3) There was such thing as a skunk Scratch-and-Sniff sticker.
4) Someone else spent large swaths of elementary school smelling markers.
5) My over-achieving nose may be more the real issue than what I've been perceiving as my partner's under-achieving nose.
Thanks for this! I have been so ridiculously sensitive to smells lately, and I didn't know what was happening. Now, like so many other things I learn from you, it all makes sense.
Oh, Amanda, you always make me laugh! Ken, the mouse guy. I could also call him a hero. Luckily, they've only been in the attic except for the one that fell into the wall 🤢. Lesson learned: don't assume weird attic noises are the wind.
I'm thrilled to know that it "all makes sense." When our minds grasp a concept, we can shift our focus elsewhere and prevent WTF rumination.
I think you need to play that game with your partner where you blindfold each other (okay, people, get your mind out of the gutter!), hold up different smells, and try to guess what it is. That would be fun! See who has the better sniffer.
It's funny how that happens! It's like we finally start noticing the beauty of nature. My feeder is still up here but it will be coming down once it actually feels like spring. My favorites are the red winged blackbird. I took a liking to them as a child and then went most of my life without seeing them in the state I moved to. Now that I'm in the midwest I'm so happy to see them again.
I keep saying I'm going to learn about birds but who has time when there's so much fun with perimenopause lol.
I can smell evvvvverything these days. I have a pibble and a Cane Corso so gassy dogs is among these things. They are on the correct diet but the Corso has a shortened nose and swallows air, and the pibble eats anything he can beg or steal or random crap he finds (road food. He horked it down so fast I don’t know what it was). Sometimes I think I smell drains or the sewer. Cue me going around flushing vinegar everywhere. Sometimes I’m SURE I smell sewer. I could find the live sewage issues at my former job NO PROBLEM. Start sniffing and walking around and OH WHAT HAVE WE HERE.
If for some reason I can’t shower (hospital eg) I think I smell like my cat. He doesn’t stink, he just smells furry and feline, but I’m not sure “cat” is the way I want to smell. I asked my son in hospital if I “smelled like Loki” and he said no, what??? (Thor always smells like dryer sheets. I don’t know why, he doesn’t have access to them).
To ADD to this, I get olfactory hallucinations as a migraine aura. I smell either cigarettes, hot wood shavings, or chemically orange. There was a stainless steel cleaner that was being used in my work space that was “orange” and it smelled EXACTLY like pending migraine.
Shelly, I'm so glad you shared this! I know a lot of people can relate to your experience. You always have great stories and the way you tell them is perfection. Love Loki - I think he's my favorite (at least from the TV show). I find it interesting that you get smell hallucinations before you get a migraine. As I continue learning about this if I find anything helpful I will pass it along. Thanks for being a long-time reader and stopping by with a comment!
My husband fell for my toddler son (13 years ago) coming to him and saying, "smell my finger". My husband says he will never fall for that one again. 😆 🤣
I randomly smell cigarette smoke even though no one in my house smokes nor do my friends; it's bizarre! I used to think I was hallucinating, but was afraid to mention it to anyone because it makes me sound crazy. I don't know what triggers it, but it seems to come and go. Fortunately it's not as disrupting as what you are dealing with which sounds maddening - especially if the scents linger for days. Confession: I also spent most of art class enjoying the scent Mr. Sketch markers, and I can't even tell you how many albums of scratch and sniff stickers I filled up in 3rd grade. As always, your articles are fun to read and full of information; I look forward to them each week!!
Cigarette smoke is very common! I grew up in a house of smoking parents. I called it the Philip Morris headquarters, so for me, it's understandable that I sometimes smell cigarette smoke when it's not there, but for somebody who didn't grow up in that environment, it's very interesting.
Thanks, Susan, for the restack, comment, and super support! Your comment means the world to me!
Ha! Yes! I've always had a heightened sense of smell.
Lying in bed at night, I swore I stunk so bad I kept waking up. But on further sniff inspection, it was onion residue on the kitchen counter one room over from my bedroom!
I was one of the unfortunate to lose sense of smell with covid and then had phantom smells. My sense of smell was gone for about 10 months! It was weird and awful and messed with my appetite.
The phantom smells were worse though because anything savory smelled like burning trash and tires.
I lost my sense of smell for about three months. I couldn't imagine 10 months—that's a long time, and you probably thought you were never going to get it back. Sure, maybe phantom smells are annoying, but the opposite - not being able to smell affects so many things. Smells help us detect danger, which is one of the theories as to why pregnant women get the upper advantage here - so they don't eat anything that's gone bad.
I don't know. In a would you rather game, I think no smell wins over my favorite foods smelling like burning trash and tires.
I did it anyway, telling myself, mind over matter. It was really weird and isolating because I didn't know anyone else having that symptom at the time.
Great article! I only just noticed the other day that I have been smelling smoke lately when there is no smoke, totally forgot that this is a thing with perimenopause so thanks for the reminder...I'll add that to the 'yep, that's a crazy symptom' list lol! I also notice my other senses are super heightened...
I don't like how certain materials feel on my skin anymore and will change my clothes more often than I used to.
Certain noises, like the clock ticking, seems VERY loud anymore heightening the ringing in my ears.
I get super grossed out touching things that never used to bother me.
And...I need readers now! okay maybe that's just a legit you're getting old thing lol...but still!
Have you taken up bird-watching yet? If not, that's coming next 🤣.
What you're describing with clothes, noises, and touch is very common in perimenopause because it puts our nervous system into a more sensitive state. We suddenly start being irritated by things that never used to affect us before. If it helps you to know, the longer I'm in perimenopause and the closer I get to menopause, this is starting to settle down for me.
haha! um yes, I have taken up bird watching this winter how'd you know ;) (my husband calls me Snow White now) and I actually just put away our feeders for spring since they just get attacked by Grackles and Blackbirds, which although they are beautiful birds too, I don't like it when my yard looks like a scene from Hitchcock's 'The Birds' lol! but I miss my sweet Cardinals...I think I'll put a bird bath in my garden!
and that makes sense about the nervous system! mine has definitely been in a more sensitive state. it's good to know that it will start to settle down! thanks Shelby!
This is wild! I love all your puns in this article, too! I have a friend that's got a nose like yours, she smelled some essential oils I used while wearing a sweatshirt three days prior. Thankfully her comment was you smell good, but I had to stop and think what she was talking about because I hadn't used anything smelly in days!
I have worked part time in an audiology office = old people.... some of them marinate in their perfume because they can't smell it anymore and it's awful for the whole office!
I believe it! Essential oils are strong, and I've found it migrates easily. Like glitter.
From your experience in the office, maybe this skill calms down a bit after menopause. I'm going to have to check around about it.
Glad you liked the article, and thanks for leaving a comment. I love hearing from subscribers! I don't have any pets, but I think it's cool what you do!
Like glitter 🤣🤣 yeah, probably so, but my nose 'fatigues' fairly quickly and then I don't smell it. Based on all these experiences I've learned not to put any more on though because it's probably still there and I just don't know it! 🤣
One would hope it isn't as intense when you get older. I think it can also have something to do with being familiar, I don't remember if the official name is olfactory fatigue, but that's basically it. It's how people can work around stinky stuff and 'not smell it' after a while. So if your nose doesn't work as good when your older, and the smell is familiar so you're less sensitive that's a recipe for marinating in it and not knowing how bad you stink!
I'm also pretty sensitive to the fact that I smell like the barn and lot. I can't smell it (unless it's really damp and then it's 🤢) but I'm sure other people can. It sure was great in the pandemic because it was like built in social distancing. 🤣 nobody wanted to stand that close anyway!
That's a great description .... olfactory fatigue. I like that. It's like your brain can process quickly what it's smelling and put it aside to focus on other things.
Changing my kids diapers was easy peasy but if I had to change someone else's diaper forget about it. I once changed my nephew's diaper and got horrified from the experience. He's 27 now and I can remember it like yesterday. Parental Love and olfactory fatigue for the win 😁.
You're comment also made me think about how you can't smell your own house but you go to somebody else's house and you can smell their house.
Oooo, you're so right! I'm kind of paranoid about someone smelling my house... with farm smells and cats, I'm so used to it but I worry someone else would be grossed out so I probably over do it on the cleaning!
Yankee Candles, Scratch & Sniff, scented magic markers, my heightened sense of smell, the phantom odors, perfume samples in magazines . . . Of all my subscriptions, this has got to be the Substack most relevant to me right now.
Wow, Moorea - thanks for saying that! I'm glad it's been helpful to you. The other day on Threads, I mentioned hiccups, and the algorithm showed it to someone having hiccups. We got a big laugh out of that!
That is very interesting Shelby. I have definitely noticed myself more sensitive to smells in recent years - like being able to smell a client in the waiting room which was a floor below me. And not being able to tolerate people's perfumes etc. I also notice what you say about not being able to get rid if a smell for days. Yesterday I popped into a cat rescue centre where my friend works - today I could swear I was still smelling the cat-pee odour..... Hadn't given this much though until reading your article 😀
I read that last part too quickly and thought you said "I pooped into a cat rescue centre." Glad it was just popped into lol. I believe it - that you can smell a client downstairs - the stories I hear are amazing. I wish I had a suggestion for you to get cat-pee out of your nose, but I don't. Maybe smell something nice repeatedly??
Thanks for stopping by Dr. Connop! Keep up the great job on your Substack.
This makes so much sense to me as I'm realizing I've been peri for a couple years now. But just today I could smell my bosses colostomy bag (ew) and also when I walked into the house and could smell what I call old house smell. People's perfumes annoy me, and if I don't like the scent of soap I will totally change it out. Thanks for the info!!!
I can smell that guy from here. He must talk openly about it if you know it's there. The poor guy, those things aren't easy. When this information clicks, it's so validating. A hard part is coming to terms with getting to this age and the unknowns of this full-body experience. I'm glad I could shed some light on this for you. Thanks for being a reader, and here's a 🏆 for being the first commenter. Thank you!
Things I learned from this:
1) You have a mouse guy.
2) Related - there is such thing as a mouse guy.
3) There was such thing as a skunk Scratch-and-Sniff sticker.
4) Someone else spent large swaths of elementary school smelling markers.
5) My over-achieving nose may be more the real issue than what I've been perceiving as my partner's under-achieving nose.
Thanks for this! I have been so ridiculously sensitive to smells lately, and I didn't know what was happening. Now, like so many other things I learn from you, it all makes sense.
Oh, Amanda, you always make me laugh! Ken, the mouse guy. I could also call him a hero. Luckily, they've only been in the attic except for the one that fell into the wall 🤢. Lesson learned: don't assume weird attic noises are the wind.
I'm thrilled to know that it "all makes sense." When our minds grasp a concept, we can shift our focus elsewhere and prevent WTF rumination.
I think you need to play that game with your partner where you blindfold each other (okay, people, get your mind out of the gutter!), hold up different smells, and try to guess what it is. That would be fun! See who has the better sniffer.
It's funny how that happens! It's like we finally start noticing the beauty of nature. My feeder is still up here but it will be coming down once it actually feels like spring. My favorites are the red winged blackbird. I took a liking to them as a child and then went most of my life without seeing them in the state I moved to. Now that I'm in the midwest I'm so happy to see them again.
I keep saying I'm going to learn about birds but who has time when there's so much fun with perimenopause lol.
I can smell evvvvverything these days. I have a pibble and a Cane Corso so gassy dogs is among these things. They are on the correct diet but the Corso has a shortened nose and swallows air, and the pibble eats anything he can beg or steal or random crap he finds (road food. He horked it down so fast I don’t know what it was). Sometimes I think I smell drains or the sewer. Cue me going around flushing vinegar everywhere. Sometimes I’m SURE I smell sewer. I could find the live sewage issues at my former job NO PROBLEM. Start sniffing and walking around and OH WHAT HAVE WE HERE.
If for some reason I can’t shower (hospital eg) I think I smell like my cat. He doesn’t stink, he just smells furry and feline, but I’m not sure “cat” is the way I want to smell. I asked my son in hospital if I “smelled like Loki” and he said no, what??? (Thor always smells like dryer sheets. I don’t know why, he doesn’t have access to them).
To ADD to this, I get olfactory hallucinations as a migraine aura. I smell either cigarettes, hot wood shavings, or chemically orange. There was a stainless steel cleaner that was being used in my work space that was “orange” and it smelled EXACTLY like pending migraine.
Shelly, I'm so glad you shared this! I know a lot of people can relate to your experience. You always have great stories and the way you tell them is perfection. Love Loki - I think he's my favorite (at least from the TV show). I find it interesting that you get smell hallucinations before you get a migraine. As I continue learning about this if I find anything helpful I will pass it along. Thanks for being a long-time reader and stopping by with a comment!
I loved the scratch and sniff stickers, the markers, and the magazine perfume! Thanks for the nostalgia. 💫
Was "pull my finger" in your era, or just mine? The boys were so gross back then. What we put up with!!
3 brothers? Um, yes.
My husband fell for my toddler son (13 years ago) coming to him and saying, "smell my finger". My husband says he will never fall for that one again. 😆 🤣
🤣🤣 He won't get fooled again. I'm glad I only have sisters, but it gave me no experience to raise a boy!
I randomly smell cigarette smoke even though no one in my house smokes nor do my friends; it's bizarre! I used to think I was hallucinating, but was afraid to mention it to anyone because it makes me sound crazy. I don't know what triggers it, but it seems to come and go. Fortunately it's not as disrupting as what you are dealing with which sounds maddening - especially if the scents linger for days. Confession: I also spent most of art class enjoying the scent Mr. Sketch markers, and I can't even tell you how many albums of scratch and sniff stickers I filled up in 3rd grade. As always, your articles are fun to read and full of information; I look forward to them each week!!
Cigarette smoke is very common! I grew up in a house of smoking parents. I called it the Philip Morris headquarters, so for me, it's understandable that I sometimes smell cigarette smoke when it's not there, but for somebody who didn't grow up in that environment, it's very interesting.
Thanks, Susan, for the restack, comment, and super support! Your comment means the world to me!
Ha! Yes! I've always had a heightened sense of smell.
Lying in bed at night, I swore I stunk so bad I kept waking up. But on further sniff inspection, it was onion residue on the kitchen counter one room over from my bedroom!
I was one of the unfortunate to lose sense of smell with covid and then had phantom smells. My sense of smell was gone for about 10 months! It was weird and awful and messed with my appetite.
The phantom smells were worse though because anything savory smelled like burning trash and tires.
Coffee-burning garbage. Garlic- burning garbage. Chocolate- burning garbage!
I did scent training and eventually it came back. And now with peri, its as strong as ever.
I lost my sense of smell for about three months. I couldn't imagine 10 months—that's a long time, and you probably thought you were never going to get it back. Sure, maybe phantom smells are annoying, but the opposite - not being able to smell affects so many things. Smells help us detect danger, which is one of the theories as to why pregnant women get the upper advantage here - so they don't eat anything that's gone bad.
I don't know. In a would you rather game, I think no smell wins over my favorite foods smelling like burning trash and tires.
I did it anyway, telling myself, mind over matter. It was really weird and isolating because I didn't know anyone else having that symptom at the time.
Great article! I only just noticed the other day that I have been smelling smoke lately when there is no smoke, totally forgot that this is a thing with perimenopause so thanks for the reminder...I'll add that to the 'yep, that's a crazy symptom' list lol! I also notice my other senses are super heightened...
I don't like how certain materials feel on my skin anymore and will change my clothes more often than I used to.
Certain noises, like the clock ticking, seems VERY loud anymore heightening the ringing in my ears.
I get super grossed out touching things that never used to bother me.
And...I need readers now! okay maybe that's just a legit you're getting old thing lol...but still!
Have you taken up bird-watching yet? If not, that's coming next 🤣.
What you're describing with clothes, noises, and touch is very common in perimenopause because it puts our nervous system into a more sensitive state. We suddenly start being irritated by things that never used to affect us before. If it helps you to know, the longer I'm in perimenopause and the closer I get to menopause, this is starting to settle down for me.
haha! um yes, I have taken up bird watching this winter how'd you know ;) (my husband calls me Snow White now) and I actually just put away our feeders for spring since they just get attacked by Grackles and Blackbirds, which although they are beautiful birds too, I don't like it when my yard looks like a scene from Hitchcock's 'The Birds' lol! but I miss my sweet Cardinals...I think I'll put a bird bath in my garden!
and that makes sense about the nervous system! mine has definitely been in a more sensitive state. it's good to know that it will start to settle down! thanks Shelby!
This is wild! I love all your puns in this article, too! I have a friend that's got a nose like yours, she smelled some essential oils I used while wearing a sweatshirt three days prior. Thankfully her comment was you smell good, but I had to stop and think what she was talking about because I hadn't used anything smelly in days!
I have worked part time in an audiology office = old people.... some of them marinate in their perfume because they can't smell it anymore and it's awful for the whole office!
I believe it! Essential oils are strong, and I've found it migrates easily. Like glitter.
From your experience in the office, maybe this skill calms down a bit after menopause. I'm going to have to check around about it.
Glad you liked the article, and thanks for leaving a comment. I love hearing from subscribers! I don't have any pets, but I think it's cool what you do!
Like glitter 🤣🤣 yeah, probably so, but my nose 'fatigues' fairly quickly and then I don't smell it. Based on all these experiences I've learned not to put any more on though because it's probably still there and I just don't know it! 🤣
One would hope it isn't as intense when you get older. I think it can also have something to do with being familiar, I don't remember if the official name is olfactory fatigue, but that's basically it. It's how people can work around stinky stuff and 'not smell it' after a while. So if your nose doesn't work as good when your older, and the smell is familiar so you're less sensitive that's a recipe for marinating in it and not knowing how bad you stink!
I'm also pretty sensitive to the fact that I smell like the barn and lot. I can't smell it (unless it's really damp and then it's 🤢) but I'm sure other people can. It sure was great in the pandemic because it was like built in social distancing. 🤣 nobody wanted to stand that close anyway!
Yes it does! I don't know why lately but the universe keeps showing me how amazing horses are. Wish I understood that sooner.
They are, but I'm probably biased 😉 I've been drawn to them since I was a child.
That's a great description .... olfactory fatigue. I like that. It's like your brain can process quickly what it's smelling and put it aside to focus on other things.
Changing my kids diapers was easy peasy but if I had to change someone else's diaper forget about it. I once changed my nephew's diaper and got horrified from the experience. He's 27 now and I can remember it like yesterday. Parental Love and olfactory fatigue for the win 😁.
You're comment also made me think about how you can't smell your own house but you go to somebody else's house and you can smell their house.
Oooo, you're so right! I'm kind of paranoid about someone smelling my house... with farm smells and cats, I'm so used to it but I worry someone else would be grossed out so I probably over do it on the cleaning!
Oh, when you said "barn smell" you really meant it literally! I can handle farm smells especially if there are cute animals around.
Ha, yes, quite literally! 🤣 my horse thinks he's a pocket pony, even though he weighs one ton, does that count?
Yankee Candles, Scratch & Sniff, scented magic markers, my heightened sense of smell, the phantom odors, perfume samples in magazines . . . Of all my subscriptions, this has got to be the Substack most relevant to me right now.
Wow, Moorea - thanks for saying that! I'm glad it's been helpful to you. The other day on Threads, I mentioned hiccups, and the algorithm showed it to someone having hiccups. We got a big laugh out of that!
That is very interesting Shelby. I have definitely noticed myself more sensitive to smells in recent years - like being able to smell a client in the waiting room which was a floor below me. And not being able to tolerate people's perfumes etc. I also notice what you say about not being able to get rid if a smell for days. Yesterday I popped into a cat rescue centre where my friend works - today I could swear I was still smelling the cat-pee odour..... Hadn't given this much though until reading your article 😀
I read that last part too quickly and thought you said "I pooped into a cat rescue centre." Glad it was just popped into lol. I believe it - that you can smell a client downstairs - the stories I hear are amazing. I wish I had a suggestion for you to get cat-pee out of your nose, but I don't. Maybe smell something nice repeatedly??
Thanks for stopping by Dr. Connop! Keep up the great job on your Substack.
Thanks Shelby 😊
This makes so much sense to me as I'm realizing I've been peri for a couple years now. But just today I could smell my bosses colostomy bag (ew) and also when I walked into the house and could smell what I call old house smell. People's perfumes annoy me, and if I don't like the scent of soap I will totally change it out. Thanks for the info!!!
I can smell that guy from here. He must talk openly about it if you know it's there. The poor guy, those things aren't easy. When this information clicks, it's so validating. A hard part is coming to terms with getting to this age and the unknowns of this full-body experience. I'm glad I could shed some light on this for you. Thanks for being a reader, and here's a 🏆 for being the first commenter. Thank you!