Coworker's coffee drink gives me daily headaches!

[Anonymous]

Good lord, have any of you actually ever smelled this coffee? It's not bad smelling at all. My mother drank it for years. Seriously, if that is giving you headaches I don't know how you're functioning in the world at all.

[Anonymous]

OP, I sympathize! I was incapacitated during pregnancy by smell-induced migraines. Just because pregnancy is a (usually) voluntary condition, doesn't mean you're any less entitled to try to find a way to solve this issue so that you can *do your job,* which is very hard to do with a headache or migraine. I don't see the coffee issue as any different from dealing with a co-worker who uses horribly smelly perfume or other personal products. It's a tricky issue, but you have a right to work in a space that doesn't make you sick because of products your co-workers use.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I think you all are putting words in my mouth. I'm not going to HR. This coffee drink gave me headaches before I was pregnant too, but back then I could take a few Alleve daily and get through it. I can only take Tylenol now and it doesn't work.

So now you have gotten good advice from people on here. Have you talked to her yet?

I will obviously. We can't have coffee makers at work anymore though, so this was her solution. I seriously wonder what's in it that has such a bad chemical smell.

OP, do you get along with this coworker?

[Anonymous]

I sympathize because I hate hate hate the smell of artificial maple, and I have a coworker who eats instant oatmeal every morning. It truly stinks and was insufferable when I was pregnant. However, I don't think you have cause to say anything. I work in a call center style "open workspace" that is supposed to encourage collaboration but really just puts you up close and personal with others' alarmingly rude habits. Unless it's something completely egregious, you're the one who needs to figure out a coping skill. Others have mentioned essential oils, air purifiers, etc. This is no different than bringing in earbuds to cover up a coworker's hacking cough or loud speakerphone calls. Save the complaints and confrontation for something that is truly rude, because you never know when someone might approach you about your "heavy sighing" (happened to me) or "loud typing" (happened to a friend).

[Anonymous]

Talk to her and give her a Starbucks gift card.

[Anonymous]

I would ignore you.

[Anonymous]

I am going to venture that your headaches are coincidence.