Scent of a GLP-1 User: 5 Ways Body Odor Can Change
- Jennifer Hardy
- Sep 20
- 6 min read
Most people taking GLP-1s are well aware of the potential benefits and risks of side effects. However, I was relieved to see several Reddit questions asking about something I noticed too: an increase in odors coming from various parts of my body. I couldn't quite put my finger on it at first, but there were definitely new body odors I'd never experienced before.
I researched all the questions, like:
Do GLP-1s like tirzepatide and semaglutide cause body odor?
Is it normal for urine to smell differently while losing weight or managing diabetes?
What else about a GLP-1s lifestyle for a middle-aged woman could lead to body odor changes?
The good news is that most of the time, the drug isn’t making your sweat smell directly. What changes is how you’re eating, digesting, and sweating. That combo can shift breath and body odor in a few predictable ways. Let’s unpack the science and what to do next.
What Is Body Odor?
Before blaming your medication, it helps to understand how body odor works. Everyone has a unique scent fingerprint influenced by genetics, diet, hormones, and hygiene. The smell itself doesn’t usually come from sweat—sweat is mostly odorless. Odor develops when bacteria on your skin break down proteins and fats in sweat, releasing compounds that have strong smells.
That means body odor is less about how much you sweat and more about:
Where the sweat comes from (apocrine glands in the armpits and groin make more odor-prone sweat).
What you’ve been eating or drinking, since foods can change the chemical mix.
How your body is processing hormones, medications, and metabolic shifts.
With that baseline, it’s easier to see why GLP-1 users might notice changes. Let’s look at the top five reasons body odor may be different while on a GLP-1 diet.
Reason 1: Digestion and sulfur burps
GLP-1 medications slow how quickly your stomach empties. That’s one of the reasons you feel full longer, but it also means food can sit in your stomach and ferment a little more than usual. When that happens, gas builds up and sometimes comes out in what’s affectionately called a “sulfur burp.”
That rotten-egg smell doesn’t come from your armpits. It’s gas escaping from your stomach. While not dangerous, it’s unpleasant. People on GLP-1s often connect this odor change with the medication because it shows up quickly after starting or increasing the dose.
Tips that may help:
Avoid carbonated drinks and high-sulfur foods like broccoli, garlic, and onions when burps are at their worst.
Don’t lie down immediately after eating, since that can make burps more noticeable.
Try a digestive enzyme and or probiotic as part of your daily routine to help break down the odor-causing issues without impacting the benefit of slowed digestion.
I also recommend keeping a food diary to track which items are causing the worst of the sulfur burps. For me? It was a particular brand of cheese crackers.
Reason 2: Ketosis and Sweet(ish) Body Odor Scents
One of the most common body odor shifts on GLP-1s is ketosis. When you eat fewer carbs, your body burns fat for energy and releases ketones as byproducts. These ketones include acetone, acetoacetate, and beta-hydroxybutyrate.
They are harmless in normal amounts, but they can change how you smell in some very noticeable ways:
Breath: Acetone leaves through your lungs, creating the classic fruity or nail polish remover odor.
Urine: The same ketones are filtered through your kidneys, which can give urine a sweet or unusual smell if your diet is lower in carbs.
Sweat: Some people notice a change in body odor during ketosis. Instead of the usual musky smell, sweat may take on a sweet, sharp, or even metallic scent.
My sense of smell hasn't been the same since I had COVID. When I swore I smelled rotten fruit in my bathroom, I thought it was Long COVID playing tricks on me, much like I sometimes smell faint whiffs of electrical fire.
As someone who never did the Keto diet (I liked bread way too much pre-Zepbound), I didn't know much about ketones until I did this research. Then I started testing my ketones daily. Sure enough, that was the scent of this woman.
TESTING KETONES?: Yep, you can buy the strips online and analyze your urine daily.
For most people, these odors are simply a side effect of shifting metabolism and not a medical concern. If fruity breath occurs along with high blood sugars, nausea, or rapid breathing, that can be a warning sign of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), which requires urgent care.
Otherwise, staying hydrated and including balanced nutrients usually helps reduce the intensity of ketosis odors.
Reason 3: Protein and Ammonia Odor
A lot of people shift toward higher protein while cutting calories. Protein is great for preserving muscle, but breaking it down produces nitrogen waste. Sweat can carry an ammonia-like smell when protein is high, hydration is low, or workouts are intense.
You may also notice urine that smells stronger after a day of high-protein meals. That’s just the urea cycle working overtime.
What helps:
Balance protein with fiber and healthy carbs.
Drink enough water to dilute nitrogen waste.
If your sweat smells harsh after workouts, shower soon afterward and switch to breathable fabrics.
While it sounds like ketosis and protein-rich diets are one in the same, it's important to emphasize the difference is that ketosis odors come from ketone. Protein-rich diets come from nitrogen waste.
Reason 4: Hormones and Sweat Chemistry
It is tempting to pin every new smell on your GLP-1, but hormones tell a big part of the story too. GLP-1s do not directly change estrogen or testosterone levels. What does change is your body itself. Weight loss, perimenopause, and menopause can all shift sweat production and skin chemistry in ways that make odor more noticeable.
If you're a woman approaching or in some phase of menopause, here are the scent shifts you might notice.
Sweat-related odors
Stronger musky or sour odor: Hot flashes and night sweats increase moisture, which feeds bacteria on the skin. Bacteria break down fatty acids into thioalcohols, creating a more pungent smell.
Ammonia-like scent: If you’re losing muscle or eating more protein while in midlife, sweat may pick up a sharper, ammonia edge.
Vaginal and genital odors
Fishy odor: Estrogen decline can change vaginal pH, making bacterial vaginosis more common. That often smells fishy or foul.
Musty or metallic odor: Thinning tissue and less natural lubrication can cause irritation or light bleeding, which sometimes creates a metallic smell.
Urine-related odors
Sharp or strong urine smell: Hormonal changes affect bladder control and urine concentration, which can create more noticeable odors, especially if hydration is low.
Sour or sweet smell: Some women report unusual sweet or sour notes due to changes in hydration, infection, or metabolic shifts during midlife.
Skin and hair changes
Oily or rancid odor: Hormonal shifts change sebum composition on the scalp and skin. That oil breakdown can produce a stronger, greasy smell.
It is worth noting that menopausal and perimenopausal women are among the fastest-growing groups using GLP-1 medications. That means two major transitions—hormonal changes and metabolic changes—can overlap at the same time.
Cause does not always equal effect, but the combination can definitely lead to new or stronger body odors. Recognizing that both factors play a role makes it easier to address the problem without assuming the medication is the only culprit.
Reason 5: Skin folds, rashes, and yeast
As you lose weight, your body shape changes, but skin folds don’t disappear overnight. Moisture, heat, and friction in areas like under the breasts, belly, or groin can lead to yeast overgrowth and a sour or musty smell.
That’s not “just sweat”—it’s a skin condition called intertrigo. It often improves with:
Keeping folds dry using absorbent pads or breathable fabric.
Applying barrier creams or antifungal powders.
Use antibacterial soap on skin fold areas.
Get medical treatment if it becomes red, raw, or painful.
As someone who lost 140 pounds on Zepbound, I have my first experience with skin fold issues.
This red, inflamed line felt like a cut, but it was where my stomach was folded over during a long drive across the country.
I was able to get ahead of a worse inflammation or evolution to intertrigo.
Final Answer: Do GLP-1s Change Your Body Odor?
GLP-1s don’t directly make your sweat smell bad. They change your digestion, reduce your appetite, and shift how your body uses fuel. That ripple effect can create sulfur burps, fruity breath, ammonia sweat, or yeast-related odor. Plus, your stage of life can also mean hormonal shifts that are tied to stinky smells.
In other words, the medication sets the stage, but your diet, hormones, and hygiene routines play the lead roles. At the same time, don't lose progress because of body odors. Hopefully, I've given you some tools to track and troubleshoot new scents.
