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Post by stinkerton on Apr 1, 2014 3:06:27 GMT
Hi all,
Have just joined the forum. Squeaky, if you are still in this forum, I have the exact same issues as you do. Trying to figure out if it is the choline in foods. Although I paid a lot of money to be tested for TMAU, and it was found to be negative, I do think I notice when I eat foods higher in choline, the odor is worse, and people's reactions are stronger. I am going to experiment with my diet and try to eliminate the choline containing foods. I have been told indirectly that I smell like a wild animal, like garbage, like eggs. At work, people go crazy sniffing when they walk by my office, and people are actually starting to spray Fabreeze, ect., in the air outside my office which only makes me feel sick since I am sensitive to chemicals. People will say it smells like garbage when I am the only one in the room at work in the kitchen. I was recently watching a brief movie, and there was a family in back of me, and the man said, "Such a shame, she is a good looking woman but she smells so awful." They think I cannot hear what they are saying (or maybe they are trying to give me a hint). Little kids will walk by me and pinch their noses, or call me a freak. I have also had my niece say "she smells". I am very clean, shower and wash my hair every day, wear deodorant, but nothing seems to make a difference. My husband also thinks I am crazy, and that I am paranoid and am imagining people talking about me that I smell. The worst is when I have flown on planes, and after a 5 hour plus flight, all the people around me are fuming angry, and jump out of the seat near me and run out of the plane as soon as we have landed. The most recent flight I was on, I overheard the flight attendants saying, "the smell is coming from here", and they pointed to my row. I have been humiliated so many times now, I almost cannot even feel it anymore. This odor problem has been going on for some time now for me, at least 10 years, and I really think it is just getting worse. The funny thing for me is, I never had any problem when I was younger. I did have a very bad case of bronchitis 15 years ago, and was given antibiotics, and then had a surgery where I was given more antibiotics. I do think this is when my odor problems started, after these antibiotics. This has become so frustrating and horrifying for me that socializing in a public place is not something I wish to do anymore. And I have always been a fun loving, social person. And I am not depressed or crazy. I continue to push on and go out and work like it sounds like many of you are doing, but there are times when the humiliation really gets to you. But I keep pushing on, and researching and experimenting, because there has to be a cure for this. I see that I am not the only one out there. I also have IBS and acid reflux disease to add to all of this. For all of you with similar problems, I am so proud of all of us, because we are enduring the unendurable, and pushing on. I am open to feedback if any of you wish to chat!
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Post by halitosis on Apr 12, 2014 18:12:01 GMT
Hi, Stinkerton.
I came across this site Googling after I saw the TMAU women on Youtube about a week ago, named Karen I believe talking about her struggle. It seems you and Squeaky are very much like me. I have been dealing with bad breath for a little over 10 years and I think it is getting worst. At first when I started noticing people keeping their distance from me, it wasn't as bad gauging by the fact that I could still hold conversations with people on some days while others they were very visibly recoiling. I took this as a sign that I was either being lazy with my oral hygiene and nothing more. More recently, I have noticed the smell quite pungent in the morning as I am waking up. I did not smell my own breath before, but in recent years it has escalated to the point where even I can smell myself which must indicate the problem is getting worst. Along with a undesirable smell, I often wake up with very dry throat like the area right behind my tonsil is so parched it actually hurts to swallow my own saliva. I believe this to be because I breath through my mouth. I have a deviated septom so in my sleep I unconsciously breath through my mouth. During the day when I force myself to drink plenty of liquids, I do not get that, however, when I am at work doing strenuous tasks, I will rapidly get the parched throat rather quickly which forces me to drink water to alleviate the discomfort but more importantly, I believe this is when the smell is at its most potent.
Recently a patron at work turned to their companion and whispered that my breath smelled like poop. I heard it though and that was the first time anyone has said it smelled like poop and not just in the general term of bad or foul.
I wonder if the TMAU test is available here in Toronto, Canada. I need to ask my GP about getting one done. I have gone to him for this problem and unfortunately like many have encountered, they are very dismissive and think it's an oral problem and told me to visit my dentist. I will say my record for oral hygiene isn't the best, but all the symptoms that people describe about fecal smelling breath seems to resonate with what we're all facing and is beyond just proper oral hygiene.
I joined this forum hoping to find some suggestions on combating this so I'll be doing a lot of reading.
Hoping we can all help each other here and welcome to the forum.
I also want to echo that we sufferers need to keep pushing and hold out for hope/cure because it is very debilitating. I read on another forum where some sufferer attacked another person and said having this problem was worst than having cancer. It is hard to have a positive outlook when you read such a thing making one with an already low self esteem that much harder to soldier on.
I hope you stick around and more established members on this forum will chime in and welcome us both. It seems from one of the thread/comment I gleaned said members were inactive which I hope is not the case.
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Post by stinkerton on Apr 23, 2014 3:18:36 GMT
Hi Halitosis, Yes, welcome to the forum, and thanks for replying, as it does seem many are inactive now. Wondering if you have any suggestions for other forums to join as well. I have also had people recoil when I am talking to them, but I think my situation is more systemic, not just bad breath. My oral hygiene is pretty good, and I actually went to a new dentist to get an opinion, to rule out any potential dental issues, and he said everything was great, and that he did not notice any smell coming from my mouth whatsoever. He even made me breathe on him so he could smell my breath. I think at times though, my breath can smell, and it probably has to do with my digestion and maybe with what I ate. I have acid reflux and IBS, so things are not going to be perfect. Do you notice any difference in the breath odor yourself, and in other people's reactions when you eat certain foods? Maybe you could visit a dentist as well, to rule out any possible issues in your mouth. Also, do you have sinus troubles? I understand that post nasal drip can definitely cause mouth odor. I am starting to gargle twice a day with NEEM mixed in water, to try to combat any bacterial buildup, to see if this makes a difference. I can let you know if I have any results. Have you yourself tried any natural mouthwashes? If so, do they help at all? I am also trying to get an appointment with a functional medicine doctor, who might be able to test me for food sensitivities, ect., which I am hoping will help me to try to figure out this smelling situation. This type of doctor apparently does different kinds of testing then the regular doctors, I understand. I cannot get an appointment until June, but I will try to report on anything I discover. Re: TMAU test - I contacted George Preti via email at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, and he got back to me and sent me the materials to perform the urine test for TMAU. I think you can look him up at www.monell.org. The test is pretty pricey, but I thought it was important to do the test to help figure out what is going on (mine is negative he said). Maybe you could get a cheaper test in Canada. It was pretty pricey for me here in the U.S. I am continuing to research this odor situation as best I can, and will continue to check the forum. I will share as much as I can find out, and I hope you will also check back in too!
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Post by IamSqueaky on Apr 25, 2014 18:36:27 GMT
Hello stinkerton (ha ha) and welcome And you too, halitosis - hello This is me, Squeaky. I can't always find my password and I'm usually in a rush when I post here because I don't come on here unless I'm alone. Yes, you do sound like you have the same or similar issues to me. Although mine started when I was young. If you have type 2 TMAU or something like it, then you may find the antibiotic followed by probiotic treatment would help you. I've come to the conclusion that nothing will make this go away completely, but some things make it much much worse. The list of things that make it worse is huge and I'm finding new things all the time that are suspect, like cheese. I think that I pretty much will smell of anything at all that I've eaten, but a putrid sulphurous version of that smell. Once I ate a bag of crisps (potato chips in usa) that were Barbecue Beef flavoured. The next day I had a migraine and I put one of those cloth bags that contain ice on my head. Afterwards I noticed that the barbecue beef smell was on this bag and it was REALLY strong and it stayed impregnated in the cloth for weeks. However, I hadn't noticed the smell before that. I'm avoiding so many of my previously favourite foods. Cauliflower, broccoli,beetroot,cheddar cheese,onions, coffee, chocolate and sugar. I think all these things make it worse. Those are in addition to the usual things like eggs, beans, peas, lentils, etc etc. I don't eat meat or fish anyway. It leaves very little for me to eat nowadays and I'm still smelly.... Even if we don't test positive for TMAU, I believe there are undiscovered but similar conditions that cause this weird BO. I say weird because all of us are pretty much brainwashed into believing that only dirty people smell and if you have BO you can just take a shower and put on deodorant and it'll go. It still amazes me after all these years that I can shower and put on clean clothes and go out and have someone say "you stink". Every damn time it still shocks me. I got some horrible reactions last time I went out and I'm going out again this weekend. I'll be watching carefully for signs that I'm smelling really bad. Someone else on here mentioned getting a shock/horror type look from a shop worker. I know that so well. I got one from a librarian the other day and I thought "did she just smell me?" and then I thought, "no, it's me being paranoid", then I went into a supermarket and got reactions aplenty! I was in denial up til then. I've been doing quite well in the last few months. Since I gave up so many foods (see above) I haven't had much drama from other people, but then last week happened. Oh well. Sorry this has turned into such a long post. I don't get any chance to vent about this IRL, only here. (when I say I don't get the chance, I mean that I can't talk about it).
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Post by stinkerton on Apr 26, 2014 20:37:47 GMT
Hi Squeaky, I am so glad you came back to the forum. I know exactly how you feel. It's like you get some confidence up, do your thing, and then someone shoots you down. After it has happened so many times now, I vacillate between feeling numb about it and letting it bounce off me, or feeling really sad and hurt, or actually feeling anger come up.
I also will avoid certain sulphur containing foods if I know I will be going out, going to work, or doing something outside in groups with people (like an exercise class). Although it doesn't totally solve the problem, I agree that certain foods make the odor worse (ie. eggs, broccoli, red meat, beans, fish, ect).
You mentioned something about Type 2 TMAU. I am not aware of this, do you know where I can find info. on this? I could just try to google it, but if you know of specifics . . .
You said you have been doing quite well for the past few months until recently. Is there anything else you have tried besides eliminating certain foods that you think might have contributed to your improvement? Do you take any probiotics? I am starting to incorporate them by eating coconut yogurt infused with the beneficial probiotics. I am also adding coconut oil to my diet, and might dabble with digestive enzymes too. I also notice that hormonal changes at certain times of the month seem to worsen my situation. Does this happen to you too? Anyway, I hope you can check back in every so often, it is so nice to know that there are others out there that know exactly how you feel, and what you are experiencing! Peace, love and healing energy - Stinkerton
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Post by glennmarsh on Aug 16, 2014 5:14:56 GMT
Hey,. Welcome all her i am just join this site and new here,. I want to say hi to all here in this forum site its great site to learn about health,. I can find this forum very informative and want to keep stay here too,. Orange County Fitness
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Post by fitness on Oct 22, 2015 15:40:17 GMT
hi i'm new here hope you all are good .thanks
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Post by Halitosis RE:DUX on Oct 22, 2015 15:49:14 GMT
Hi guys, I'm Halitosis only RE:DUX this time around. So the last time I came here was in 2014 and now we're heading towards 2016, wow.
Not much has changed I'm afraid. And to be perfectly honest, I haven't done much to combat the problem. I suppose it's indicative of my lifestyle and apathy towards good health which may be why I have this problem. What I'm trying to say is that I've visited the dentist probably 3 to 5 times in the last decade. Maybe, just maybe my problem truly is an oral problem. I think when we are self conscious and suffer from a self esteem problem which often is associated with social anxieties and such, we tend to make stuff up in our minds.
But anyway, I hope you are all well just the same. I forgot about this site until 'fitness' there made post and I got a notification in the email.
I hope this message finds you well and in good spirits if not in good health.
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Post by stevenallen01 on Nov 12, 2015 13:25:20 GMT
Glad to see you all new members here.. I am also new here and want to some new ideas... Laser Optics
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Post by health on Nov 18, 2015 17:34:50 GMT
Hello I'm new here Recently join this page and very Get very tremendous information here related health and mental health keep it up you doing very well.thnaks brooklyn clinics
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Post by dee on Dec 16, 2015 6:26:20 GMT
Hello everyone. Glad I found this. I'm desperate for a cure.
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npd
New Member
Just trying to do my best to stay sane and level-headed every day but hoping for a better future!
Posts: 37
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Post by npd on Jan 18, 2016 18:57:47 GMT
Hello, everyone! This isn't the first time that I have been to this on-line support group. I first learned of this resource back when it was just bodyodorsupport.com, and was briefly a member. To briefly sum everything up, I have been suffering from a chronic body odor problem since about the Fifth Grade. I am now thirty-six years of age and still confronting this very embarrassing and stressful issue practically every day of my life. The type and severity of the odor has changed over the years starting off with classmates just waving their hands in front of their noses and telling me I smell to mean-spirited co-workers who make comments that I smell like fish, urine, and feces and need to learn how to wash and buy a bar of soap. Health-wise, I have Type 11 diabetes, hypertension, and take a replacement thyroid-hormone supplement everyday due to having my gland removed about four years ago. I think that changes in my thyroid hormone levels did affect my body odor last year. During the summer months, I started to develop an excessive perspiration problem and had to bring multiple changes of shirts to work because I felt like I was sweating in a sauna while I was working. To make matters worse, I had to do a lot of outside work at my job because the majority of my co-workers are too lazy to do it themselves and I live in the great Tropical Paradise of Florida! Lol Medication-wise, I am now down to just two: The thyroid hormone, Levoythyroxine, and a Medication for my high blood pressure,Lisinopril. I was taking more pills recently such as Metformin for my diabetes but I strongly believe it contributed to my fecal-body odor issues last year. I no longer take this med. Well, anyway, hello to all of you and I would love to hear how you are all doing and if you have any tips for me. Thanks!
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npd
New Member
Just trying to do my best to stay sane and level-headed every day but hoping for a better future!
Posts: 37
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Post by npd on Jan 19, 2016 5:01:51 GMT
Thank you, I'll check them out! I wouldn't be surprised if there were many culprits behind my odor issues, and any solution is going to involve a lot of different approaches. How are you doing, ineedacure?
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Post by visiting member on Jan 19, 2016 23:34:14 GMT
npd, Have you been tested for tmau? Do you have digestion problems or suspicions of intestinal bacterial overgrowth? Do you know if your liver is working properly?
Have you tried strong antiperspirants, if so, what kind of effect did they have (on b.o.)? I have found that they carry contradictory results on me.
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npd
New Member
Just trying to do my best to stay sane and level-headed every day but hoping for a better future!
Posts: 37
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Post by npd on Jan 21, 2016 5:36:16 GMT
I can answer some of your questions. I have never been tested for TMAU since I've had body odor issues. I do have a history of digestive problems: I was once diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome and have had on-and-off problems with very loose bowel movements since I was a kid. I also suspect I have a bad case of lactose intolerance too because anytime I consume something with either cheese or milk in it, I experience gas later on, and when I have to relieve myself my stool is much more strong-smelling than usual. As for liver problems, back when I had poorer control of my diabetes, I was suffering from some fatty infiltration of my liver. This would show up as an abnormal elevation of some of my liver enzymes(ALT and AST). Since I lost some weight and got my diabetes under better control, my doctor said my liver enzyme levels have normalized. I still take two medications chronically for both my thyroid and blood pressure issues and this could be putting strain on my liver but last year I was taking five medications. Now for the antiperspirant angle, I find that using a Degree Antiperspirant tends to work the best for me. But, and you may have a point, stronger "sportier" versions of Degree tend to backfire for me. I notice that I smell too strongly of the antiperspirant and other people tend to react to me like they are allergic when I use it. Two snide co-workers of mine used to make cracks about how I was putting a lot of cologne on, (which I never use, incidentally) because I didn't want to bathe. "Shakes his head" I feel like I am damned if I do, and damned if I don't sometimes!
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