Medication

[Singr]

Excuse if this has been asked before (by me 🙈). Since this PMR/Fibro episode started I’ve gone from being predominantly freezing to sweaty Betty. I shower every day and sometimes twice. I’ve noticed a really metallic smell to my sweat and can smell it off my clothes. Getting a bit paranoid about it. I know that my hearing my eyesight and my sense of smell have all been affected but is anybody else aware of this? Is it just me?

[Hidden]

No it's not just you. I was a sweaty Betty and if I flare now I still am. My smell was a musty burnt smell. As long as you are clean and have a good friend who will tell you if you smell you will be OK. It does get better.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

One of the early things I noticed with PMR was the strange sour/metallic smell of my sweat after the gym - even after a shower both before and after the class. I tried different deos - and in the end stopped using one at all (just washing without soap) which seemed to make no difference to the odour at all initially (i.e. I didn't smell any worse) but after a relatively short time it started to improve and after a few weeks was gone. I haven't used a deodorant since - some 15 years! Which has saved me a fortune ...

I suspect that the skin flora may become totally upset in autoimmune disorders, leading to a change in your BO. Stopping upsetting it any further may help - deodorants are supposed to kill off the "bad" bacteria that create the nasty sweaty smell but in fact upset the balance of good and bad bugs on the skin and in such a situation the baddies get the upper hand. Fresh sweat doesn't smell except in some illnesses, it is the bacteria on the skin that do the damage. By stopping using deodorants and soap I allowed the skin flora to reestablish the right balance and stop having a party on the sweat.

And no - I am assured I don't smell unpleasant ...

[Blearyeyed]

Yep , Temperature Regulation is Kaput! Freezing one moment , sweats the next.

Partly Fibro and Dysautonomia in my case , partly Steroids.

Yep, to the metallic smell , and that was symptom based as it was obvious before Steroids.

The Neurologist said many of his patients get it because of Nerve Disregulation and changes in Blood with Chronic inflammation plus , as Pro said a change in Skin flora balance .

I am now getting a fishy smell to my skin if I perspire , horrid , that's come on when , and since, I started to get more Heart related symptoms , but I don't know if there is a link .

Good job I can't cope with a big hug these days , unless it's a virtual one !😋😂😂😘

[miss-philosopher in reply to Blearyeyed]

A great big virtual hug is send to you. ATB. Stella.

[Blearyeyed in reply to miss-philosopher]

Thanks , you are all lovely xxx

[pmrgcavictim in reply to Blearyeyed]

Also a BIG HUG from me .

[Blearyeyed in reply to pmrgcavictim]

Thanks too Petal , as I said above , how kind and lovely xx

[Cyclegirl54]

I go from boiled alive to freezing cold. It’s a rum do , I’m forever taking layers off and on! 😂

[Galloping]

I don't get sweaty but I had recently noticed a faint whiff of cumin and I hardly ever eat it so it wasn't that. Prior to PMR I hadn't needed to use a deodorant for some years so bought some and hated the smell of it mixed with cumin 😩

Then somebody on another forum for grandmothers asked about the old lady smell and how to get rid of it since bathing,showering and any amount if deodorants didn't seem to do it. Another lady recommended a Japanese soap called Persimmon Tea soap, available on that well known online shop at around £7 p/p free so I ordered some after reading the reviews. It took about three weeks to come but I have to say it was worth the wait. It doesn't have much of a smell itself but does seem to have got rid of the cumin aroma.

I have to add though that having asked my sister and daughters if they could smell me none of them could, so it may have been my imagination but anyway I'm happy now that it's gone.

[Blearyeyed in reply to Galloping]

Smell of Onions or Cumin in the perspiration is one of those skin flora imbalance combinations with body chemicals .

Young people and teens often get it very strongly as Hormones and other Body Chemicals can add to its pungency . Plus most " Yuff" , unlike yourself and us other , sweet , smelling older folks on the forum don't make any efforts to reduce the scent because they forget to do basic functions like deodorise , wash , tie their shoes or ... breath without constant Parental instruction!😋😂😂😂

Thanks for the soap tip .