[DizzyLizzy]

I feel that my reactions to strong smells are getting more and more severe. When my daughter was just a toddler, I noticed that I would get really annoyed and really cranky when around strong odors, like fertilizer, paint, car exhaust, etc. Over the years, I have found that I can't use 'regular' bar soap because of the perfumes and dyes, so I can only use Cetafil and we use 'Free & Clear' laundry detergent and no static sheets.

If someone is wearing perfume or cologne I get an instant pounding headache (Brain-swell) and I can't focus. And those Glade Plug-Ins really send me through the roof! There is a young guy that started working for us as an intern, and when I came into the office last Friday, the smell of cologne was overwhelming for me. I got an instant sore throat, cough and a horrible, throbbing headache that lasted all day and even Excedrin Migrane didn't touch it! Now it comes to today....I didn't 'smell' any cologne, however after he came into my cubical to talk about a marketing event, I came down with a horrible, horrible headache and felt really nauseous. I could not smell anything today, but my reaction was just like I had walked through the perfume department at Macy's. I ended up asking the guy if he was wearing cologne, and he said he wasn't, however he had worn the same shirt last Friday on a day that he did wear cologne.

Is this strange? Could I really be getting that sensitive??? Could it have anything to do with my Tysabri treatments? Or because of MS? It seems as though it is getting worse every month......Do I even need to worry about this? I know I need to get some relief, and I fully expect to talk with my Neuro about this when I see him on Dec 8th, but would this warrant a call to his office earlier?

[SallyC]

That sounds serious enough for a call to the Doc or even a trip to ER.

Take care and please let us know how it turns out.

[Dejibo]

I too am now that sensitive. I used to be able to deal with tons of frangrances, and odors, but now...nope! not happening. Perfumes make my head hurt so bad I become nauseous. Those plug in or table top air fresheners are just nails in my sinus cavity. I find the grocery store, or other places in public some days can be torture. I am happy in the winter because I can fling a scarf around my face and not look odd. If I get in line at the bank behind smokey joe, I will get out of line and wait for a few folks to fill in the gap between us. A friend who I love dearly just sent me a package from her home and I almost threw up when I opened it. The intense smokey smell was awful! They smoke in her home and it was just gross!

I have days where its not as intense as other days, but for the most part if I am up on it, I am unhappy. The MS MD told me its common from MS patients.

I would ask YOUR MD tho. Since its a change in how you used to be. Doesnt hurt to be looked at.

[Erin524]

I cant walk down the chemical aisle in the grocery store. (chemical aisle is where they have all the smelly crap like detergents and household cleaners)

If I walk down that aisle, I'll probably end up with a migraine or even itchy skin. I used to like to go to Yankee Candle, but cant do that anymore either. That's like voluntarily going into the tear gas chamber that my dad told me about when he was in the military. He was an officer, but they still made him go in there to "experience the tear gas". (he always cheated and held his breath)

I cant stand perfume. Good thing no one I know wears any.

One of the few strong smells that does not make me ill, and might actually help me if I did walk down the chemical aisle would be going immediately to the coffee aisle and standing near where they grind the beans. LOVE the smell of coffee. One of the best air fresheners ever. I've borrowed a few small cups (dixie cup with a small amount) of not-brewed grounds from my mother to put into my car a few times. Just put it in the cup holder and let the smell of coffee waft thru the car.

It's weird, I hate the taste of coffee, but love the smell. If I need air freshener for my bedroom, I refuse to use Febreeze or anything like that. Just go steal a teaspoon or two of grounds from my mom's stash.

When my sister and b-in-law stayed with us last spring (during a horrible flare I was having) the bedroom they were in started to...smell...some horrible stench, like...death. They Febreeze bombed it. So it smelled like death AND Febreeze. Yeah...good job there.

I left for the day to get away from the fumes, while in a really painful flare. Put some coffee grounds in my own bedroom, closed the door with the window open and took off. That helped a lot. Then I totally banned everything that doesnt smell like fruit from the house. (citrus scented cleaners dont seem to make me as sick.)

[Friend2U]

Originally Posted by amyblake

If someone is wearing perfume or cologne I get an instant pounding headache (Brain-swell) and I can't focus.

I have been this way since a teenager. Happens in an instant.... then get very nausous...

[Dejibo]

A friend works in a cubicle situation, and her new boss (a very pretty lady, very stylish) is soaked in perfume! its not the cheapo drug store version either, its the $60 an ounce stuff. she said its 20 times worse than the cheapo stuff (which is more alchol than perfume) and it like driving nails in her brain. The new boss is giving her a hard time that she always "appears to be sick, when it comes time for the after noon evaluation" my friend has explained that she has perfume allergies and she is getting serious migraines, and the boss said...ready? "you cant be allergic to this stuff! its all natural and doesnt go thru the same processing that the cheap drug store stuff does. this is REAL perfume, and there fore you simply cannot be allergic to it." HR is looking into it.

I was able to purchase a Tetter hang up unit from a friend. I paid shipping and she was able to clear out a peice from her clutter that she wasnt using. ICK! the smell of the box was enough to knock me down. It smelled like wet dog and wet ashtrays. I asked the UPS guy to leave it outside. He said he was never so happy to be rid of a package in his life. this thing STINKS! it sat outside for 2 days before I could open it. I soaked it in fabreeze and deer hunting scent killer spray and left it outside for 5 more days and it STINKS! its permiated right thru to the metal or something. I will have to either give this away or throw it away. Next time i will buy new and save myself the trouble. ICK!

[DizzyLizzy]

Originally Posted by Erin524

I left for the day to get away from the fumes, while in a really painful flare. Put some coffee grounds in my own bedroom, closed the door with the window open and took off. That helped a lot. Then I totally banned everything that doesnt smell like fruit from the house. (citrus scented cleaners dont seem to make me as sick.)

I am going to try the coffee grounds! I love the smell (and taste) of coffee, and it sounds like a great idea, Thank you! I will not go anywhere near a mall on 'Black Friday'....but I would bet that the grocery store will be safe from the crowds.....everyone will be eating leftovers tomorrow probably will not be grocery shopping!

[DizzyLizzy]

Originally Posted by Dejibo

A friend works in a cubicle situation, and her new boss (a very pretty lady, very stylish) is soaked in perfume! its not the cheapo drug store version either, its the $60 an ounce stuff. she said its 20 times worse than the cheapo stuff (which is more alchol than perfume) and it like driving nails in her brain. The new boss is giving her a hard time that she always "appears to be sick, when it comes time for the after noon evaluation" my friend has explained that she has perfume allergies and she is getting serious migraines, and the boss said...ready? "you cant be allergic to this stuff! its all natural and doesnt go thru the same processing that the cheap drug store stuff does. this is REAL perfume, and there fore you simply cannot be allergic to it." HR is looking into it.

That is a bunch of crappola!! REAL perfume, cheap perfume, it doesn't matter - it all can create problems for those of us who have sensitivities. My former boss would wear Este Lauder's Beautiful perfume everyday, and I suffered horribly everyday because of it. This stuff is not 'cheap'! Yeah, I could have 'quit', but I wasn't in the position to look for another job, so I sucked it up but it was very difficult. She fired me on April 1st 2008 (2 wks shy of my 1yr anniversary) and that was the best day I had had in a very long time! She actually did not have valid grounds for my termination, however it really didn't matter to me since I was no longer going to suffer every day and now I could claim unemployment while looking for another job.

It was only 6 weeks later that I found my current job and I have been there for 2.5 years and up until last week, I have been in an 'odor free' environment.