Hi pointofnoreturn,

I think I speak for many of us when I say that I know what that monday morning feeling is like. Because I have suffered with this problem for all of my life (as far as I remember) first it was school I dreaded, then college, then work. I got through it by pretending it wasn't there. If I ignored it, it would go away. If no one mentioned it it wasn't there. I also thought that I was going to rid myself of this odour anytime soon. At the beginning of the summer holidays I decided that I would be cured before I had to return back to school/college in the autumn. I don't even know how I thought I would do it, I spent time sitting in my bedroom window waiting for a shooting star to wish on, praying to God, going to church, feeling unworthy, tidying and sorting, tidying and sorting... I thought that when I got everything cleared up (my sins, my mess etc) I would be fresh and clean and sweet smelling. I believed this so much that even now when I have given the house a thorough clean and had a massive clear out I feel that I smell less. Obviously my mind has been affected because of this constant, never-ending, life controlling problem.

As for work, I have drifted in and out of jobs all my life. I go to an interview and get on brilliantly, everyone wants to employ me! At that point I decide that I can do this job and not smell bad. I will control it better, change my diet, think positive, open my bowels before work, not be too close to people, find someone who is attracted to me so that I can feel special and a better person and then I won't smell so bad (I know this is crazy).....then I start the job, ignore my problem, work on the things I've mentioned and it falls apart. One comment and I am running scared. I don't know how you do it, so I take my hat off to you and my heart goes out to you. After quitting so many jobs I do not work anymore. I can't do it. The more places of work I have, the more people have chance to find out about me and discuss me and tell their friends. God forbid that one day someone will be discussing me to a relative of mine. How embarrassing! So I don't work, I can't fulfil my dreams and I can't be the person I want to be.

I do wonder how many people on this forum really do have an odour problem. Not everyone I'm sure. I know that reading my post it may sound like it is all in my head and I can understand that. However, I do feel that it is both a physical and psychological problem. One feeds from the other. I know because when I feel that I don't smell so bad I get different reactions from people. Some of the reactions I got from school have scarred me so much I could still cry now just thinking about them.

Anyway, as usual I have written an essay. I wanted to send you my support and encourage you to approach your doctor about getting tested. Once you know the cause it has got to be easier to set about tackling it. I know there was a lot of information posted in response to your first post and it may take a while to take it in, but try to read back through it. Sometimes I find it helps to print it out and make it your own by highlighting what jumps out at you.

You said that you would like to stay in touch with people here, well you are welcome to email me. I am in the UK (as you probably guessed) so there may be a delay in my responses. But I think the best thing you can do is begin your journey to get better. It is easy for me to tell you, and I must do the same too of course, but please try to get some input from your doctor or start looking into your diet etc. Even if we don't become friends then just posting on this forum to say how you are would be great. I will always say hi!

Take care and I will be thinking of you

ATA

Wishing you health and happiness.

Hi pointofnoreturn,

I know exactly what you're feeling and going through. Trust me I know. Especially when it comes to work. I get alot of dirty looks, stares, laughed at, whispers and talk about a lot too. Now I notice they stare a lot at the way I'm dressed. Basicly seeing if my clothes are clean. Which they are and me always daily. Like today for instance we wear uniforms at my job navy tops and khaki or brown pants. So I own many navy tops, six pairs of khakis and brown pants each. So I decided on Saturday to wear a clean navy shirt with a clean pair of the six brown pairs of pants I have that day. Then the next day Sunday I decided to wear the same colors but another different clean navy top with a different pair of clean brown pants. The whole day I was overhearing co-workers exaggerating giving me dirty looks saying "she needs to take a bath and got nerve wearing the same thing from yesterday". It didn't bother me. Because I know what they were saying was not true. As long as I know that's all I need to know. To be honest if they would've look closely the shirt and pant were actually made differently than the ones I wore on Saturday.

My odor has caused some of my co-workers to not speak to me anymore and avoid me. But then again I found out that there are some that don't feel that way about me. That still have respect for me and treat me the way they always have with respect. Real true individuals will love you for who you are no matter what. Unconditionally. Not everybody feels the way they do. The other day I had a good long talk with a really good friend about what I'm going through and what people thought and where saying about me.

He told me to my face like this(In A Positive Inspirational Motivating Voice)," Do they put money in your pocket?, put a roof over your head?, pay your bills? , put food on your table?, put the clothes on your back and everything else you work so hard to achieve in your life?. No. So who cares what they say or think. Let them talk and think what they want. They're ignorant and they're jealous. Live your life and know you are better than that. You know who you are be proud of that and always keep your head up no matter what." So I learned that not everybody feels I smell bad. I know its not something I'm doing on purpose. Because I am a highly clean individual and I take excellent care of myself. So what they say about me at work in public doesn't even bother me anymore.

Like I said I know its not something I'm doing on purpose. In time I believe I'll find the reason why I'm going through what I'm going through. We all will. I believe there's an answer for everything. In the meantime we all should keep the faith, keep our heads up, be happy, smile, live our beautiful lives to the fullest and love ourselves for who we are. Know I, YOU and everybody esle are BEAUTIFUL, STRONG, CONFIDENT and INTELLIGENT. I believe we all will overcome this. Take care.

Sorry to ask...whewn you talk about the odor, do you mean from gas?

I know all about the alientation.

I am yet undiagnosed, but I ran some blood tests and should get the results soon.

In my case i am soo incredibly skinny. I'm male 5'9" and 103lbs. Nothing but bones - really.

I hate going in public or meeting new people. Because i can see their eyes trying to get a glance at my skinny little arms, my wrists, my hands. And it kills me inside. At work i daily get some comment or someone teasing me about how skinny i am an that i need to gain some weight, eat more. Ya, I know. Don't you think i know. But no matter what i eat, or how much, i can't gain a just a gram.

I try to eat 2400 calories in a day, and i don't eat wheat (haven't for years suspecting an allergy to it). But it's like my body isn;'t taking in ANY nutritional value from my food. Somedays the Depression is really bad and think what's the use. My body's dying here. My spirit has died years ago, why not just do myself in.

And next day it's a bit better.

I never thought about celiac, but now I can remember as a child I would get these huge welts, like huge blisters cover large areas of my body after I would eat something that usually was a snadwich. It's like anhour after my body would react.

But i guess the reactions stopped, because then i lived most of my life eating wheat, up until college. I had a stress burnout, and that's when I started losing what little weight i had, having digestive problems, breakouts, skin problems, Depression , itching...

i don't know if i'll ever gain any weight back, but i sincerely hope so.

Hi pointofnoreturn,

It's nice to hear from you again. Sorry I didn't write before, but I have not been well as I was dealing with a life-threatening family emergency. Things are better now.

It's good that you went to HR to talk to them about the problem. Did you reassure them that you were seeking medical attention? That would have reassured them that you are trying to find a solution to this.

Have you been able to identify what the cause of your odor is? Have you tried any diets or remedies yet? Have you been diagnosed with anything? Remember that what works for one odor-producing condition may be detrimental to another odor-producing condition.

mpdela