Fragrance at the Doctor's Office

Does anyone else have a migraine doctor that wears fragrance? Is there such a thing as a fragrance free medical office - where both staff and patients are asked not to wear perfume, cologne, aftershave or other artificial fragrance?

you would think a migraine doctor would know that perfume is a major trigger for migraine sufferers and not wear it!!

This is one of my major problems and I have to really stop myself sometime from asking women if they realise that drenching themselves in strong perfume can cause days of pain for a migraine sufferer....

I was travelling on a bus once and the bus was almost full, this woman got on and sat next to me, the only available seat. She has obviously bathed herself in a bathtub of Poison perfume and after 30 mins with her I got off the bus almost vomiting and with a monster migraine started that put me in bed for almost a week. Thanks for that!!!!!!!!

Same thing happened at the airport a few weeks ago I was trapped in a crush of people waiting to board the plane and there was some sort of delay so we were packed together for over 30 mins I was trapped next to a woman who again had drowned herself in strong perfume, I had to take triptans once we got on the plane as already the migraine had started....

Its one of the reason I try to avoid crowded places lol...

Jul
x

I just had a second migraine triggered at my neurologist's office by another patient in the waiting room wearing perfume. This last time it happened - when the doc saw me he had on cologne. I had a meltdown in the office. He had to leave and send a physician's assistant not wearing fragrance in to see me. But I couldn't stop crying. It was adding insult to injury - I am already so exhausted by a daily headache and chronic migraine attacks. When I asked about why the office isn't fragrance free I was told it is unreasonable and to wait for my appointments outside of the waiting room in the hallway and/or wear a mask. I was then asked how I handle fragrance elsewhere. I told them my life is already so small. I avoid department stores, malls, etc because of artificial fragrance. If I get the slightest wiff from someone in the grocery store I run to another aisle. I have been able to get people at work to understand and most of the people I interact with quit wearing it, but I try to confine myself to my office just in case. It was suggested I find a particular mask - one with a button on the front - to wear next time I go to the neurologist's office.

Once before when the doc was wearing cologne - I moved across the examining room from him. I told him that fragrance is a trigger and he said "Oh. You're one of those." I thought he was just trying to be funny, but looking back on it I think it was a sign of insensitivity.

Or is it unreasonable to expect the place I go to for help to minimize the number of triggers a patient could be exposed to?

Although a Doctor can't control whether the other patients wear scents, he can control whether he and his staff do.

I really don't think your request is unreasonable either.

If my doctor wore cologne, I would certainly tell him how it affects me.

Strong scents almost always trigger a migraine for me.

And if this doctor has other migraine or headache patients, I am sure you are not the only one it affects.

Sorry they treated you that way and weren't accomadating.(sp)

Hope you are having a good day.

Cindy

I have never encountered scents in my doctors offices, but I think that if I had the experiences you report I would be looking for a new doctor ASAP. That is amazingly insensitive to say the least.