Hi everyone! So I am post-menopausal, 54 years old. My GYN background is normal, never had abnormal PAP smear or any issues other than the dryness and atrophy from menopause, and also some vaginal scar tissue from pelvic radiation three years ago. (It was not a GYN-related cancer, and I am now cancer free.) I use vaginal dilators regularly with water based lube to keep the vaginal scar tissue from progressing. I have no urine leakage as far as I know, or any abnormal discharge issues. I use prescription estradiol suppositories, and Ambien for sleep, plus multivitamins, but other than that, no medications.
About a year and a half ago, I started noticing vaginal odor that I could smell all the time, through my clothes. It’s not fishy, but it seems to have several smells. From a raw hamburger meat smell to a strong kind of dirty soapy smell (probably from washing) to a slightly sweet smell, to just a strong musky hard to explain smell. I smell it with my clothes on and this has taken over my life. My GYN has basically closed my case as she can’t find a thing wrong, and have only been told “sometimes a woman’s natural smell just changes over time.” But I can’t get away from the smell, and it is not normal.
I’ve tested negative for yeast infection, BV, UTI, had normal PAP smear, had intra-vaginal ultrasound and regular ultrasound, all normal. Tried prescription Metronidazole, Ph balancing products, OTC probiotics, tried suppositories for vaginal dryness/atrophy, tried boric acid suppositories, tried soaking in apple cider vinegar, drinking apple cider vinegar, not wearing underwear, not using washes with fragrance, using many kinds of natural sprays and wipes. I tried stopping the estradiol tabs, that didn’t work. I tried going off my vitamins for a month, I cut down on sugars and have a pretty normal diet, nothing in excess. I even wondered if it was a hormone imbalance, so I tried taking OTC hormone and hormone-free pills, which were short lived because I’ve been told that they’re dangerous since they’re not FDA regulated.
This odor is beginning to cause major depression and has affected my life and my decisions in so many ways. Too many to list here, but before this started, I wouldn’t have realized just what being smelly can do to a person’s life. Again, they’ve found no infection anywhere, no issues. My GYN has nothing left to say about it. I am frustrated and depressed, and time after time, I try to find answers online and see NOTHING other than “bacterial vaginosis.” I’ve talked to my GI also and my GP. No answers.
Thanks for reading this long-winded story! Does anyone have any ideas, or has anyone had this issue? Thanks ahead for any replies.