sensitive to smells on period

[iguanasdefuego.livejournal.com]

Hi kids (lol I'm 18). I was just wondering if any of you become extra sensitive to smells during your period? I just noticed today while I was chopping some fresh cilantro that it was making me nauseous. Ick! Also, I sliced up some fresh mushrooms and looking at the gills under the caps made me queesy. Does this happen to anyone else?

Comments

[lilclerk.livejournal.com]

Not to me, but my mother has mentioned it.

[xcrypticsugarx.livejournal.com]

You know what...I get that like too with my period.

[allmyshoes.livejournal.com]

all my senses are heightened (lol, spiderwoman) near to and during my period. all my body is crazy sensitive and things that i usually have no issue with i do all of a sudden.

[ashlingrainbow.livejournal.com]

I do, it lasts about a day or two at somepoint in my cycle near my period. I find many normal smells absolutely putrid and overpowering.

[ghoti-e.livejournal.com]

I've never noticed a sensitivity to smells, but I can't stand to be touched, especially lightly (brushing up against someone, light pat on the shoulder, etc).

[klemptor.livejournal.com]

This happens to me specifically with red sauces - sometimes I can get queasy just smelling it before or during my period. Other times I'm fine. (Being Italian, this is especially annoying to me!)

[spiffychicky.livejournal.com]

Oh man, I CANNOT be around fast food before or during my period. The smell becomes so disgusting.
And I become more sensitive in general. Like, if I have a paper cut, it will bother me A LOT more during my period than it would otherwise.

[in-thegreenroom.livejournal.com]

This happens to me too...it's like my sense of smell goes on overdrive and I can smell EVERYTHING...this is especially true with artificial, chemical stuff: perfumes, shampoos, etc. I just got my period today and I have an air freshener on my desk that I just cannot get far enough away from me.

Synaesthesia

[flowershadow.livejournal.com]

Have you heard of synaesthesia? Basically, in a nutshell, it's the crosswiring of senses.

I'm not an expert or anything like that, but smells=bodily feelings sounds like it to me. :)

If you'd like, there's a community here, synaesthesis, that is devoted strictly to synaesthesia. There's also a community, sensedefence, that deals with overly sensitive individuals, which sounds like it would apply to you, at least during your period!

Anyway, just a thought.

Re: Synaesthesia

[iguanasdefuego.livejournal.com]

Wow, thanks. I never thought of that! I'd only heard of it a million years ago and didn't even remember what it was, but thanks so much for the links. I'll check them out!

Re: Synaesthesia

[rotf-lmao.livejournal.com]

Actually, with all due respect, synesthesia is not something that only presents itself at certain times; it is a constant condition and does not only manifest itself during a specific timeframe (like during the menstrual period, as the OP describes.)

Also...synesthesia, as you mentioned, is a "cross-wiring" of senses. The five senses are sight, smell, taste, sight, and hearing, so nausea really wouldn't fall under any of those senses. Therefore, what the OP is experiencing is simply sensitivity to a certain smell, at a certain time.

Now, if she was associating the sight of mushrooms with the colour red, or if she pictured the word "mushroom" as being red, then she would be classified as being synesthetic. For example, when I see the word "mushroom", I see each letter in a different colour, because I am a diagnosed grapheme-colour synthete.

Re: Synaesthesia

[flowershadow.livejournal.com]

I would agree with you that synesthesia is there all the time; but, as you know, in some people it is not very prevelant. I wouldn't consider it impossible that during certain times it becomes more pronounced, especially if that time was when you were menstuating, when everything is all wacky anyway. I was thinking that nausea as being a feeling, because you feel nauseaous, and it was brought on by a smell.

I wasn't saying that she had it, just that it might be something that she might want to look at. My expierence with synaesthesia is limited to my expierences and the community, and I don't want to give the impression that I know a lot about it. Which was why I also gave the OP the link for sensedefence; it's for people that are sensitive to certain stimuli, including but by no means limited to synaesthetes.

:)

Re: Synaesthesia

[rotf-lmao.livejournal.com]

Fair enough. :) I just didn't want the OP to think that what she is experiencing fits the definition of synesthesia, even though it is similar in some ways.

[roxy-girl05.livejournal.com]

How funny! I was just thinking about this the other day because I smelled burning and nobody else could and a few hours later my whole neighborhood smelled like that burning smell. I don't have super powers, I'm just on my period! :D

[mannelie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it happens to me. I'm just extremely sensitive in general while I'm bleeding.

[sugarini.livejournal.com]

DEFINATELY.

When I have PMS I can't stand the smell of beef. It makes me feel sick.

[slow-awakening.livejournal.com]

I find that everything is heightened during my period. It sucks.

[kuni-bob.livejournal.com]

Yes, definitely.

[stenodork.livejournal.com]

"I sliced up some fresh mushrooms and looking at the gills under the caps made me queesy." this sentence made me queasy.

and everything grosses me out too during my period.
it seems normal since that happens to ppl who are pregnant.