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Original poster

My husband smells but only I can smell it

49 replies

Foodie731 · 08/03/2022 08:19

I'm worried my husband might be ill but I can't just make him go to the doctors and say 'I smell bad to my wife! "

I have always been able to smell illness on both my children. I believe this is quite common.
I can smell the same thing on my husband but much much stronger to the point its becoming unbearable for me. I can even smell it when I go into a room that he has been in.
I have been able to smell it on him for the past year. But he hasn't been poorly. He actually had covid and during that time the smell went away! It's come back even stronger. No one else can smell it apart from me.
It's not due to bad hygiene, it's not on his clothes or his skin. It's starting to affect my marriage because I don't want to be too close to him. The smell is overwhelming for me and makes me want to gag. I've read that people can smell cancer and it's got me worried. I know this sounds completely rediculous but what is it that I'm smelling? It's like a sour, sweet, rotting type smell Confused

OP posts:
Jovanka · 08/03/2022 08:21

Is it a ketone type smell? Has he been on a diet? Any chance of diabetes?

ChaToilLeam · 08/03/2022 08:22

How’s his dental hygiene? Has he got gum disease or tonsil stones? My dentist said that gum disease has a very distinctive odour, she could detect it very easily.

LIZS · 08/03/2022 08:24

@Jovanka

Is it a ketone type smell? Has he been on a diet? Any chance of diabetes?
I wondered this, is it a rotten fruity smell? If so it could be a medical emergency.
hesbeen2021 · 08/03/2022 08:30

Out of interest have you had Covid? If so did you start noticing after this?
I've had covid twice and after each time started smelling things that no one else could smell. It lasted around six months the first time and this latest time it's easing off after a month or so

Original poster
Foodie731 · 08/03/2022 08:34

It could be me but I don't think it is. I haven't had covid as far as know but the rest of my family have. It's definitely coming from him specifically. I thought about the ketone thing, but we've got a blood glucose monitor and his readings are around 4.1. He's just been in bospwogh a kidney stone and they did alot of blood tests and nothing showed up on their apart from raises white blood cells which I presume were down to the urine infection. This is all recent tho, I've been smelling this for way over a year.

OP posts:
Original poster
Foodie731 · 08/03/2022 08:34

Been in hospital that should say

OP posts:
marqueses · 08/03/2022 08:37

I don't think it's ridiculous, animals can smell cancer I beleive

Practically though I dont know what to suggest, it must very difficult for you

Ponchek · 08/03/2022 08:39

You just go to the doctor and say what you've said here.

Ponchek · 08/03/2022 08:40

Have you had any emotional problems with him? Have you gone off him? Then his previously attractive or at least tolerable musk will repel you.

EarthSight · 08/03/2022 08:41

Has he been stressed? That can influence odour. You could be smelling the stress in his sweat. Other possibilities are something to do with digestion or skin bacteria maybe.

AngelinaFibres · 08/03/2022 08:41

@Foodie731

I'm worried my husband might be ill but I can't just make him go to the doctors and say 'I smell bad to my wife! "

I have always been able to smell illness on both my children. I believe this is quite common.
I can smell the same thing on my husband but much much stronger to the point its becoming unbearable for me. I can even smell it when I go into a room that he has been in.
I have been able to smell it on him for the past year. But he hasn't been poorly. He actually had covid and during that time the smell went away! It's come back even stronger. No one else can smell it apart from me.
It's not due to bad hygiene, it's not on his clothes or his skin. It's starting to affect my marriage because I don't want to be too close to him. The smell is overwhelming for me and makes me want to gag. I've read that people can smell cancer and it's got me worried. I know this sounds completely rediculous but what is it that I'm smelling? It's like a sour, sweet, rotting type smell Confused

Google 'the woman who can smell parkinsons disease'. She sounds very similar to you.
OutsideVoice · 08/03/2022 08:49

What does your dh say when/if you tell him?

Personally I’d want him to be checked out thoroughly for peace of mind.

LouLou198 · 08/03/2022 08:52

To be honest I would go to the doctors with him and tell them to exactly what you have told us in your op.

ErniesGhostlyGoldtops · 08/03/2022 08:52

I was able to detect my husbands cancer by smell. If the GP won't check him out, pay for a blood screening or a private scan maybe?

In order to get my GP to take me seriously I lied and said he had unexplained weight loss too. I had come across the smell in my day job and knew I was right. He had cancer.

ISmellBurnings · 08/03/2022 08:55

My DH can smell Parkinson’s. He didn’t even realise it was a ‘thing’ until there was a programme about it.

Abcdefu · 08/03/2022 08:55

Haemocromatosis has a spell?

LunaAndHerMoonDragons · 08/03/2022 09:03

@Ponchek

Have you had any emotional problems with him? Have you gone off him? Then his previously attractive or at least tolerable musk will repel you.
I was wondering this. This happened with H after some emotional abuse, it's been around 3 years now, on and off, I think he smells wrong to me now because of what he did
Grumpycatsmum · 08/03/2022 09:06

I remember reading about a woman who could smell her husband's Parkinsons before he had symptoms. Suggest you look out the story and take it with you to the GP.

Couchbettato · 08/03/2022 09:28

I know exactly what you mean OP, I do the same with my son and XH had/has an acrid putrid stench about him like he's ill but nobody else can smell it. I don't know whether they're all noseblind to it and I am not, or if it's something only I can smell.

Supersimkin2 · 08/03/2022 09:34

It’s real, Parkinson’s smells, as does schizophrenia. Presuming DH would have more symptoms so wouldn’t worry about those. Also athletes foot, skin rashes etc can honk.

Have you tried Hibiscrub? Chemist / get him to use in shower for 3 days - clears up skin bugs. If he’s still whiffy it’s from inside, doc.

AthenaPopodopolous · 08/03/2022 09:38

I got that gag response too and the man was diagnosed with cancer and died about six months later. He was a friend though but there was no mistaking the instinct for death and it was repulsive. Get him to the GP.

Whatamesssss · 08/03/2022 09:46

I could smell a bad smell from my cats ear, but no infection etc (he was always cuddling up to face, I'm not a weird ear sniffer), turns out he had cancer.

Have a smell of his ears and see if it is stronger there.

Prokupatuscrakedatus · 08/03/2022 09:52

It's like a sour, sweet, rotting type smell

stomach (rotting fruit) or thyroid (vinegar-ish)

Loopyloulou007 · 08/03/2022 10:28

I am the same. Literally gag when I walk into the room he has been in, if the door has been shut. If he has been in the car I need to open the windows and wait a bit. It's not all the time, comes and goes.

He has been having loads of tests done at the Dr's, no one else can smell it, it's not a sweat smell, or he has passed wind or anything and it's lingered. It's like a dead smell and it's always the same smell. I complain all the time and he just thinks I am being horrible, but it's horrendous and turns my stomach.

TimeToDecideX · 08/03/2022 10:33

I saw on TV once that some people can smell Parkinson's disease.

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