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Most Embarrassing Condition Imaginable

Alright, I've been dealing with this issue for a very long time, and I'm just tired of it--it's ruining my life.  Just as a word of warning, if you get grossed out easily, please stop reading now.  I'm only writing this out of desperation.  Since I was in middle school, I have had a number of problems with body odor, sweat, and I don't even know what to call the rest of it.  Basically, I sweat all the time, mainly around my anus and genitals--doesn't matter if it's hot or cold, what I'm wearing, if I'm sitting or standing, or even sleeping.  The worst part is, I'm a REALLY clean guy--I take a shower immediately after any exercise, and I shower every morning.  Within five minutes of getting out of the shower, though, the sweating starts up, and associated body odor occurs.  Needless to say, I can't just spend all day in the shower, so where does that leave me?  To make matters worse, lately I've been noticing that it is taking an unusually long time to clean myself up after having a BM... which makes me worry about possible incontinence, and that problem coupled with sweating is NOT a good combination.
Some specifics: it gets worse when I am stressed (unfortunately, the condition stresses me out ALL the time, but especially in social situations), and it's really bad when I exercise.
On many, many occasions, people will ask "Ugh, who farted?!" when I'm around, and I just know that it's because of my problem--I smell REALLY bad sometimes, and I just can't help it.
For lack of a better description, I feel like my anal sphincter is "loose."  Like it doesn't shut off all the way, or it's very weak or something.

I'm 25 years old, and I've been less and less social as time goes on, because I just can't stand the embarrassment--it's a shame because I like people and being around them, but it's just such an embarrassing condition that I can't be around them.  I'm a good-looking guy, I'm smart and funny, but I don't dare get involved with a girl because of my problem... and honestly, I'm just getting depressed about it.  It is ruining my life, and I feel totally powerless.  I have been through more embarrassing situations through high school and college than I could possibly call into remembrance, and I just don't know what to do.  I hate being so grossed out by myself, and I feel like I've tried everything to fix it... looser-fitting clothes, deodorants, absorptive powder like Gold Bond and talcum, not eating anything garlicky or spicy, cutting back on caffeine, eating a higher-fiber diet, showering up to 4 or 5 times a day, even some exercises to strengthen my sphincter up... nothing helps.

It is God-awful.  If you doctors can help at ALL--please, please help.
3 Responses
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1461073 tn?1308677548
There are several other things you can try as well.   According to associated context try using chlorophyll and take a teaspoon two to three times a day. Eating vegetables high in this such as spinach or greens may help.  Drink plenty of water using a squeeze of lemon in it.  Try using probiotics or a herb called goldenseal bith help eliminate bacteria in your intestines.  Foods containing Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum can help kill the odor causing bacteria in the body.  Eating vegetables that are high in fiber and drinking tea, while decreasing the intake of alcohol,coffee, black tea,sugar, dairy, fatty and processed foods, cut down on dairy products, fats, processed foods, eggs, chocolate, sugar, beans, alcohol, coffee, and black tea may possibly help as well.  Good Luck
Helpful - 0
351246 tn?1379682132
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hi
Welcome to the MedHelp forum!
Body odor is seen in poor hygiene (ruled out in your case) or medical conditions like thyroid disorder, carcinoid syndrome and taking drugs like antidepressant.  Increased sweating due to any cause can also cause unpleasant body odour because microorganism in your body can break sweat into aromatic fatty acids which smell bad. All causes of hyperhydrosis like hyperthyroidism, diabetes, carcinoid syndromes infections etc should be eliminated.
Vinegar like smell in sweat is due to an acid called propionic acid. Since this acid is chemically similar to acetic acid in vinegar, the sweat smells of vinegar. This happens due to excess amino acids in sweat (which are breakdown products of protein), seen common with a high protein diet. Also if the diet is rich in cheese, then a bacteria of staphylococcus type acts on the sweat and causes this smell of vinegar. Hence to avoid this smell you would need to carefully look at his diet and lower the protein and cheese content in it.
Another possibility is releasing hydrogen sulphide gas in stool and urine. There are some bacteria in the gut that produce hydrogen sulfide gas. Sometimes this gas is produced in such huge quantities that the sulfide oxidase enzyme in the wall of the gut is not able to oxidize all of it and convert it to thiosulfate. Hence the gas enters the blood stream and gets filtered by kidney into the urine. This gas has a smell of rotten eggs. You can test its presence by test strips available OTC. If this is positive and you have smell of rotten eggs in urine then you need to cut down food items that contain sulfites. Most of this gas comes from sulfites a person consumes, which is a part of all preservatives. Sulfites are present in all juices, molasses, yellow dye in ready made food stuffs, and red wine. Sulfites are present in lesser amounts in mashed potatoes made from dry powder, pickles, tinned shrimp, cookies, crackers, and readymade pie dough. Some gas is directly released from anus.
If you have been taking these things in a good amount, then cut down the intake. Also take a lactobacillus preparation and yoghurt with your meals. In all probability the smell will go. If it persists, then talk to your doctor. Take care!
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Avatar universal
There is prescription sweat stuf a Dermotologist prescribed for me. You gotta smother the sweat glands with cellophane after u put the stuff on at nite. I wud check with a Derm Dr, cuz mayb cud help u. I put it on my underarms and feet. Not sure about the butt..........
Helpful - 0
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