So I'm not really sure where to begin.... I apologize for the lengthy post, but I want to be thorough.
I am 22 years old, and a male.
Ever since I can remember, (around the 3rd-4th grade) when I was around 11 years old, I have suffered from bad breath. This coming from classmates, cousins, and others. I never really thought much of it, until it became a major issue.
I suffered from very INTENSE post nasal drip when I was a child. I always had to "snort" the mucus back and swallow it. It was very consistent.
As I entered high school, I became aware of the fact that even when my mouth is closed, the air I exhale through my nose is still quite rotten smelling. I have confirmed this through many sources. Even today I get very very harsh reactions, but I try to not let them get to me. Covering noses, rubbing noses, etc. I know I am not paranoid as I consider myself a fairly intelligent person and realize when something is indeed wrong. (Engineering grad student...if relevant)
Presently, I suffer from malodor/halitosis through the air I exhale. I am actually starting to wonder whether I have TMAU (Trimethylaminuria). I will indeed be getting a test done in the coming weeks to get some peace of mind, and rule that out (I hope it's not TMAU....). I still suffer from PND, and have been to 2 different ENT doctors. All have said it is allergies, but all the allergy treatment I have received only lessens the PND, but does not get rid of the bad breath/malodor! I have tested positive (very highly allergic) to many grasses, trees, dust, pollen, etc... through a skin allergy test.
But after a course of 4 months of allergy shots, mixed with cortico steroids, and antihistamines, I still saw VERY little improvement. The odor was still there. I became so confused as to how someone from across the room (3-5 m) can smell it, so I started thinking about body odor.
I exercise fairly often, and when I am at the gym, I see MANY, MANY reactions. It is in overdrive mode when I run, and lift. It only perpetuates my notion that it is body odor mixed with the air I exhale.
Things I have tried to cure this (some of which I still incorporate into my routine):
Nasal rinses/netipots with alkalol
Cortico steroids
Nasal antihistamines
Allergy shots
Metronidazole (failure)
Vitamin C
I don't know what to think anymore. Nothing is really working. I feel there is something (one major thing) that is absolutely wrong with me for me to excrete such a foul odor.
When my breath is really bad, judging from reactions, and confirming with my confidant, the back of my soft palate area/behind it feels really weird. Like I KNOW it smells bad because of how dry/different it feels.
If you look at this image:
http://sleepsurgery.ucsf.edu/imgs/palate_rfrequency003.jpg
The area behind the dotted line as it enters the nose is what I am speaking of.
I really appreciate any and all help. This issue has really set me back socially, and professionally. It's a nuisance which I just can't seem to get rid of. A very strong nuisance at that too...From an analytical stand point, everything has a root cause, and determining that root is the hardest part. A medical opinion would be appreciated, for I feel the ENTs I have visited had very limited knowledge on this. I wish there was a clinic I would be able to visit where I can get every possible diagnostic test (Money is not an issue) and get rid of this once and for all. I'm just hoping for the best. I have lived with this for too long.
Thank you,
pvcopter