Fragrance as a Trigger

Does anyone have any advice for coping with perfume, cologne, or other artificial fragrances in the workplace. I've had to leave a meeting before because of someone's cologne. So I made an announcement during a meeting about a week ago at work that cologne and perfume trigger migraines in me. I stopped short of asking people not to wear it. However, someone walked into my office on Monday to talk to my office-mate. I got a wiff of fragrance and had to go home with a terrible attack. I asked my office-mate to please converse with this person in the hall in the future.

Some websites suggested smelling natural oils when confronted by an artificial fragrance. I made some smelling salts using natural oils pressed from lavender and from eucalyptus. But often one wiff of perfume is all it takes. I'm afraid that by the time I reach for the smelling salts the damage will already be done.

I don't really want to go to the director and ask him to make our offices fragrance-free, but the Americans with Disabilities Act does allow me to do that. I'm starting to wonder if I need to do this.

Oh you poor babe - scent is one of my triggers too and like you certain ones do it with one whiff I used to have olpus oil on my desk but like you say sometimes you cannot get to to it fast enough... I am not back at work yet so do not have to struggle with this one, but I have asked family and friends not to wear stuff and when I have to meet someone I ask them not to wear any - I have also removed all chemical based stuff from my house. And have removed car scents from peoples car before I have got in...... I do not feel rude any more - so I think you could ask for a nice memo to go round to inform every one and if they are not nice enough to do it voluntary - then go for the ban via the DA.

The thing people fail to realise is that the perfume industry is not regulated so they can put all sorts in the scent!!

Good luck x