What No One Told Me About Menopause: It Stinks Sometimes

 This post is meant to share what I have learned about menopause based on my own experience.  It is in no way intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new healthcare regimen.  Never disregard medical advice or delay seeking help because of something you read on this website.

No one warned me that menopause can stink!  And I mean that in the literal sense. Sometimes it can be quite smelly. Pe-yew! 

Perimenopause and menopause can bring on hot flashes, night sweats, and anxiety.  All of which can result in increased sweating.  All kinds of sweat.  I now sweat in places I'm not sure I ever produced sweat before.  Besides underarm sweat, there's now back sweat, thigh sweat, boob sweat.  I'm not entirely convinced that even my hair isn't sweating. And increased sweating means increased body odor.  

To make matters seem worse, we often have a heightened sense of smell during this season of life.  So, we are more likely to notice an aroma when others around us don't.  But, if you're like me, that knowledge isn't going to stop you from worrying that you're offending the olfactory senses of everyone around you.  (aka: grossing everyone out) And no one wants to be THAT person. I have spent more time in the past year or two trying to casually sniff myself than I ever did in the entire rest of my life.

The good news is that there are things we can do to help ease the funk.  Ones that don't involve drowning ourselves in perfumed body sprays or avoiding going out in public.  

-  I now use a combination of two antiperspirant and deodorants - a clinical strength that I use at night and right after showering, and a "regular" strength that I apply every morning.  I also often swipe some under my breasts if I know it's going to be an especially warm day.  Many women also carry gentle cleansing wipes with them for a quick refresh. 

-  Taking steps to help minimize hot flashes can help to reduce the amount of sweating we do in a day (see: What No One Told Me About Menopause: It's Hot) 

-  Stay hydrated. When we're dehydrated, our sweat can become more concentrated and smell just that little bit stronger.  So make sure you're drinking plenty of fluids.

-  Avoid or limit foods such as garlic, spices, alcohol, red meat, or those high in sugar that can contribute to the body odor or increase sweating.

Have you noticed that you seem to have a stronger smell as you entered perimenopause or menopause?  Or do you feel that you smell different than you used to?