What Causes A Strange Odor From Inside My Vagina Before And After Menstruation?

Posted on Tue, 1 May 2018

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Tue, 1 May 2018 Answered on

Thu, 19 Oct 2023 Last reviewed on

Question : Hello Doctor,
I masturbated a bit for few days but I realized that I have an odor that comes a day before and after my period. It takes a while to go after my period. My discharge doesn’t have the odor. It’s as if, it comes from my uterus. And when I fart during that time, I perceive it. I had some infection cream and pills but doesn’t work

Answered by Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh (17 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Thoughts on this

Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome,

The odor may be related to a change in the normal bacterial flora and that can be effected by hormones. What happens shortly before the period is a drop in estrogen and at the end of the period, estrogen is at a low and then starts to rise. If it is a fishy odor, it may be bacterial vaginosis (gardnerella) which can come and go depending on the general balance of the flora.

Is it a fishy odor that you are noting?

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar