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Aniexty and body odor

Help,
With my aniexty I get severe body odor.  I can live with the aniexty and panic, but for 9 years I also suffer with body odor which seem to come with the aniexty.  It is totally ruining my life.  I don't sweat with the disorder but the stronger the aniexty the stronger the odor.  Does anyone else suffer from this.
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Avatar universal
I am the same, i am 23, almost 24 , im pretty sure im gay but not 100% i've only had sex 2 times one with a girl(she just jerke me off) and one with a guy. but thanks to a family that is all about appearances i pretty much didnt realize i was guy till i was about 20. So i missed that whole train of love, on top of that i have had hair loss since i was 21 at the top of my head and i also have anxiety issues and lately every time i get anxious, or do something stimulating like play a intensive video game i just start to sweat and apparently it smells horrible. And the shittiest part is that i cant even smell, so every time i am not alone in my room, i am worrying about maybe smelling absolutely awfull, i am also worrying about the lightning , because at different lightning my hair loss looks worse or less bad. at every family party its awkward as **** because i am 24 and i never even brought a gf (or bf ) with me, to top it all off thanks to my anxiety issues i couldnt bring up the effort anymore to go to every class because it was so exhausting for me. I ended up not going to most classes and just stuyding from home for the second semester of the first year and the second year, now i am going back to college and this time i decided to take public transport because i didnt want to rely on my parents car and fuel anymore. Today when i came home from college, a bunch of kids got on the bus because school ended coincidentally, and this one kid sat next to me and well, apparently i smelled rly bad, he covered his nose with his shirt and all his friends were laughing with me. It was defintely in my top 10 of most embarasing moments ever. After this incident i just sank into a pretty f-ing bad mood. And honestly i dont know how i will get trough this semester, its constant stress the whole day, till i get home and am in my room. I need help, badly
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Avatar universal
My odour seems to come from the skin too - its not a sweat/underarm problem. That is, if I smell specific areas it doesnt smell, but just breathing in around me I get a smell.
It only happens at work, so it is definitely stress related, but some days I cant  smell it so I was thinking perhaps stress hormone plus some other hormone that is not produced every day may be responsible. But then again, I have had people comment at work even on the days I dont smell anything. But the comments could just be because Im known as the smelly person, rather than because they actually smell something at that moment? Basically people just avoid getting too close at all times. It would be so good if someone could tell me if I smell all the time or if it fluctuates, it might help determine the problem. I have tried to ask, but one ex-colleague ignored my text, the other pretended she didnt know what I was talking about and changed the subject.

I have low iron levels as I am vegetarian. Someone else mentioned low iron levels - I wonder if this is related to the problem?
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Avatar universal
thanks so much, I am a lady and have the same issue as you, i will do what you did and i think will help me, because i take good care of my personal care i bath twice a day no matte the weather, I use expense deodorant and perfumes but still have the same problem. thanks so much i hope this helps me.
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Avatar universal
I definitely feel for you. I too suffer from everything you mentioned. I can't smell my own B.O but I do notice the comments and the gesture. I totally know the frustration and the social isolation. I would like to ask if things have gotten better or worse?If you ever want to talk about this, please feel free to email and we can share our experiences.
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Avatar universal
Have you still been experiencing anymore symptoms? It's been an issue for me every now and again .... I can't take that my perfumes doesn't  even work besides my coworkers asking loudly what's that smell?  Me  stressing out even more. I have plans to go to an endocrinologist soon. My insurance is changing so I have to wait for that to kick the next  dr I plan on seeing is a colon specialist someone wrote that it could be a fistula ? I just can't wait to have an answer because nothing is worse than you dealing with an odor problem and not being able to remedy the problem with  showers.
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Avatar universal
P.S.... it seems to be emitting from my pores...skin...  not from my underarms
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Avatar universal
The same exact thing happens to me Stressedout 2013!  I have never had any medical issues other than I'm low in iron. I was taking a multivitamin every day & was fine.  About 3 months ago..just about when I seemed to get a sinus/ear infection, I started emitting an odor.  I don't excessively sweat but I have noticed now, when I'm at work, once I get stressed, I smell even more & then It gets worse if someone comes by me because I know they must smell me because I smell myself.  I stopped taking the iron & the muti-vitamin, try to eat more fruit & vegs/day, only drink no caffeine beverages, don't eat alot of fast food as I thought maybe that's what was doing it even thought I've been taking the same muti-vitamin for 2 years now.  My primary did blood work, urine test & my gyno tested & did cultures too.  Everything came back normal.  I don't drink, don't smoke or do drugs. Primary says probably peri-menopausal & nothing I can do about it.  I take 2-3 showers a day w/antibacterial soap & Vagisil PH balance wash all over...it helps slightly but an hour or two later... starts again.  Started taking Re-Phresh pro-biotic supplement ($28 for 30 days worth) worked ~98% for ~3 weeks!... I thought it was my answer.  Now, back to smelling again even though still taking Re-Phresh. I dont know how much longer I can deal with this.  I don't want to be out around people & staying in after work & being a hermit..not going anywhere if it's not necessary.   Can anyone offer some help to me please??
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Avatar universal
I just wrote a whole discription and it didnt post so I will try to reiterate my plight. I am older than most of you that have posted concerns. My question is regarding diagnosis by what type of dr. I am a suffer as well but in my case it's intermitten. I will get stressed out and begin to emit a foul odor. I've been to my primary care dr, as well as 2 gyno. Bloodtest normal I'm on no medications. I even stopped taking my vitamins after this last incident, which was this week. I figured i would try to just give my system a rest. It started for me I would  say about 3 yrs ago...but not everyday. It's so weird because I too hear comments like what's that smell , it's like I'm rotting on the inside. My drs say I'm normal...my spouse says I don't smell..it's mainly at when I'm stressed at work and then it goes away. I don't think it's the olfactory blah blah blah ..if that was the case I'd try to think money bags to make that appear(haha)..anyway I just really want some guidance ...walking into a hospital and saying I'm here because sometimes I smell weird sounds like I'm crazy...it's a real anxiety problem as a whole and worse because I don't know when it's going to happen. ..other things I noticed was my perfume not working even on normal days......please help .......this situation is a hard one to bear..it's not only an affliction that you deal with medically but socially... I'm begining to feel like a hermit ~this *****!
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Avatar universal
The underlying problem here to most of your cases of bad body odor is stress caused by anxiety or other causes..Therefore the most effective way to eliminate  this problem completely is to attack the stress problem not hide behind it with doedorant.Remember before you had this problem, remember those pleasant natural smells of yours. These present odors are not natural, and neither is stress. Stress is created by you. Noone else but yourself. This stress comes from negative emotions which come from thoughts you choose to have (even though you do not want or like these thoughts). So what needs to be done is to change these thought that bring about these negative emotions. Think in more self enhancing ways. Because when you really think about it it is an utter waste of time applying any amount of your energy to stressful thoughts and not doing the things in life you want to because of its effects (bad body odor amongst other things). you could die in two weeks, why not think in a positive way and live happy until the inevitable than think self defeating thought and live unhappy. These thoughts have nothing to do with YOU and these problems are just conditions that can be overcome. Just be aware of the undesirable thoughts that brings you the stress in your life and think differently about it and with a lot of practice you will be free off unwanted thoughts that bring about these stressful responses and in effect eradicating this bad odor problem. Hey, its your mind you can chose to either take control of it or allow yourself to think these 'stinking' and useless thoughts that bring about these horrible feelings. Its up to you.
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Avatar universal
No, sorry, you're wrong
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Avatar universal
No, sorry, you're wrong
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Avatar universal
Hello!
After reading many of the comments I find that I'm not alone with these terrible problems, anxiety and B.O. I have tried every deodorant and antiperspirant, but nothing worked. One day I stumbled across a video on youtube, and it has been life-changing. At first I didn't believe it at all, a guy who said he could sweat as much he wanted and not get any odor, that he didn't even need a deodorant. This he had made through a drastic change in his diet; he had become a fruitarian.

A fruitarian is someone who just eats raw (preferably organic) fruits and vegetables. (Occasionally some nuts). This first seemed completely crazy to me, but I gave it a try. After only a few days on the diet, i noticed a reduce in body odor. It would come and go a little, some days I had no odor, other days a quite strong one. When the body produces an odor, it is because it is trying to get rid of toxins; body odor is actually the smell of your body detoxifying. When you stop eating toxins, you stop smelling. Of course, this takes time, and the odor won't be gone for several months after adapting to a fruitarian lifestyle. But it will eventually completely disappear! :)

This is no easy task. I think it has been the hardest change I have ever made in my entire life. I took i gradually, and went on and off several times. But if you are persistent and don't give up, this will change your life. This diet won't only help with odor. It also helps with anxiety and other mental disorders, it gives you tremendous amounts of energy and vitality, an immune system that will fight off nearly all sickness and a happy mood nearly always. As said before, this is not easy. If you want to try this, it is a good thing to take it gradually, or fast a couple of days before starting. A good thing to start with is to have some meals a day that is only fruit, and making the meals with other foodstuffs less frequent and in smaller amounts. Another good thing to know is that the biggest sources of B.O. is meat, cheese, dairy and eggs. In my transition period, I ate a vegan diet when I didn't eat fruit. This also really helps.

So good luck, I know exactly how terrible it is to be in your situation, where anxiety contributes to body odor, and body odor contributes to anxiety. Please give this a try. You won't regret it. :)
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Avatar universal
i have this problem 3 month's ago.. i'm a freshman in college.. yeah its must be excting , and enjoyable but there's a ground breaking happen.. first month of school i did'nt feel anything about this problem.. but when midterm is approaching , i observe something on my seatmates. every morning in the classroom (psychology class) i observe that my seatmate is always touching their nose.. and my sitting position is in row 1.. at first i did not think that it was my bo.. then a couple of days i observe that from row 2 they sneeze.. making weird faces!! i was very nervous of that. a weeks passed by i did not entertained that.. i observe to different places that i've been in school not only in classroom to verify my suspition. i found out that when i'm standing outside the campus waiting for a car.. i see people far away from me toucing their nose, sneeze and disgusted faces.. that day i consult my bestfriend and she said she dont smell anything then i was rejoice.. there's a time that we need to enter to the speech lab.. it was airconditioned.. that time i was late. when i entered the room.. my classmates gone wild in the speech laboratory..they said("stinks!, hey bo revolution!, "what a smell") that day my life sink.. i was thinking i did'nt do anything.. i take bathe 2 times a day ,, when weekends 3 times.. until now i suffer from this bo.. i consult my mother.. and my mother checks my clothes.. she smell it most especially my underarm.. my mother said: " theres no bad smell.. she said to me i was so very paranoid on thinking that.. when i read your comments i understand now.. huhu the latest news from me is that i fail major subject.. my bestfriend did not talk to me at all :(( and i'm still living with fear in social interaction with people.. most especially in crowded people.. i tried a lot of deo-antiperspirant, natural remedies like lemon, vinegar, baking soda and etc.. none of them work,,. I'M STILL HOPING TO REGAIN MY NORMAL LIFE.....
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
i have this problem 3 month's ago.. i'm a freshman in college.. yeah its must be excting , and enjoyable but there's a ground breaking happen.. first month of school i did'nt feel anything about this problem.. but when midterm is approaching , i observe something on my seatmates. every morning in the classroom (psychology class) i observe that my seatmate is always touching their nose.. and my sitting position is in row 1.. at first i did not think that it was my bo.. then a couple of days i observe that from row 2 they sneeze.. making weird faces!! i was very nervous of that. a weeks passed by i did not entertained that.. i observe to different places that i've been in school not only in classroom to verify my suspition. i found out that when i'm standing outside the campus waiting for a car.. i see people far away from me toucing their nose, sneeze and disgusted faces.. that day i consult my bestfriend and she said she dont smell anything then i was rejoice.. there's a time that we need to enter to the speech lab.. it was airconditioned.. that time i was late. when i entered the room.. my classmates gone wild in the speech laboratory..they said("stinks!, hey bo revolution!, "what a smell") that day my life sink.. i was thinking i did'nt do anything.. i take bathe 2 times a day ,, when weekends 3 times.. until now i suffer from this bo.. i consult my mother.. and my mother checks my clothes.. she smell it most especially my underarm.. my mother said: " theres no bad smell.. she said to me i was so very paranoid on thinking that.. when i read your comments i understand now.. huhu the latest news from me is that i fail major subject.. my bestfriend did not talk to me at all :(( and i'm still living with fear in social interaction with people.. most especially in crowded people.. i tried a lot of deo-antiperspirant, natural remedies like lemon, vinegar, baking soda and etc.. none of them work,,. I'M STILL HOPING TO REGAIN MY NORMAL LIFE.....
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
We all are suffering from the same psychological disorder and I´m surprised that no one has mentioned the name so far. It´s called "Olfactory Reference Syndrome" and 'yes folks, it´s all in our mind'.
The solution is going to a psychologist and starting therapy (cognitive-behavioral or CBT) and definitely is not avoiding social situations.
Doing obsessive rituals (showering, applying deodorants, seeking reassurance...) takes your life away.
I´m still a sufferer to this day, but what I know is that my 'odor thoughts' are triggered in situations that give me anxiety and that´s what I´ve been addressing; the anxiety and not the body odor itself ofcourse maintaining normal hygiene. Now I have a normal social life thanks to professional help and my motivation to get my life back.
You can do it too. Once more, the problem is the anxiety and not the body odor.  
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Avatar universal
Yea im 20 and im also going through this situation, its embarassing because the students inschool would rub there noses n whenever they sniffed in they would make the weirdest faces. I would always get negative comments like, "this kid stinks", "what's that smell", "dont get to close to him he smells like S***", and they would all laugh. Sometimes I would ask myself, why am i Still even living? But you know what im just tired of all of this, im going to start wit a new life. Just to let everybody know I take 2-4 showers a day, and put on deodarant, cologne or body spray, and I would still get the people rub there noses or make the weirdest faces. IM JUST TIRED OF IT, I WANA MEET PEOPLE AND BE SOCIAL!!!!! but I cant because i would just get a negative comment about me smelling the whole place up. :,(
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Avatar universal
P.S.  To add insult to injury, it's always great when you're told one of your illnesses, a byproduct of anxiety,  has been excluded from your insurance plan by your company. . .NICE.
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Avatar universal
Please don't trivialize matters which you know nothing about.  I have had this problem for two years now.  I've taken two tub baths a day for a year, to no avail.  I've also switched to taking 3, sometimes  4 showers per day, which still didn't solve the problem.  I believe North American Man has it right.  I work with people who make me extremely uncomfortable (catty, petty,  'constantly in your personal space to see what they can detect' gossipy types).  That perpetuates my anxiety.  That nervous anxiety, maximized by warm skin (sometimes hot skin), causes serious problems for me. . .Problems a simple solution such as bathing more frequently can't /hasn't solved.  So, on behsalf of those like myself who struggle with this embarassing, self-esteem deflating problem, please refrain from speaking on matters in which you know absolutely nothing about.  I used to feel like a pitiful victim with this bizarre illness, but now I'm just angry.  When I read comments and questions from people who need so much help, and they receive comments like yours, I have to stand up for them.  Like many, resorting to online research for solutions is not our first stop.  It's usually what we resort to after we've exhausted all other means of assistance.  We decide to 'practice medicine' so to speak, and do our own research.  I've been to countless Doctors, Specialists, Therapist, dietician, even tried an acupuncturist. . .to no avail.  So, show some respect for the trials that others face even if you don't understand them.  The next trial may be your own.
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Avatar universal
Hey everyone,

I'm 33 yrs old and I am also one who falls victim to this. I'm writing ehre in hopes that someone will read it and shed some light in my situation. Although I have not yet been clinically diagnosed I get anxious around people because of a fear that i smell. My best of friends try to reassure me that I don't but I'm lead to think one of two things. 1) they're hiding the truth from me, 2) they're used to my smell. How could I think this way with my friends?

For about two years now when I'm around strangers I've been paying attention to the way people react after they look at me when standing close enough. I get more reactions to pay attention to when I speak. As some mention here, there are the varieties of touching their nose. What gets me most is when people actually say stuff like "smells like bathroom in here" or "what's that god awful smell?" when i'm just 2-5 feet away. As people approach me in as I stand in crowded areas, I'll notice people look right at me as if they can tell even in a sea of people that i'm the culprit of a nearby odor. Like many here I shower every morning before I leave the house and once more before I go to bed. The people I ask continue to tell me they don't smell anything. Yet the other reactions I watch out for continue.

"It's all in the mind" my friends insist. And after reading your comments I realized something that's been playing in my mind -- that there's a vicious circle with anxiety of B.O and B.O. itself. If anxiety triggers B.O. and bad odor is what you're concerned with in social situations, you're bound to have it. The only way to avoid it is to not think about it, right?

I definitely try not to think about it sometimes and most of the time I'm successful. Friends reassurance + shower / brush teeth before I leave the house have me thinking there's nothing to worry about and anything I notice should be coincidence and warrant no explanations. I'm a man of many artistic talents so I really have a lot to be confident about. I'm even a lead singer of a band. We're great. People love us. Unfortunately still, my walls get chipped at the sight of every nose twitch and my world turns upside-down the second someone says "what's that smell?"

I exercise regularly so i know it's not that. I don't drink alcohol often. My diet is quite good and consistent. I can only get stronger by continuing to not care what people think but sometimes I can't help it. But now i feel it's my only choice besides medication which I absolutely refuse.

So that's my story. Thanks for reading.
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Avatar universal
has anyone tried using apple cider vinegar on the skin before taking a shower?(10-15mins once a week)

they say it returns the natural acidity of your skins,ph balance, killing BO.

I've had BO problems since i was in high school,nothing worked. But this year has been the worst, giving me bouts of depression and anger, and asking myself why i am suffering from this. I really need some solution to this as i am losing hope..

**ive tried everything from chlorophyll, activated carbon, various deodorants,anti bacterial soaps,etc
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
has anyone tried using apple cider vinegar on the skin before taking a shower?(10-15mins once a week)

they say it returns the natural acidity of your skins,ph balance, killing BO.

I've had BO problems since i was in high school,nothing worked. But this year has been the worst, giving me bouts of depression and anger, and asking myself why i am suffering from this. I really need some solution to this as i am losing hope..

**ive tried everything from chlorophyll, activated carbon, various deodorants,anti bacterial soaps,etc
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
             All of your ideas work. When I learned that sweat itself is odorless,( that the bacteria on skin causes the odor)  I realized I needed to change certain things.  I cut back on spices like cumin, curry and garlic.I shave and/or wax all body hair.  I started using antibacterial liquid soap to shower.And most important, BEFORE applying anti-perspirant/deodorant I spread a thin film of Neosporin or any triple antibiotic on both armpits, small of the back,and private parts. Worked like a charm. I still get a lil nervous about people getting to close to me, but I KNOW I don't reek or smell bad anymore. Hope this helps and works for you!
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Avatar universal
First of all, let me say that i am a recovering "body odor" anxiety sufferer. I am currently 30 yrs old, and have only been anxiety free from body odor for about 5 years. It started around 7th grade, with a small comment from a family member stating that i smelled. It was a downward spiral from there, which made high-school a living hell. I was convinced that i had body odor all day, every day after small amounts of sweating. It would only take me overhearing someone mention the words like "smell, stink, odor, etc" that would send me into a reclusive, introverted state. I assumed everyone thought i smelled. This anxiety only caused me to sweat more. I am by nature an extremly outgoing, and friendly person. However, anyone (outside of immediate family) who knew me back in the day would have told you i was a loner, loser, and very strange.
Currently, i own a business with 45 employees, which requires me to be very up close and personal with people on a daily basis.
Let me say this.....
I have no idea to what extent or severity of an odor that my body produces when i sweat. All i can say, is that now that i have conquered the fear of smelling, whatever smell i project doesnt seem to bother anyone as bad as i thought.
I think our minds start to go into warp speed when it comes to this disorder. Thats right, i said disorder.
This is how i got over it.......
I went on vacation to the beach for a week when i was 18. While there, i met about 8 other individuals who were there on vacation as well hanging out on the beach. I decided at that point that since i was 400 miles from home, and i would probably never see these people again, i would just be myself and get to know them, and just forget about body odor regardless of how offended they were by the way i smelled.
We all hit it off, and suddenly it occured to me that nobody was offended by my body odor. I started getting closer to people, and by closer i mean the space between how far i stand from them. Where before, a yard space between me and a person felt like inches, i suddenlu didnt care anymore. I left that trip with the conclusion that most of this body odor thing was in my mind. Sure, i may have had body odor, that is totally possible. I still to this day dont know if it was all in my head, or if my body put off a distinct odor when i got nervous. All i know is, the way you handle this disorder is contageous.
What i mean is...... If you continue to accept the fact that you smell, and that this smell offends everyone, you will continually get worse.
However, if you can find it inside of you somewhere, just to let go, and not care, if even for a weekend, i think that you will find that the results will be contageous in a positive way.
Sorry for the novel, but i just wanted to offer some encouragement. You can beat this. And the best way to do it is to just let go. Easier said than done, i know. It took me most of my life to beat it. Now, im well known in the community, and love to socialize.
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Avatar universal
I have STOPPED using "deodorants" at all!! Yes, i've had the no you don't smell to the "dude, is that me?" reactions. I am a male and I use female anti-antiperspirant under these brands "Suave" or "Secret" thats ONLY lightly scented. ie: Powder, Shower Fresh and so on.

IMPORTANT: I have Irish bloodline from my dad's side and am very susceptible to harsh body odors. The Men's Deodorant's do NOT stop sweating and actually MIX with the sweaty bad body odors. With the ladies anti-antiperspirant I do not really sweat and if I do its not that bad. I use it on my underarms and my chest area. I also put a dab of GOOD Cologne on everyday.

I haven't had a issue in 15 years. I also use a Big Scuff Ball instead of wash clothes during bathing or showering. It scrubs the dead skin and odors away. Also I wash and scrub my feet too. Having Irish in me and if I neglect or skip ANY of these steps. I will or others will notice! Well I hope I helped the readers.
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