Stinky Co Worker

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Bless her heart, my co-worker is really stinky. She toots all day long, the most nauseating, brain cell killing gas.

She has my dog beat in terms of flatulence, and he has spent the last 10 years fine tuning his craft of clearing the room.

I don't think there's any tactful remedy for this problem, so please just pray for us that my office-mate will have her gastro problem remedied--soon!

Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.
I am sorry but I do not think there is any excuse for some to continually sit in a room and fart because theyare too lazy to get up off their a** and go to the bathroom. Next thing they will be defecating in the corner because they can't help that either. No respect for others no human pride.

I doubt if it has anything to do with being "too lazy". If the gas problem is that bad, she would literally be spending the entire day in there.

There are individuals out there w/IBD, s/p colon surgery or having undergone surgery for rectal cancer, that have "control" issues - voluntary or involuntary.

The OP should either discuss the issue or buy a room deodorizer.

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personally I find these people obnoxious. I don't know what it is with our society these days but everyone is publically farting. I believe your co-worker can control this bodily function or at least they could go to the bathroom to expell the gas. You have done nothing wrong , why be punished by having to work in a gas chamber.

You really must be burned out.

This person needs to matter-of-factly approach the coworker with a bottle of simethicone and a container of yogurt with active cultures in hand and say "These might help you have less gas."

If the response is ugly, she can say, "I don't want to hurt your feelings. It's just that we work together all day every day in this small room and you seem to have a lot of gas and well, sometimes the gas is pretty rough."

Perhaps if she doesn't want to do any of the above, she could get a fan and just start blowing it toward the coworker's behind to try to keep gas from coming toward her. Or she could stop bathing herself.

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Specializes in OR.

I think this poor woman is more than aware she has this problem..how can she not be? For all you know she is seeing a GI doctor already. I would just put up one of those glade air fresheners and try to deal-I know it can be rough, one of my coworkers had bad gas, but he was a young guy and found it hilarious. What is it about guys and farts?:o I seriously doubt that this lady is doing it on purpose, though....

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Thanks for all your input. I think she knows she is stinky, because she's on some kinda weight loss diet. There's no way she could NOT know that she is stinky.

I don't want to embarrass her further by mentioning it. She's a healthcare professional, and certainly knows her options such as Bean-o. I suppose I could make a quick exit out of the room when she walks in, before my eyes start watering and the paint starts peeling.

Thanks for all your responses!

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Looking on the bright side of things, if you are around something which stinks long enough you will eventually build up a tolerance to it and it wont stink nearly as bad anymore. What are her killer farts today will be a non issue several months from now .

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Looking on the bright side of things, if you are around something which stinks long enough you will eventually build up a tolerance to it and it wont stink nearly as bad anymore. What are her killer farts today will be a non issue several months from now .

LOL:lol2:

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Several of my co-workers have IBS and simply can't help themselves. We get to blame it on baby diapers tho. The ones with the problem know it. They feel everything from sorry to upset coworkers to downright mortified. A little air freshener if you can get away with it, if not, try some aromatherapy balm on your upper lip.

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Specializes in Psych, Med/Surg, LTC.
If she is on a low-carb diet she may be eating foods with sugar alcohols. That stuff can cause the worst gas.:uhoh3:

Speaking of sugar alcohols... I ate a roll of mints with sugar alcohols over the course of a shift one night. Come morning... I couldn't wait to get out of there! I had the worst gas ever, and I was not able to contain it. Luckily I was able to control the sound, but unfortunatly not the smell. I did my best to walk down the hall atleast. (There was only a one stall bathroom there, to be shared by males and females, it was the size of a very small closet so Im sure co-workers would not appreciate walking into a gas chamber)

So watch those sugar alcohols!!!

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My mom has been having problems with gas and she is mortified. I am sure your coworker is feeling the same.

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Specializes in High Risk In Patient OB/GYN.

Bun OUt, Heaven forbid that you should ever have an "obnoxious" health problem.:madface:

I have IBS, and on a bad day, yeah--I stink! I try my best to go down the hall, or across the room, or whatever, but there are plenty of times when guess what? It pops out. It's very embarassing for me, and I hate that it happens. Sometimes I have to pass gas 5, 10, 15 times per hour.:o

And holding it in is not an option. The cramping and sheer pain that would result can be unbearable.

Thankfully, a coworker who works lots of nights with me (we only have 2 nurses on at night) also has IBS, so she really understands. We share tips for helping with the gas. Its funny when we both have bad days, and we hang out on opposite sides of the nurses station.

Quit being so mean. Seriously, there's no need for it. It is a medical problem. You as a medical professional (?) should be sympathetic to that. Like a PP said, it's not like she's asking people to pull her finger, or intentionally farting near others, or waving it towards them.

Kelly

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Looking on the bright side of things, if you are around something which stinks long enough you will eventually build up a tolerance to it and it wont stink nearly as bad anymore. What are her killer farts today will be a non issue several months from now .

No matter how long I sit next to a skunk I don't think it would smell any better nor would I ever get used to it. But pretty soon I would be smelling just like it...omg. In the words of shakespear' "would a rose by any other name not not smell just as sweet?"

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

Folks, please remember to debate the issue and not one another. Thank you.

I'm another IBS sufferer who definitely feels the 'stinky' co-worker's pain. For years I thought it was my gallbladder (which it was, in part, because when I had the thing out it was solidly packed with stones), but the gas problems have continued even a year after my lap chole. To remain socially acceptable---and to keep my teenaged sons from laughing themselves to death---I live on Gas-X and am currently working on an elimination diet (no pun intended) to figure out which foods cause the worst trouble (I'm beginning to think it's ALL of them).

Believe me, there is NO WAY that this poor woman can possibly be unaware of her gas problem. The trouble is, she's making you suffer as well; unfortunately, there are very few polite ways to bring it up in conversation so I'd get right to the point the next time she has an attack. Ask her if she is OK, and if she seems willing to talk, you can let her know you're concerned about her health. You can proceed from there depending on her answers, or, if you really don't want to confront her yourself, ask your supervisor to speak to her about it. Chances are her 'aroma' has been noticed by other folks around the office as well; somebody needs to help her get a handle on it so she doesn't offend clients.

JMHO.

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