bacteria levels that exist in the vagina become imbalanced for various reasons -could be hormones, diet, antibiotics, loads of things- and you get a distinct smell from down there, and sometimes a bit of clear discharge but not always.
I've suffered with it on and off for a few years, I'd always notice it wafting up whenever i sat on the loo/took my pants down etc. My GP said quite common, and a course of antibiotics will clear it up. Before you resort to that though, you could try a 7 day course of BV gel or pessaries- i used Balance Activ pessaries and found that they solved the problem, albeit only temporarily (as did the antibiotics) because I think my BV is hormone related, so it kept coming back. But I'd rather be using the pessaries, which don't contain strong drugs, than be on regular antibiotics.
You can easily get them online or in pharmacies/supermarkets. If it's BV causing the smell, you'll soon know because the treatment will help, and if it doesn't help it won't have done any harm to try.

I smell like that when I come off HRT, when I'm on it I don't smell. My mother said the same.

I get the occasional smell of, what I can only describe as sour milk, wafting from my neck /chest area. And sometimes my wee seems to smell a bit like ammonia.

Me too! I have to shower 2-3 times a day!

I had a problem with a fishy odor and couldn’t get rid of it until my on/gyn told me that perfumed bath products and soap can throw off the ph balance down there.
she s aid to use just warm water in the vaginal area. Also, I put apple cider vinegar
in my bath. Haven’t been stinky since.

Reading with interest. I have this.

Had a problem a while back. Gynecologist told me to use plain water in front as the scented stuff messes with the ph balance.. apple cider vinegar in bath really helps.

I use a BV pessary every now and then, not the full seven day course, and that does seem to have made a positive difference to my stinky menopausal vulva.
Strangely, since being menopausal, my armpits no longer smell and for the first time since puberty I can get away with unscented antiperspirants instead of industrial strength ones. All the sweatiness seems to have moved to my crotch now 🙁

I had this problem too and now take a probiotic and It worked for me.

I get a sweet musky smell which makes me think thrush but then I have no other symptoms. ( and treatment doesn’t change it ) I was most self conscious about it around my PT for obvious reasons. Now I mostly notice it in Pilates. ( at least no one else is near me)

I was just think the same thing that I stink! Only been on hrt for a wee while but I was smelly before I started taking it . I think I stink of pee and just unpleasant. I could shower before bed and wake up stinking . I even think my hair has got really greasy . If I wash my hair in shower before bed I get up and it still looks greasy . I asked my dh and he said I don't smell but my hair does now look greasy when I get up

Discussing the same with my sisters - we all (3 of us at various stages of peri) said we smell! It’s really noticeable after a gym workout and my skin smells really sour but it’s not BO - smells like when I used to go out loads when I was much younger, but then it was booze and club related, it’s not now!

I’ve started using bodyform ultra or extra liners for everything else - they’re non perfumed and designed to hold ‘all types of fluid’ (their words not mine) which do seem to keep things at bay, including v occasional incontinence urgency (which appears to have got worse after starting HRT..)

Thought I'd update with how things are as I've made some changes and I'm no longer able to smell anything unpleasant.

I now use vagisil wash twice a day and tena panty liners changed part way through the day (I use a vagisil individual wipe to freshen up at this time too). I was a bit concerned that these might cause irritation but have had no problems. I've really increased the amount of water I drink - I'm not drinking much during my work day but drink lots before and after. For a while I constantly needed the loo but that's settled down now. I saw the GP for an HRT check-up, and my progesterone prescription was changed from provera to utrogestan. All of the changes were made at pretty much the same time so I've no idea which made the difference. I'll be sticking to all of them though as I don't want to go back to the way things were!

I hear ya, I get a warning notice from down below when it’s time for a waxing. Also I’ve found regular deodorants don’t work but gel ones are less fragrant and still work