persistent odor RE: Dec 12, 2002 post

[dover priory]

Please help.  I am writing after reading the post entitled "persistent odor" on Dec 12, 2002.  It sounds almost exactly like the problem I am having.  A couple of years ago, I noticed a fecal like odor emanating from my body for about a week and then it went away.  Last year it came back and has almost always been present.  It has a fecal smell but stronger and seems to linger in the room for a long time.  I went to the doctor and ran all the tests (stool, liver, etc.) and everything was normal.  It seems to come on later in the day, even right after I shower.  My doctor had no idea what it was and for the most part, didn't seem too concerned.  This has had the worst impact on my life.  I have dropped out of college, discontinued my world travels, and have become a virtual hermit.  I am too embarrassed to explain "why" to my friends and family, and I am actually an extremely extroverted individual.  The odor seems to appear most often late in the afternoon to evening and more so when I am in social settings.  Due to its strong smell I was wondering if it could be glandular?  Most people do not know who it is coming from but make comments about the room "smelling like ***" to quote directly.  I, as the writer from the Dec, 12, 2002 post, have also changed my diet, drink more than enough water, and have tried various odor removing chlorophyll pills etc. with absolutely no changes evident.  My doctor checked for leakage and found none whatsoever, and I am extremely hygenic (3showers a day).  I will try the odor cleanse product you suggested in other posts but I have a feeling it will not work.  If you have no new ideas on what this could be could you tell me what, if any, type of physician I should see?  There must be a name for this condition and others with it.  Please help!  This is ruining my life!

[Kevin Pho, MD]

You have tried the traditional approaches, including odor-removing pills and the like.  Some of the common causes for fecal odor is fecal incontience and chronic constipation.  If the pills aren't working, you may want to consider evaluation for the disorders mentioned above - namely obtaining a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy.  

As for the type of physician that may help, a gastroenterologist would be a good start.  In the Dec. 12, 2002 post, there was mention of alternative therapies (i.e. Odor-Cleanse).  There are no studies demonstrating its effectiveness, but since you have tried the traditional methods, it may be worth a shot.  

Followup with your personal physician is essential.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Thanks,
Kevin, M.D.

[kevinmd]

I will be away until January 4th.  I will answer your question when I return.

Happy holidays,
Kevin, M.D.

[ozark]

do you have any skin conditions?  any cysts on your body?  if it occours in the afternoon, maybe it has to do with glands or sebaceous cysts that accumulate debris and when you sweat by the end of the day,. it exudes an odor...a friend of mine has large ones that do this....one never knows

[dover priory]

Nope. No skin conditions or cysts or anything of that nature.  Thanks though!

[AWAITING_LIFE]

I READ YOUR POST AND FELT MOVED ENOUGH TO RESPONSE SINCE I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. I STARTED A FUROM AT A SITE AND HAVE BEED OVERWHELMED BY THE RESPONSES I HAVE GOT AND BY HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING FROM THE SAME THINGS.  PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK YOU WILL BE RELIEVED AND SADDENED AT THE SAME TIME..AS WAS I...
HTTP://CUREZONE.COM/FORUMS/M.ASP?F=257&I=794
I HOPE THIS HELPS....THIS IS MY POST FROM THAT SITE..

I AM A 20 YEAR OLD FEMALE.MY PROBLEMS STARTED ABOUT A YEAR AGO.I WOKE UP 1 DAY WITH A MILD MUSTY LIKE ODOR, I DIDNT MAKE TO MUCH OF IT SO I JUST FORGOT ABOUT IT. IT TOOK ME A FEW DAYS LATER TO REALIZE THAT THE SMELL WAS COMING FROM ME. I USED TO SMOKE ALOT AND THE SMELL GOT WORSE WHEN I DID SO. WHENEVER I WOULD LIGHT A CIGARETTE THEN INHALE AND EXHALE THE SMOKE, I WOULD EMIT THIS STRANGE NASTY SMELL FROM MY MOUTH, FROM THE SMOKE. IT DID NOT EVEN SMELL LIKE SMOKE. I REALIZED THAT ANYTIME I WAS AROUND SMOKE OR SOMEONE LIT UP AROUND ME , WHERE I WOULD BE CLOSE TO THE SMOKE, THE SMELL WOULD BE THERE. ( VERY STRANGE FOR ME, DID NOT KNOW WHAT IT WAS ) SO THEN I STOPPED SMOKING. AND I WOULD SECLUDE MYSELF FROM SMOKE AND ANYTIME ANYONE WOULD LIGHT UP I LEFT THE ROOM.
BUT THEN IT GOT WORSE FOR ME. I STARTED HAVING A MORE DEFINITE ODOR, BUT IT WAS OF FECES. I DO NOT EVEN KNOW WHERE IT IS COMING FROM. I KNOW IT IS NOT GAS THOUGH BECAUSE I DONT FEEL IT. IT OFTEN GETS WORSE WHEN I EAT OR WHEN I SWALLOW ANYTHING, THE ODOR GETS STRONGER. THIS ODOR THAT COME FROM ME ALSO CHANGES. IT GOES FROM STRONG TO MILD. FROM A FECES ODOR TO A MUSTY YEAST LIKE ODOR TO A ROTTEN EGGS ODOR.SOMETIMES IT DOES GO AWAY BUT ONLY FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, AND IT ALWAYS COMES BACK. I HAVE BEEN TO THE DOCTORS ( GI ) I HAVE HAD AN ENDOSCOPY , A COLONOSCOPY, AN ULTRASOUND , CT SCAN AND X RAYS. ALL COME UP MOSTLY NORMAL. I HAVE BEEN HOSPITALIZED FOR THESE " ATTACKS " THAT I HAVE ( BAD CRAMPING, VOMITTING, AND BLEEDING ) ITS GASTROENTERITIS AND MILD GASRTRITIS. THEY SAY I HAVE REACURRING GASTRITIS. ( INFLAMATION (inflammation) OF THE MY INTESTINE) AND THAT I HAVE GERD AND IBS AND HEMMOROIDS (hemorrhoids). SO I TAKE PRVACID FOR MY GERD . IT HELPS. THEY GAVE BARBITUAETS FOR MY STOMACH, BUT THEY REALLY DONT HELP.BUT NOTHING EXPLAINS THIS ODOR I HAVE. I HAVE NOT TOLD ANY OF THE DOCTORS ABOUT THE DODR, IT IS VERY EMBARRISING. BUT I WILL THE NEXT TIME BECAUSE I KNOW I NEED TO, FOR THEM TO HELP ME.I USED TO BE HAPPY AND SOCIAL AND FUN.
I DONT GO OUT AT ALL ANYMORE BECAUSE OF THIS. I HAVE EVEN TRIES SUICIDE TWICE AND BEEN PUT IN A HOSPITAL.THIS IS DRIVING ME CRAZY I NEED HELP BAD. I WANT TO LIVE , BUT I CANT. PLEASE HELP SOMEONE, OR ANYONE WHO MAY HAVE A SIMULAR PROBLEM. I USED TO BE THE LIFE OF THE PARTY BUT NOW IM JUST THE JOKE OF IT!

[Emilyette]

Can other people smell what you smell?  I smell weird smells, but it's just me. It's in my nose from, I am now thinking, infected sinuses.  Have you tried zinc tablets? They say that works for feet that smell.  Perhaps it's the result of something you're eating? Just trying to throw in some ideas that I hope may help.

[Randykmk]

Hi

I'm so glad to have found this website there are no words to express it. I have been dealing with the same problem as the other posters on this board. About ten years ago I noticed that my body emited a stool like odor that at times changed to a smell of rotten eggs. It began gradually over time. I thought maybe the odor was caused by my bathing habits that taking showers were not enough. I started taking long hot baths every day which lasted for about an hour and normally I would lay in the tub to soak with all types of bath salts. All though my skin smelled fine the odor of rotten eggs would suddenly emit and many times right after taking a bath. I later noticed there was a large plum size cyst on my back so I went to a clinic. The Physician assistant who saw me sqooze it and sure enough quite abit of sebaceous fluid that smelt like rotten eggs came out and I was told that I could take care of the problem my self by sqeezing the rest of the fluid out at home. It took a few weeks to empty the cyst but over time it filled back up.  Because I was unable to afford seeing a doctor it took a long time before I had the cyst surgically remove.I was so convince removing that hugh cyst would end this nightmare but one year later after the removal nothing has changed.I do still have two very small cyst but I'm starting to question if they are the problem. All this time I thought maybe I was the only person who had this condition until I found this site. It is the most embarrassing situation to be in and has changed my life for the worse. It has damaged my confidence and how I see myself, to make matters worse it has altered my social life. Most people out side your family are not understanding of a person who is dealing with this problem. I can't tell you how many times in public this problem has embarrassed me. I've even been told to leave the floor of a gym because of this odor over the loud speaker in front of everyone. It has been dificult to excersize at the gym or play contact sports like basketball for fear of the reaction of others. I've never seen a gastro or internal doctor for my problem because I didn't consider any other possibility other than the cyst. I'm sure there is a chance that I might have to live with this condition for the rest of my life and I pray I don't. Learning the information on this site has given me hope and I pray I can be cured .I will see a doctor as soon as possible and use the information from this board to aid the doctor in helping me. Please if anyone can offer me additional information I will be very grateful to you. It is said that God doesn't give us more than we can handle but I feel weighed down. Having said that I still have hope!

[ozark]

sometimes people think they clean themselves well but may not be...try to use baby wipes after each bowel movement and make sure theyre clean at the last wipe....even just having a little bowel on your skin and then sweating may cause the odor.......just a thought