anyone else a bit whiffy?

[OsbegaEthewulf]

I'm almost 47 and periods still regular but have noticed changes to mood, sleeping etc.

I have noticed the fact that although I'm not having hot flushes as such my anti perspirant ain't working anymore and I smell 'hot' like scorched ironing or clothes left in the airing cupbaord too long. DH also commented after lots of prompting that my hair/head smells a couple of hours after washing!

Anyone else or am I the MN stinker!

Belated reply - but I noticed a change in my body odour when going through the menopause (in my early 50s). I'm not good at describing smells, and I can only describe my underarm odour as being "chemical", which is probably not very helpful.

That was only a few years ago, and I was disappointed at the time to find that there seemed little information about what to expect/what's normal around the menopause and advice on how to deal with the various issues.

It wouldn't be surprising that the hormonal changes parallel in some ways those around the time of puberty, so it's probably a case of going through the exercise of finding the right anti-perspirant/deodorant all over again. I showered every day, and frequently changed anti-perspirant I was using - I think at one time I had four different types - but there were times when I had to keep my arms clamped to my sides! There was one "flavour" of anti-perspirant that worked the best, but I didn't actually like the smell of that.

I've found that my hair still needs washing every other day, as it still gets greasy fairly quickly. I change my brand of shampoo quite often as well, though that doesn't seem to make much difference.

I guess it's partly the change in hormones, probably over a longer time-span than at puberty, but also a matter of genetics and how anti-perspirants and shampoos etc interact.

Anyway, you're not the only one to suffer this problem.

thank you I will just have to hose myself down in the back yard more often! I've been reading on the net that chlorophyll from plants is excellent as a deoderiser so am going to try some of that.

I remember my Mam constantly spraying herself with body spray and stuff when she was in her late 40's/50's so she must have had the same problem.

Lordy..all down hill now what with greying pubes etc

Your body temp does rise after the menopause so maybe you just need to adopt all the tips for coping with excess sweating/heat. No synthetic clothes, layers, more showers, etc ( not that you don't!) and use a stronger type of anti pers.

Another thing is that women's sense of smell supposedly declines after the meno which is why lots of older women stink of strong perfume or use too much- 'cos they can't smell it!

To OP. Yes I had that for a while. Just this odd odour on myself, a smell I'd never smelled before if that makes any sense. Just odd. I'm 51 now (still getting periods unfortunately) and this was probably 3 years ago? Used to drive me nuts, I'd be forever showering, washing my hair, spraying myself with perfume but it was always there. Went on for months, and I was getting other peri symptoms at the time as well. Really thought I was close to menopause, but here I am 3 years later still getting periods regularly.

The good news is that the smelly phase passed, along with a lot of other symptoms I was getting. I've noticed with peri/meno, that I get a symptom that drives me nuts for a while, and then it's like my body sorts it out and it disappears. I was also getting these hot face flushes (nowhere else just my face lol) and it felt like my cheeks were on fire ... like when your'e really embarassed about something. I'd look in the mirror expecting to see my face all hot and red looking back at me, but it was just normal! Thankfully this also passed after a few months.

This is why I am not keen to take HRT at the moment but just take it as it comes, and see how my body copes.

I get the hot facial flushes, which are a pain. I thought it was due to taking vitamin b complex, but just having a coffee can set me off. Interesting to read that you are over this period of flushes and all else, but still have periods, rotten.
Yes I too have noticed all is not right, and very conscious ensuring there is nothing unpleasant causing offence. I cycle most places, and added things, so tend to spray everything. Also Nothing worse than getting a flush whilst cycling. I look awful anyway, but even worse, my face burns and the veins under my eyes swell up...
I always thought that when I got to my age late 40's I would look ok and smell sweet!, ah!
Life can be cruel.!

Yes the facial flushes did pass thank goodness, along with the whiffiness lol! As I say, I see to get something, it drives me crazy for a few weeks or months and then it's as if my body sees it off, and then something else comes along. The years before menopause are a rough ride. Like puberty, PMT and periods all rolled into one only worse and you never know what's coming next.

At the time I was posting to an American site called Powersurge quite regularly. Have any of you come across it. It is very good indeed - lots of support and advice, but it does get you obsessing a bit about all your peri symptoms - there are 53 apparently . In the end I left because a thread appeared about thinning pubic hair and they were actually talking about pubic wigs!!! It was a serious discussion I hasten to add, and they were all very distressed about it. I thought to myself if all I had to worry about was thinning pubic hair, I'd count myself lucky .. and unfortunately posted to that effect. It went down like a lead a balloon and I got told off for it. I just thought 'this is ridiculous' and decided I had to stop obsessing about all my symptoms and just get on with it.

I cycle a lot too Autumn. It's helped me lose a bit of the menipausal flab I've accumulated, and I have saved fortunes on petrol.

I think you have the right attitude, only wish I could do this!
Really funny to read about pubic wigs, sorry, but yes if only that were all it was, too true.
Good to read that you cycle,it does help, and I try to cycle up as many steep hills as possible, not great for my looks,(see above) but great for stomach.

I'm a regular on here but changed my name for reasons that will be obvious. With regard to being whiffy - is anyone else whiffy 'downstairs'? I definitely am and I wash and shower every morning and evening - the shame (((

If you're whiffy 'downstairs' you might have bacterial vaginosis or vaginal bacteriosis - same thing basically. It's caused by an imbalance of bacterial flora, is not sexually transmitted and has nothing to do with thrush. It's just basically the bacteria downstairs going out of kilter.

I had this as well as a general whiffiness emanating from my whole body. Went to the FP clinic and told them about the smell downstairs that I couldn't get rid off - and she just dismissed it and said she couldn't smell anything, and I was being over fussy. But it persisted so I went back and insisted on a test. It came back positive and a week long course of antibiotics cleared it up never to return. According to wiki recurrence is common, but it wasn't with me. Once I'd taken the antibiotics it just went, thank goodness.

If you google the symptoms it says the most common sign of this is a white/yellow discharge, but I never had a discharge - just the smell (the things we write about on here lol). My poor old ladybits were red raw from my continual washing.

Definitely worth you getting checked out. They do a quick swap which takes about a minute, and once it's diagnosed as I say, a short course of antibiotics will clear it up.

Thanks - I don't have a discharge, which is why I presumed I don't have an infection, but I will make an appt with the Drs and get checked out - thanks for your reply.

I have to say (embarrassingly) that many many months ago before my periods stopped i could sometimes smell fishy down below during a period (Strangly enough). . .i wasnt sure why, but it may have been related to the fact that i havnt had a period since February. . .and its now June !!!!! Not sure if i will ever get another period.
I have suffered hot flushes since about March but have recently (this month) been taking Evening Primrose Oil tablets every day and the hotness has nearly stopped. My face didnt flush it was my whole body for no reason would suddenly get really really hot for several minutes. I am 51 . .

Actually, it's funny, because when I was menstruating regularly i swear I could smell when I was about to come on. Now I have very very few periods but I constantly seem to have 'that smell' as if I'm about to come on - I thought maybe it was because I feel like my body is trying to have a period all the time. Feel like I'm PMT'd the whole time. I don't have a partner at the moment and was beginning to think that I probably never will again, cos I can't imagine any man wanting to go downstairs!!

I don't have a partner either (been celibate for three years and can't say as I miss it) so I knew my whiffy whatsit wasn't connected to that lol.

If you don't mind me asking Embarassed - how old are you?

I'm 51 and have been have peri symptoms for about six years, but the periods keep a coming. I've had five this year already - last one was around my birthday - May 2nd but nothing since, and I keep hoping that's it, but then ... another one comes along.

I tried natural progesterone cream and all that in the past, but what I've found works best is just to ride through the symptoms and they seem to pass. Mind you another one comes along to replace the one that just went. I did need help with the downstairs whiffiness though - and as I say, the antibiotics did the trick.

I don't blame anyone going down the HRT route. If things get worse I'll be straight down the doctors!

At the moment I get the occasional hot flush, and night sweats - but it's not too debilitating. I've changed in my attitudes as well. I'm a lot less social than I once was. For example I'd sit happily and listen to a friend rabbiting on the phone for 2 or 3 hours about all her troubles and so on, but now I just can't be arsed. I also don't worry so much about things that used to worry me if that makes any sense. I always used to say 'I don't care what other people think about me' but of course I didn't mean it. Now I genuinely don't give a stuff what other people think. I've got a lot tougher in many respects and I've read up a bit on it, and it seems to be a very common thing at this time of life. I suppose your maternal phase is coming to an end, where you care about everyone else but yourself and run around like a blue arsed fly being all things to all people, and when you get to the change and your hormones are going bananas on a daily basis - it's like, sod everyone else, I've got to get through this at the moment. Hopefully I'll come out the other side more like my old self.

As for the periods - when I get one it's massive swollen sore knockers, headaches, and wanting to bite everyone's head off - much the same as it's always been really

I'm almost 50 and have been going through the peri menopause for some time now. Have 2 -3 light periods in successive months, then nothing for anything up to 4 months and then a really heavy period which lasts 7-8 days.

I haven't had a single hot flush (that I know of anyway) but my FSH is high, so I know its the menopause for me.

Like you, I've not had a partner for some time and couldn't give a damn about it!! The idea of a good book is much more appealing!!! I'm the same with you about the phone too - used to spend hours on it and now I dread it ringing and having to be sociable!! I sound really miserable, I'm not, I'm the happiest I've been in my life!

Hi, found this link a few weeks ago when I had the same problem. Midway through a period, it all turned brown and the smell was AWFUL. Then I seemed to get spotting, and assumed that was it, hello menopause (I am late 40s). In the end I went to the docs thinking maybe it was this bacterial vaginosis Fontella mentions.

Anyway, thought I had better come back, because, to my horror, it turned out I had left a tampon there! When the doc asked whether that might be the case I just thought what kind of idiot does she think I am, but now I know!! Think part of the problem is my periods are sometimes so heavy, it seems like I must have forgotten to use one. And I also started using these Tampax Pearl, which are very short and stubby.

It could of course have been very dangerous, I was given a strong cocktail of antobiotics as a precaution against Toxic Shock Syndrome. But I just wanted to add that word of warning, the doctor told me that that this is the most common cause of horrible smells, so do get it checked out.

Oh, and it also made me realise how ignorant I am about the menopause, I feel more confused about it than I did about periods.