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ask: Do women smell different after menopause?

By Michelle King Robson Expert HERWriter December 15, 2008 - 9:41pm
 
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Do any of you who have gone through menopause think you smell different than you did before? By that I mean the way your body smells to you, not that your nose is working differently. I always thought it was just me that felt this way, but tonight I read an article about someone else who thinks she also smells different now that she's post-menopausal.

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Anonymous

It is not as simply nor as easy to adjust to, as some persons appear to have been able to. Yes, I do agree that it is a change one has to learn to take into perspective, and accept as another phase of life. It sure would help to be able to help everyone around to understand just how it feels each day. Some days, all I want to do is just sit around with nothing to do, some days I just feel like pulling all my hair out! I does really get crazy and I can't yet deal with the body odor changes. I wish i could find those products that really help.

May 22, 2011 - 7:43pm
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Anonymous (reply to Anonymous)

I understand. I haven't personally tried but you might find some items by googling nonenal body wash or soap. Hope it helps :)

May 23, 2011 - 9:37am
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Anonymous

I found that it's clinically proven that body odor changes with age, especially during or after menopause, due to weakened antioxidant on the skin and hormone changes. The odor phenomenon that changes body odor is called NONENAL. I'm 50 and notice my body odor change too. It's normal occurrence. I'm trying to find solution for Nonenal, but not found yet...

May 20, 2011 - 6:13pm
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Anonymous (reply to Anonymous)

Re: Nonenal: It's bacteria that is supposedly specific to mid life aging, or something like that. Mirai, a Japanese company, puts out a body wash and spray made with a certain type of pomegranate that washes away nonenal, when regular soap and water can't. I don't work for Mirai, or receive any benefit from promoting their products. I was intrigued enough by their claims that I decided to try it. I think it works great as a deodorizing soap,..but too much usage makes me feel a bit raw in the genital region. Btw, it's for men and women: apparently, men have a similar thing going on during middle age! Good luck!

August 30, 2012 - 5:35pm
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Anonymous (reply to Anonymous)

Sorry: Meant to say persimmon, not pomegranate !

August 30, 2012 - 7:23pm
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Anonymous

I'm so glad I finally ran across this post. I, too, noticed the change in my smell and thought it must be a figment of my imagination. I also blamed it, partly, on my disinterest in sex. If I was put off by my smell, surely my partner must also have noticed. I am 57 and have moved past the hot flashes (mostly) and am coming to terms with the changes in smell and have recently begun hormone therapy in the form of vaginal cream to combat the tissue degeneration and I hoped to rejuvinate my sex drive. I'm still holding out judgement on that last part. Maybe I hoped for too much?

May 20, 2011 - 10:16am
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Anonymous

I'm not sure what you ladies mean by "coming to terms with the changes that come with menopause." Do you just accept it? Not being fertile is one thing but the profound physical changes that take place is another. It's not natural for us not to have any estrogen. That's why there is sudden bone lost and profound deterioration of the vagina and genital tissues. There needs to be active research into preventing menopause. You don't want your daughters and granddaughters to go through this. We need to start demanding that more medical research start being done.

May 19, 2011 - 7:41pm
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Anonymous

You are luck to have your ovaries. I lost everything and was thrown right into menopause. I was 47 at the time and I am now 52. Everything changes. Maybe it is a very slight difference.

April 22, 2011 - 7:48am
hnwhitlock2000 (reply to Anonymous)

It wasn't easy at first. Between getting over the surgery, I started having horrible night sweats and with the insistence of my mother, I had to get on hormones for about a month. Other than that, I haven't really seen any other issues.

April 22, 2011 - 12:43pm
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Anonymous

I had a hysterectomy - partial as I still have my ovaries - back in 2004. I've never notice anything different in my smell; however, I was recently told that I have one. I still haven't noticed anything different.

April 19, 2011 - 6:03pm
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