Things that don't seem right

Glitter said:

it reminds me of summer days in the garden.

....walking around after my mum had patched up a badly grazed knee with a generous splattering of Germoline = me too !!

I'm going to upset you all by saying I love root beer.  But then I spent some of my formative years in the USA and devoured plenty of root beer flavour ice lollies which we called Popsicles.  I have no idea how to explain the flavour of it except that it reminds me of summer days in the garden.

Conversely, we had a lot of fun making our American friends taste marmite and watching their expressions of disgust. 

I think often it's just a case of what flavours you're used to.

One smell that turns my stomach is apple flavoured washing up liquid. Why would anyone want that? The annoying thing is, while I normally buy Fairy Liquid I was in M&S the other day with a voucher and bought their own brand one. Wary of potential apple flavour I checked the label. Just ‘original’ or at least no overt flavour stated. Ok, that’s safe then. Imagine my disgust then when I use it for the first time and it has the applest smell ever. Reeks of it. And it’s a big bottle that will take ages to get through. Yuck. 

Sporadic Sparkly said:

cupboards and drawers told a different story

haha. That's my style as well

IDK tbh the smell of everything makes me sick

Sounds like my Nan. 

I remember being at a friend's house many years ago. Whilst she had popped upstairs, I had decided to do some washing-up for her. Now, I knew she had a washing-up bowl, but it wasn't in the sink. It eventually came to light that it was in the cupboard under her sink, and the reason it was there was that she thought it made her kitchen look cluttered. Fair enough considering that it was her house and everything, but that was something that didn't seem right to me.

There were occasions when visiting this same friend when I would find myself in need of a pen. Trying to find one was a nightmare, as they too were considered clutter and hidden out of sight. It has to be said this friend was incredibly houseproud to the extent that her home seemed more like a show home. The thing that amused me though was that her cupboards and drawers told a different story and were thoroughly disorganised as a result of all the 'clutter' crammed into them. 

Ann :) said:

great idea to get someone else to try it

I'm glad you think so Ann :). It's not often that I have an absolutely excellent idea.  Of course, whether my son will agree that me using him a guinea pig is indeed excellent is another matter entirely. 

:) i actually also haven’t tried root beer but i’m not feeling brave or tempted either - great idea to get someone else to try it

So true - i first observed  flavoured coffees when I moved to UK and they don’t have much in common with coffee. Though last week I tried my first ever sugary dessert type starbucks ‘coffee’ drink (a coffee frappuchino with whipped cream) with the expectation that it was going to be a dessert - it was surprisingly good as a dessert though if i had craved a coffee i would probably have been disappointed. Expectation plays a big part I think.

I also have certain showergel and shampoo smells i dislike (like coconut or berries or apple) but I tend to just buy the cheapest ones - big fan of boots 75p shampoo- it’s very pleasant actually 

Former Member

I have the same issue with Lush. I am thankful that my closest store is at an out-of-town shopping complex that I seldom visit. The combination of all those fragrances wafting out of the store is absolutely revolting, and I can only assume that the employees have absolutely no sense of smell. 

Sparkly,

Ahhh I see.  I'm the same with "lush."  I can smell it when I'm yards away from it.  I can't go into the shop because it's too overwhelming.  It's the same with the washing aisle in supermarkets where I can feel sick but am lucky in that I don't get a headache unless forced to stay there and smell everything which my daughter likes to do.... Barf!!!

I believe the migraines I experienced after my horse riding lessons were a reaction to the smell of the horses. I have a cousin that owns a horse, and she had asked me on one occasion if I would like to accompany her to the stables to meet it. I didn't feel I could decline the invitation. As soon as I walked inside the stables, I found the smell so overpowering that it instantly triggered a migraine. 

Sparkly,

I think it's because little kitties don't groom themselves yet and their fur is different somehow.....

I love horses and horse riding but even if I wear gloves, the act of taking them off when I get home gives me blisters and my breathing is harder being around them.  

Migraines are awful! I wonder if it's a breathing thing that causes them or a movement thing?

Number

I'm sensitive to some "hypoallergenic" dogs as I cuddled a labradoodle since as the person reassured me that her highly allergic husband wasn't allergic.  My hands were itching like ants crawling over me about 2 minutes afterwards.  I suspect it was the Labrador part as that's a type of dog I blister badly with.

I lead a very restricted life because of sensitivities:

1. I don't have caffeine because it makes me wired like I'm on an amphetamine.

2. I gave up smoking in my 20s because it smells gross and I as worried about what it was doing to my lungs.

3. I gave up alcohol in my 20s because I was having bad reactions to it.

4. I gave up experimenting with drugs in my 20s because I was fearful of losing my mind - I didn't do that many compared to my friends at the time.

5. I gave up meat 3 months ago because I traumatised myself watching a slaughter video by mistake.

6. I gave up sugar a month ago when I researched it and saw just how dangerous it actually is and how food manufacturers and the medicine industry work together without thought for peoples health, only profit.

7. I gave up trying to live as I think others expect me to.

8. I gave up trying using online dating to meet a partner.

9. I gave up imagining what it'd be like to have a partner.

10. I gave up instigating contact with friends but I do check in every so often because I care.  I sometimes feel my friendships are one sided but I know the is my negative tinted glasses appearing again.

I find it interesting that you don't have a reaction to touching kittens, but do if you touch adult cats.

When I was aged 11, an aunt arranged for me to have a horse-riding lesson, which I thoroughly enjoyed. After the lesson had ended I developed a migraine but didn't think anything of it until after I'd had a few more lessons, which always resulted in vile migraines.

I can touch some lurchers without a reaction.  I'm perplexed as to why this is.

If you are ever lucky enough to encounter a "normal" poodle of any description, an Afghan Wolfhound or Schnauzer dog (both long shaggy affairs in terms of hair for the later examples - short tight and curled for the former) it would be interesting to see if you similarly didn't react in terms of allergy.  I can optomistically predict [based on citizen science] that you would be fine.  I can assure you that, if Lurchers don't set you off, there will be a healthy selection of other hypoallergenic dogs that won't too.  It sounds like you are prepared to keep "chancing your arm" in the hope that you can enjoy dogs from time to time = very good.

Thanks for sharing your interesting sensitivities and mitigations - I'm very tempted by the sugar block for myself....I'd rather dare that one more than the caffeine free - I think I'd just fold over and stop !!

I use fruity smelling shampoo to wash my hair and body which remind me of how chewits smelt as a child.  I looked at the ingredients in some things that are marketed as shampoos/body washes/hand washes to see some have the exact same ingredients.  Finding this out years ago made me use shampoo to wash my hands and body, as a bathroom cleaner and many other things.  This was a great  realisation for me because any shampoos I suddenly develop an allergy to become my bathroom cleaner.  I also make my own cleaners from vodka and essential oils which works so much better for me than some cleaners that give me headaches.  I also own a steam cleaner which I use when I can be bothered setting it up for a hardcore deep clean.

Due to my heightened senses:

I hate the smell and taste of tinned sweetcorn but can tolerate frozen sweetcorn and love corn on the cob.  I love fresh broccoli because the texture is wonderful but frozen has a strange texture to me although I can eat it.  The pleasure of eating it changes a lot from this though.

I can eat organic fruits and veggies but some non organic ones make my mouth itch and become fiery.  I suspect it's the chemicals they are sprayed with because often I can taste chemicals on the skins of even my organic fruits and veggies.  It's so annoying because organic is more expensive but luckily I don't buy meat anymore so that cuts my grocery list down considerably.  I do thoroughly wash all my veggies and fruits so the chemical taste is less intense....

I love all animals yet I get blisters on my hands if I touch them.  I can pet kittens without a reaction but not adult cats and I can touch some lurchers without a reaction.  I'm perplexed as to why this is.  It's a pain because I can't visit friends who have pets because I start to get itchy in my throat and my breathing is strained this is without touching their pets.  I seem to be okay outdoors though.  Bizarre I know.

I seem to be very sensitive to sugar.  I stopped drinking in my 20s because any amount/type of alcohol made me have a hangover for easily a week.  Even one glass of something.  I recently noticed my mood was all over the place if I'd eaten anything with sugar except fruits.  I gave up sugar two months ago and despite the occasional blip in my mood, I am a different person moodwise.  It's astonishing.  It's really tough because sugar is in even "healthy" snacks but I feel much better for it and that's what counts.

Yes, great/deplorable idea!

Agreed!