Can body odor be a sympton of kidney problems

I have recently over the past 2 years experienced an increase in a very strong musky body odor. It happens even after I take a shower or bath. No cologne or fragrance can mask it. I have been to many doctors including an endocrinologist, however no treatment has worked. I have tried antibiotics, and numerous other medications, however nothing seems to work. This odor is so strong that even when i sweat very little, the odor can fill a large room. I am so discouraged about this odor, because of no one I know of has ever dealt with anything like it. Is it possible that this musk odor can be a sympton of a kidney problem?

[Dr Santos]

Hi,

Bad body odor can be due to a lot of factors: diet, hormones, certain illnesses and underlying conditions such as liver or kidney disease where the body is incapable to processing and removing certain toxins due to the diseased organ. These conditions can be ruled out by blood tests which measure kidney and liver function. Have this evaluated further by your doctor for proper management.

Take care and keep us posted.

[JEN44262462]

HI,
SOMETIMES I HAVE AN ODOR WHEN I HAVE A POSSIBLE UTI AND MY KIDNEYS FEEL AS THOUGH THEY ARE BEING AFFECTED AS WELL...THEY HURT SOME. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
                                                            
                                                               JEN

[Dr Santos]

Hi Jen,
How are you? Can you elaborate on the location of the pain? To rule out infection, I recommend that you have this checked by your doctor for proper management. Urinalysis may be done to confirm if an infection is present. Drink plenty of fluids and avoid eating spicy food to lessen any body odor.

Take care and do keep us posted.

[jalapati]

Hi,
I just joined MedHelp and was reading with interest the post on the strong body odor (even after a bath) and potential connection to a kidney or liver problem.  Dr. Santos, could you refer us to any articles or reviews that detail these odors and what the underlying problem could be?  For example, is the kind of odor indicative of a certain intermediate metabolite (resulting from normal metabolism) that is not getting detoxified and solubilized in the kidney?

Thanks.

[knowa]

try miconazole nitrate vaginal cream for skin yeast infection in both men and women. Also for body odor try chlorophyll capsules.

[magipson]

my husband and i have the same ordor, it seems to get worse when we shower, and in the palm of my hand and my arms, if i use any lotion that has a sweet smell and it horrible, but no one seem to smell it but us its really weird, its in my clothes, that i wear close to my body, its a really weird smell, and it seems i can smell it all over the house, well could it be kidneys but its strange that my husband and i both have the same smell

[knowa]

I'm not kidding....use the Miconazole nitrate vaginal cream (2%). It's a vaginal antifungal cream that can be purchased over the counter in any drug store or supermarket for about $7.00 or $8.00. Use it topically and liberally all over the affected area for about a week or more and you should see relief in about 24 hrs.Then use it prophylactically for at least 10 days to make sure  it's gone.It's a skin yeast infection and both men and women get it so both of you must treat it the same way.  The cream is not greasy and absorbs nicely and is not unpleasant in any way and is not detectable on your person. Use it whenever the problem comes up and cut back on your sugar consumption, yeasty breads and fermented beverages.  Good luck.

[weishy9]

i have the same problem.  my co-workers said there's this musty smell like something wet is wrapped up in a towel and it just spreads everywhere...mine is localized in my feet for some reason.. and it gets worse when i put my shoes on.  what has helped is getting an air ionic cleaner.. the one we got from brookstone works really well...ionic breezer i believe it is..  try taking chlorophyll, an internal deodorant, which seemed to minimize it but it's not fully gone yet.  there are essential oils like lavendar that you can spray and it binds with whatever musky stink that it is and neutralizes it.  there are supposed to be some herbals that may help... but i'm still figuring that part out.

[Remedy_4me]

Hello I'm a young adult and I have the same musky smell that seems to be coming from my back and around my kidney areas.  The smell gets strong when I eat and just before my menstruation.  It could be hormonal or not, but I'm willing to try this anything. I'm just so tired of this musky smell.   Are you sure miconazole cream works?  Isn't it for the vagina only?  I wouldn't think you could use it for your body too.  I'm desperate to try anything.  I've tried all kinds of cleanses and even thought I had parasites.  I'm at the end of trying all sorts of methods, but I will give this cream a chance.  

[prettyGirl1982]

I too have a musky odor that developed when I turned 16. Its really imbarassing...I hide in my home a lot and I cry a lot because I shower 3 to 4x a day. Please help.