Moth Ball Breath

[brendag]

What causes moth ball smelling breath in a 50 year old man?

[Ashleia]

I believe it is a sign of toxins and bad bacteria buildup in the digestive system. A sign that you need to eat a lot more fiber, healthy fruits and vegetables to clear out your colon. Maybe lay off the meat for awhile!

[Samantha_Kay_89]

I have a tooth that's had such a serious infection that it went through my sinus wall into my sinus cavity and caused a sinus infection. I have to have the tooth surgically removed and closed up. Sometimes I smell a fecal smell, ammonia, sometimes just the horrid smell of infection like the phlegm that I have to spit out, now the horrid smell of moth balls. I was advised the sinus infection will not fully go away until the tooth is gone and the infection goes with it. January 19th I go meet the oral surgeon. Hopefully he can get the tooth out soon and it will go away. I will let you all know if it helps.

[p_u_breath]

I am finding all this fascinating... especially the amount of people affected by this.  I don't think this is a straight gum or tonsil thing... although it could be.  I say this because not only does my husband have this, but also my 7 yr old son.  I would hope he doesn't have gingivitis or liver disease at such a young age, lol.  Anyway, what is resonating most with me as a possible cause are the gut suggestions.  In particular, gluten and casein allergies.  I think this sounds like the most plausible cause.  One, because the person who said that eliminating gluten and casein from the diet SOLVED the problem... permanently.  Only comes back if the diet reverts back to eating those culprits.  And two, because my son's poop smells like mothballs too.  That CAN'T be from the mouth.  I think we are going to make some strict diet changes in the new year... go gluten/casein free... and see what happens.  I will try to remember to post my finding.  Good luck all, and Happy New Year!

[DenniCrane]

It's an indicator of periodontitis - weakening/decaying gums. The buildup of bacteria under the gumline "ferment", for lack of a better word, causing this horrible mothball-like odor.

Aside from the obvious brushing, typically, more attention to flossing and rinsing with mouthwash can assist.

If not, within a month or so, see your dentist for further assistance and guidance.

[Fl23]

Hello, I'm 33 years old and have been having issues with cotton ball breath. I kept reading that it was tonsils stones, so I gargled and tried to clean them out with a qtip but it wasn't until I got a tonsil stone extraction tool and dug into the holes in my tonsil that I discover that I had tons of that discusting gunk in my throat. Have and ENT do it or do it yourself it's worth it. I already don't have that smell and taste anymore. Now onto preventives, anybody have ideas ?

[LBatHome]

Hi.  I came across this site while researching breath that smells of "moth balls".  I read something recently about bad breath being an indicator of cancer, especially pancreatic cancer.  Most of the responses on here are dated 2 to 4 years ago.  I'm wondering if any of the people that experience this bad breath have been diagnosed with cancer since their postings.  Would you please let me know if you or the person you were referring to with the bad breath have had any diagnoses since the post? Thank you!

[KJneedsyourhelp]

My husband was diagnosed with colon cancer mastic to 90% of his liver a year ago.  He was not meant to survive, but with the amazing Doctors at the Mayo clinic he is here today.  Minus the sigmoid section of his colon, and 90% of his liver that has now regenerated.  He has one more chemo treatment left.  recently he started having a smell that I say smells like mothballs.  It's awful and I hurt his feelings when I say something.  It makes it hard to kiss him, hug him and show him affection. I am searching for answers to help him and us.  I find it intersting that some of you have suggested liver issues.  I am curious to look into diabetes.  Of course his digestive system has changed drastically and it was suggested that he may develop issues with gluten.  I want my husband back, minus the smells.  I can't even begind to express how heartbreaking it is to know that I am hurting him by avoiding him, when he needs my love an affection the most.  Should any of you be able to shed light on this topic, I would welcome the help.  

[natashaMSI]

Sinus infection! Even if he seems healthy and doesn't know he ever has it he has a sinus infection more than likely next most common cause is serious allergies that cause post nasal drip. Something along the lines of the sinuses.. try an antibiotic go to the Dr. Dont does of the smell just go and fake a sinus infection best done at an urgent care pain and pressure above the eyes and pain and headache get a proscription of antibiotics go to the next urgent care until you get one. See if that clears it up 99% of the time it will but its not know by many. If that doesn't do it get him on a nasal allergy spray even if he has no symptoms and a daily allergy pill.

And in addition to both of these start him on a nettipot sinus rinse and saline salt sprays

This smell is coming from his sinuses or his deep back throat trachea area from post nasap drip



3 thing to do get him tested for sleep apnea its often until that people have this.. but it can also cause this.

Cancer decreases the immune system and sets up for chronic infections including of the sinuses so that's why there is a connection with sinus infections.

Since most of you are saying that the dental hygiene is through the roof provably not the cause.. but the tonsils.. they ha e pouches in them and people can get these stones in them that basically rots tissue and can also cause this. They need to removed and if they recur/chronic they can be removed from smell issues alone..


Lastly.. despite the good dental health there may be issues with the gums being colonized by bacteria. A water pick high power filled with alcohol mouth wash and hot salt water sprayed into the gums can help as well into the tonsils but like I said the tonsils are not bacteria they are stones

But don't forget its 99% likely their sinuses... I'm a medical student have seen a lot and i have a high sense of smell.. unlike other and this bothered me for Yeats and year especially because my grandmother had it.. after seeing how this affected those with sinus issues often unknown sinus issue I got imaging done on my grandma she ended up having a tooth growing in her maxillary sinus!!!! A tooth!!! They removed it and a huge mass that had grown around it and saved her from possible sepsis down the line ad well as fixed her breath...  try all of these things.. don't give up there is something there.. its not magic something is causing it... find it...get imaging if you must..


Be healthy.. and good luck on your search

[MsVogue]

Oh my gosh!! I relate to your comment, my husband has been this way since i met him 20 years ago, the arguments that came out of it were sometimes awful.  Still, when I roll over sometimes in bed and he faces me, it wakes me up it's SO bad, I won't kiss him other than a peck, and if that smell is there, I hold my breath and make it really quick so I can walk away.  He's gotten to the point where he brushes his teeth about 4-5 times a day, rinses, uses electric toothbrushes, flosses like a fiend! His diet is great, he's a gym rat and takes  very good care of himself, yet, when it comes to his breath.. it's like I want my own bedroom.  We have asked dentists, oral surgeons and Md's .. nobody has answers for us.    You made me feel good about what you said about wanting to vomit, because I sure feel that way too.  I hope you find a solution.  .. I wish we could touch base to talk about it wife to wife, because it stresses me about this too.

Thank you for posting, it helps knowing I'm not being rude, but very concerned and want to help him. He's a business man, he needs to have good breath.

[AnnieF1918]

I found your post when looking for an answer to why my husband has been smelling like mothballs, especially after exercise lately. His clothes hold the smell even after washing. He thinks I'm picking on him when I mention it. Its hard to be in the same area. I'm wondering if you ever found an answer as to why this occurs.

[Erevan]

It is also a sign of liver failure! Ammonia build up, just to be safe might get blood test to rule out liver problems. It can also be overdose of migraine medication but you would know if you took to much of that :), and yes could be a gum problem.  

[crmartinez]

I FOUND THE ANSWER!!!!!!! There can be little pockets above and behind the tonsils. If you search "Tonsil Stones Removal" on YouTube you will see how to clean them out with a Q-Tip.

[desertdog381]

This is yet another impersonation. The person who is posting things like itching and odorous body parts, is not the person she is representing as.

This disturbed individual seems to be posting her own repulsive issues under this username as part of s much larger attempt to smear, impersonate and harass a real individual. The victim of this obsessed criminal has had this previously unique username for over 10 years. The victim being impersonated here does not actually have these medical issues. She is suffering other medical issues with absolutely no relation to this.

Ask yourself: Why would the real person post, then search optimize, a bunch of medical symptoms that anyone can see would be embarassing or humiliating, especially knowing she has been broadly and deeply smeared, even put in physical danger by the broader topic matter which is highly controversial and repellent (on other sites).

The victim has been defamed broadly by this malicious individual who just will not let up, no matter how much damage she causes to the innocent person who has done nothing to deserve this retaliation. She has tried to escape and survive and move on, despite significant damage and losses that, to anyone who has not experienced it, are unfathomable.

I am sorry this malicious criminal is making a mockery of your board, and the original poster. This is her attempt to smear, then optimize the search results, to defame a real person by getting keywords to associate with her and then help spread rumors so the victim will be shunned even further.

This malicious harasser has absolutely no moral compass, and is extremely covert in her behavior, thus she garners plenty of support to ostracize the target/victim further. Meanwhile the criminal plays victim and tells everyone the victim is actually the perpetrator.

The victim of this harassment has barely been able to leave her home for the past few years. She has been ill and is being terrorized at first offline, and now online. Yet the victim has done nothing to retaliate, and would never harm anyone, even this perpetrator.

All the target/victim wants is for harassment and smears to stop, and to be permitted to regain control of her own name (online & offline identity). She would like to NOT have her personal data divulged into malicious or untrustworthy websites, NOT be impersonated/represented falsely, NOT be called a delusional/crazy person when she explains this IS HAPPENING, and not be put in danger of harm, identity theft and discrimination.

This breath comment is just one tiny example of a huge picture of ongoing criminal behavior by a malicious corrupt, covert, and very dangerous individual, who thrives on the abuse she inflicts, and the fact that she hides it so well (or, I should say, she THINKS she hides it well but some people are getting tired of covering up for her)

[stasici]

it is low liver function, i think,  need take hepatoprotectors, drink a lot, eat smoll portion, but often, qwater apple every 30 min e.t.c., no alcohol no coffe no gums no smoke no gaswater, need sport trainings, waight control food control...and no garant the smell will gone ;) but i know exectly this smell is simptom of desease, in common it called metabolic disorder... liver is largest metabolic organ in the boby...

[mmm133]

Have anyone examined Liver for moth ball breath? any outcome?

[mmm133]

Hi everybody..
I will try to tell you all what i did to discover moth ball taste in mouth-after i want you to share your comments and maybe we will find real reasons-as doctors cant answer our questions.
2 years ago i had mild broncites and was taking pill: "Pulmo Hevert" for a month,after i stopped it and after few month   math ball taste startes. Have some of you taking such pills? it contains Naphtalene(same as moth ball )

First i was filling of mothball taste once per month, after every week, 2 years passed and now i feel it few times per day or sometimes i dont feel it at all.
I visitedat Laringologist, i visited therapist, i visited gastro-enterologyst, also lungs doctor- they dont have answers. i dont have moth ball taste in nose or when i deeply breath, it comes and goes eather from glands or stomach-cant discover it as its  difficult. I have acid reflux last 2 month but smell started 2 years ago and i treated my reflux from the begining and now finished taking pills for it. so it cant be reason.
Can it be liver?Has anyone examined Lever for math ball reason?
One IMPORTANT THING: at russian sites i found out that stomach Lambia  Giardia micro organisms can cause kind of math ball-naphtalene taste in mouth, i have examined my stools and yeah-i have Lamblias in my guts. Now i am taking "Ornidazole" for 7 days to cure my guts from Lamblia (dont take it without examination or doctors prescribtion!). during treatment smell has gone-but i am afraid when i finish -what if it comes back?? I will let you all know about it. Just know, if you will deside to examine for Lamblia in stools(fecal)-its very difficult to find them. i did examination in laboratory 4 times during 2 month and only last time  it was found. Waiting for your comments ...

[AUgal]

I don't know if this will help you all, but I struggled with mothball breath for several years. (I'm a 42 yr old female.) When I cut out gluten and dairy, it went away. I can't tell you why it got better nor what was causing it, but it did. Now when I accidentally get small amounts of casein or gluten, the smell immediately comes back. I'm just so glad it's gone (among other things like constant indigestion and itchy skin), I don't care if I ever eat these foods again.

[lucy1947313]

You might try cutting out red meat and also limiting the amount of other meats as well..............................to much smaller portions and see what happens.  Too much protein might be a culprit.

[MissyM1960]

Just one more thing...he isn't on any medication of any kinds...so it can't be lipitor or anything else....any advice would be welcomed.

[MissyM1960]

My husband's breath has been smelling like mothballs for the last 9 months - he floss's and brushes his teeth and uses Listerine, etc., and yet his breath is awful. Recently his tooth broke, so I thought it was that, but he got it fixed and  still has the bad breath, no tooth decay, no gingivitus, nothing wrong with his teeth or gums.  I am wondering tonsiles?? He gets so mad at me for saying anything, but I can't stand to have him talk in the car as all I do is smell his "poop" breath. He never had bad breath before this, and he is a cancer survivor - NEVER has he had bad breath during Chemo or when he had cancer, but now that he's "healthy" and in remission, his breath is terrible.  He wouldn't dream of going to a doctor to find out either...I don't know what to do.  And like you, I can't even fathom the thought of kissing him anymore and that makes me feel terrible.  If you find out anything, please post.

[momflack]

Try changing mouthwash. My husband started having BAD mothball breath out of the blue. He tried stopping meds and certain foods, only to find out it was the new type of Listerine that he was using. And of course the more we told him his breath smelled, the more mouthwash he was using!!

[Wendi1971]

My husband smells like moth balls he's 47 not on any medication..it's not just his breath..it like comes off him.lsort of like body odor...he was working out the other day..and came into the small bathroom where I was cleaning..and the smell was so strong I thought I was going to vomit. I've mentioned it several times.. Each time it ends in a fight..he says I'm being mean..if I loved him I wouldn't say he stinks...FYI I said way more comforting than that. I'm a nurse..and I know some diseases cause smells..but there is nothing wrong with him.  It makes it very hard to eat with him, sit beside him..and omg kissing him is out of the question..just wondering if anyone else has noticed it..not just as mothball breath but also as body odor?

[Sasony]

My husband is on two cholesterol pills a day and acid reflux pills. Brushes twice daily but won't go to the dentist. He eats summer sausage daily and drinks a couple  of liters of diet coke daily. His mothball breath is so bad that his tooth brush smells of it. I grabbed his toothbrush on accident the second it hit my mouth I knew I nearly vomited. He also has dry skin that cracks and peels on his hands that smells terrible wondering if there's a link?

[decentbreath]

I know the stench. I am 62 and get it from time to time, and at least in my case, it always comes from the same spot. The way I pin point it is every night I floss with an unflavored floss (spearmint, etc.), so that it will have no odor. I then smell it after every pass between two teeth. I'm weird, right? Because there is no spearmint odor to interfere, if the mothball stench is coming from gums or decay, I now know right where the problem is. What seems to work in my case is to keep going over it with a clean piece of floss until the odor is pretty much gone. Use care so as not to tear up the gum. When finished, I use a Q-tip soaked in alcohol, gently working it into the gum and the base of the tooth. After anywhere from several days to a week or two, the odor seems to desist. Of course in my case it's easy, since the odor generally comes from the one same spot, although not always. I think that flossing everyday is critical. You'd be surprised at the slime that hides between your teeth.

[fannamay]

if it's a problem in your gut, try taking a peppermint oil pill. it will burst in your belly an hour or 2 after you take it, and your breath will smell like peppermint, like you're chewing gum!

[OohCheeky]

Hi,

This msg is to  anyone who has a problem with mothball chemical dentist smelling breath.  Its a very common problem ive noticed in my searches on internet and not an answer to be found.  I was on anti biotics for a year (mild dose) but didnt counteract it with yoghurt or healthy bacteria pills and I should have I found out since.  I have had the problem for 6 years and doctors are still looking for the solution.  I have discovered that I am constipated and bacteria in bowel may possibly be causing this problem, I am working on that.  Results take a while but I keep mine under control by taking Acidophilus Bifidus CApsules - 1,000000 organisms per capsule and for me I have to take 9 a day or it begins to come back.  Its expensive but I have a life without the embarrassment and with relaxed intimacy whilst it is under control.  I hope to find a permanent solution but in the meantime maybe this could help you.  Just a note, I use blackmores off the shelf product and have tried one other brand (cant remember what it is) but it had 4 million organisms in it but it didnt work for me at all.  They seemed to have same ingredients and I used the correct strength of 2nd medicine.  I hope this helps you both and others.