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?

As far as possible I do!! This has been mentioned to me before where patients have seen a doctor who wears strong cologne, kind of a no brainier to me

That does seem odd that a migraine doctor wouldn't consider that. I am not really affected by fragrances, fortunately, but on one of my dentist visits, his cologney stuff was so strong that I even came home smelling of it!

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?

OMG - That is just soooooooooo wrong.... unless he is a very good doc I would move........... as Pav says its a no brainer..... I am 'one of those' too ..... and have asked people I know not to wear scent round me and they all have stopped..... its one of my bug bears - that the purfume industry is not regulated and therefore anything can be put in those bottles.... if it can trigger a nerlogilcal condition, what is it doing to the body its going into......

I have to say my doc is amazing, no scent and he has even turned the lights off before... as I was having problems them......... you would think migraine doctors would understand xx

While my current doctor doesn't wear any fragrance, I have had major problems with other patients in the waiting room. When I complained, I was given the same reply you got: Wear a mask. I can't believe the insensitivity of others! Sometimes I want to vomit on people who wear perfume...!
I think it is perfectly reasonable to expect that your doctor would put up a sign asking other patients to be fragrance-free. You can't be the only patient he has that suffers from this problem!

I agree with you both again. I used to burn Yankee candles to give a nice smell in my practice, but as soon as I started to get a significant number of migraine sufferers in I stopped that immediately.

I was a no brainer!

When I was in hospital with my worst ever migraine, wearing sunglasses in the dark and throwing up, a nurse very insensitively barked I CANNOT WORK LIKE THIS! and turned on the lights, while I yelped and whimpered in pain. I should have complained.

I think your doctor is completely insensitive and as a neurologist they should be understanding of migraine triggers.

Oh that is not good............ I assume she has never had a mig You can tells those who have had one - even just one - makes all the difference.........

it would be good for them all to suffer just once. and by the word all i mean everyone the sufferer comes into daily contact with. everyone who thinks its just a headache.

When I went to have my first occipital nerve block injections, I sat in a waiting room with other patients who were there for the same treatment. I must have been the only one who actually had a migraine at the time. Everyone else talked very loudly and some were playing games on their phones. I was stunned at the lack of understanding from other migraine sufferers. I asked to sit somewhere else for my following visit and the nurses found a quiet room for me.

Oh that is a shame....... xxx You would think fellow migrainers would understand