Does anyone else “smell” … funny?😳

[BruceLeTerror]

When I was a kid, the loo always smelled “funny” after my DMum had used it.

Fast forward 40 years, now I’m smelling that smell when I use the loo (or just on/about me in general)

I can’t describe it 😳

Am 48 - guess Mum would have been similar age at the time?

FWIW I shower every day and wash at other end of the day

tia 🙏

When using public toilets the loo often smells like strong wee after some people have used it but I thought that was just due to poor hydration.

My urology consultant said it was dehydration causing the sweet musty smelling urine I could smell.

Tbh I still don't drink anywhere like enough fluid & can go all day not needing the loo (not great, I know...). I need to start drinking more water and see if it helps. 🫤

Biscuity!! I’d agree with that for my ‘after wee’ smell! It’s not my wee though and yes to the smelly pits like everyone has said.
@Pigriver ( it was you)… mentioned it as the smell of vaginal atrophy and I wonder if this has some truth if not science/medical support. For me, a new fresh hell that NOBODY has mentioned ever is that you lose your lack of ‘padding’ down there 👇 All my front area is less ‘cushioned’ and now I have to be careful with seams in jeans, trousers, sports trousers. So much so that my new autumn/winter wardrobe is going to be skirts/pinafore dresses with chunky boots. Sorry if that’s going to derail OP but thought whilst were on it 😔

@menopausalfart I describe the armpit smell as ‘fox’, but yes, mine also have that weed stench

I noticed it after birth i think it’s hormones

Yes to the wee smell. My mother had it and now I do. I hate it, always keep the bathroom window open at home to try and disperse it quicker, and am embarrassed if anyone comes into the toilets at work when I’m in there.

It’s not a dirty smell, or a strong wee smell. It’s hard to describe. It’s exactly the same as my mother’s was though. I’m mid 50’s and had it about a year I think.

I suppose it depends if someone is on medication too, that may affect it, Im on very high vitamin and mineral supplements and my wee is bright yellow for most of the day as it works its way through me

Scalp cleansers are better for hair, even if you don't have problems with the scalp. They are gentler and sulphate free, and your hair will love it. The problem is that they are much more expensive than shampoo.

I'm almost 65 and I shower at night. A doctor long ago told me most commercial deodorants work better if applied after a night shower, and I've never had a problem with armpit smell.

The problem with a night shower is vaginal smell. At my age is also strong which means I need a quick shower in the morning to clean it. I'm fortunate to have a dual shower, with a hand held one to use on my genitals without having to do more than a rinse on the rest of my body. But boy, I miss my Spanish bidet.

I noticed this but HRT has got rid of it.

It's not an 'old tale'. This is how it works:

Persimmon works to control body odor due to its high tannin content, which are astringent polyphenols that break down and neutralize nonenal, an oily compound responsible for the distinctive "old people smell". Unlike regular soaps that only mask odors, persimmon extract directly targets and breaks down the source of the odor, eliminating it rather than covering it up

I can say without any doubt that it works. You're not going to lose anything anyway if it doesn't for you. At the very worst you have a pleasant smelling soap that will get used up. It's not expensive.

The soap is expensive but no, you wont lose anything by trying it

We have bought it in the past, I want OH to use it more regularly

Also interested to know whether drinking lots of tea would protect me against the smell due to the tannins?

I found lots of ads from China, Ebay and Amazon, but none from reputable UK sources.

Why might that be?

So, motivated by the fresh horrors on this thread as people suggest peri signals the beginning of a kind of live decomposition, I have been doing a bit of research and, while I cannot see anything about a "whiffy" crotch area or funky pee that seems very useful, I did discover what nonenal actually is.

It's a compound that builds up as our antioxidant defences taper off - and a build-up actually sounds slightly less alarming than a breaking down or decomposition, so that's a relief of sorts.

Persimmon binds with these compounds which is how it helps remove them. Two recommended brands were Mirai (which looks quite a handsome bar of soap actually) and Natrulo.

It made me wonder if the urine smell people report is related to this drop in antioxidant levels, and if upping antioxidant foods would help. I haven't (yet) noticed it so cannot do a trial, but maybe some ladies on here could start chowing down on the blueberries and see if it makes a difference?

See my last: it might also help because of the high antioxidant levels, especially in green teas.

New fear unlocked. I assumed the smell was just people that didn’t wash their bits properly

Post menopause. Wee has a different smell but nothing else. I’m assuming it’s lack of estrogen although I do use estriol hrt cream for atrophy

Some of them smell like the zoo. Even ours at work does.

I get you re synthetics. Though I didn't have this issue re the smell seeming to cling to them until the last two years or so – it's definitely a change in the sweat itself.

Will check out M&S, thank you (but I do like a decent level of compression in leggings, and suspect that cotton wouldn't deliver that...)

Thats really interesting and helpful. Chocolate surely has anti oxidants in it, particularly fruit and nut surely......

So is flushing the toilet not enough to remove the smell from the toilet room? I guess not from what many here are saying.
This thread is really interesting - I appreciate everyone’s honesty!

So, do you use the Permisson soap to wash "between your legs"? I always just use water there because I thought soap disrupted the ph there and caused problems.

But I too have succumbed to the "mum smell" and my kids comment on it if they go into the loo after me! Think I will get me some (and some bio-kult) but need to check I am using it right! I will avoid the back area after a previous comment! I've not had any issues using regular soap there!

I'm assuming that it's not the pee per se, it's maybe the exposure of the 'bits' to the air? I'm on Gina pessaries for VA and I've not noticed any toilet smells (any different to the usual toilet smells, that is). I am regularly sniffing my wrists and elbows to see if I've acquired 'old lady smell' yet and am now paranoid that I will start to but not notice it, as most old ladies of my acquaintance don't seem aware that they have it.

There is, of course, the smell of Tena Lady and other such protections, which tend to have a floral type of scent, a la scented sanitary products, to add to the mix.

You make me laugh because I secretly thought EXACTLY that but thought blueberries sounded less like self-serving reasoning! I also thought about its magnificent magnesium content.

In all honesty, I am quite a fan of dark chocolate and have not yet noticed this particular peri horror - so we might be onto something!

ETA I'm afraid I think it has to be dark chocolate for the antioxidants properties however ...

Remember the ads for that VIPoo stuff a few years ago? Wonder if that is still going and is going to have a massive uptick in sales from this thread 😂

Just be careful, because menopause meant that I could no longer eat dark chocolate without crippling migraines! Can't drink alcohol either for the same reason. Honestly, menopause - the gift that keeps on taking away...