PMR & body odour

[HCOYS]

I’ve had PMR for 3years now. Started on 60mg now tapered to 4mg. Since I dropped from 5mg my pains & stiffness have increased but also my body odour has changed - Smokey / burnt toast. Has anyone else experienced this.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Yes - but it was in the early months of PMR. Can't remember how I'd have described it but it was horrible! It was far the worst after a gym class, I could still do stuff then! I'd showered and gone to the gym but as soon as I started to get warm, the stench was awful.

I tried various deos - none worked, ones with aluminium were worse - i.e. anti-perspirants. I managed to find a few packs of my usual non-aluminium stick which had been taken off the market and then even it stopped working. To my nose at least - don't know if others perceived it the same.

In the end I stopped using deodorant at all - and washed frequently instead, BO is caused by the action of the skin flora on sweat so if you wash frequently, there is no stale sweat to smell. After about a couple of months in which I used no soap or foaming products on my skin, it started to improve. I haven't used a deodorant for over 16 years now - and I do not smell. It took some months but the bacteria on my skin are back in balance - it is all about the microbiome.

[fmkkm in reply to PMRpro]

Yes, I totally agree. Also, I find synthetic material seems to cause skin odor. I wear cotton or wool. Wool socks are the best at wicking moisture.

[Constance13 in reply to fmkkm]

But TOO WARM! They wouldn’t suit me. I don’t sweat (or at least very little) which is not healthy evidently. Can’t win sometimes, can we?

[Suet3942 in reply to PMRpro]

I stopped using deodorant 2 years ago. I have never noticed body odour and neither has my husband even in hot weather.

[Floridafan]

I have found the complete opposite. Since taking Prednisolone, I still sweat but not as much and there is no odour. One of the very few advantages of Pred for me and also underarm hair has disappeared.

[oscarandchloe]

Yes- no leg hair, no underarm hair, but lots of horrible facial hair!

[Noosat]

I have not used deoderants for many years. I find as a vegetarian my body does not emit odors