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But I can't smell it!!

2K views 9 replies 5 participants last post by  Norma Andrews 
#1 ·
I guess I kinda just want to tell my story, if that's okay. Anyway, here it goes:

When I was in high school I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease due to abdominal discomfort and excess gas. I went gluten free and while it didn't fix everything (I was later diagnosed with IBS, surprise, surprise) my symptoms at least got a little better.

Until my second year of college. My IBS flared up and my anxiety worsened. Then I started to hear comments wherever I went: "What's that smell?", "Did someone fart?", "It smells disgusting in here.", etc. At first I didn't really think anything of it. I didn't smell anything myself. But the comments kept following me wherever I went: in classes, at the movies, hanging out with my family, etc. It got to the point where I started to wonder, was I was causing it? It didn't make any sense, though, since I couldn't smell it. Nor was I intentionally passing gas. But everyone else smelled something...

And it dogged me for months and months. Was it me? Was it me?? I obviously had digestive problems. I dealt with excess gas. And I could smell that, when I intentionally passed gas. I could smell my own BO if I didn't shower. I could smell other people and other things. So why not this? What did it mean?

Of course I consulted the internet. I actually found this forum years ago (2011) and I tried strict diets, underwear liners, exercises. Nothing really seemed to work. And then the trauma of it all just became too much. It's embarrassing to say, but I just shut down. I didn't see a doctor to try and deal with it. Honestly, I didn't think anyone would believe me.

So I basically spent a decade in a self-imposed isolation (I was around 20 when the gas incontinence started--I'm 32 now). I rushed through my college degree and got a job working from home. I bought a small house in the middle of nowhere. I have no friends. I still see my family, though sparingly. I hear comments every now and then, though I think the low-fodmap diet I started around 2016 has helped reduce my symptoms (also the fact that I don't go around people helps). But the anxiety is still overwhelming. The fact that I can't smell it makes me question everything. Everything. I just don't get it.

And then my IBS flared up again at the end of last year. So that was a bummer.

Anyway, I have a doctor's appointment on Thursday. I think I'm finally going to tell her all of this and see what she makes of it. I'm terrified, though. I had to rip myself open just to face the idea of telling another person, partially from the absurdity of it all and partially from the embarrassment of waiting this long to ask for help. But I guess hopelessness and depression are a cage. Maybe you understand.

Hopefully this makes sense as I'm obviously in a weird mental state. Thanks for reading!
 
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#3 ·
I have had LG since I was 10 and will be 50 this November.
I have got it down to probably 10-15% of what it used to be when I was younger going through school etc.
I have tried so many thing through the years and finally learned a lot of triggers even though it seemed that nothing I was doing made a difference.
Even though it is super embarrassing and frustrating, I never got super depressed or down on myself. I just couldn't stop trying to live and have fun.
I am exactly the same when I say that if I have enough gas that if I push a fart out I can totally smell it. All the leaky gas that just comes out all day, I cannot feel it or smell it. I can even leave the room for awhile and come back in and "try" to smell it and I cannot. I can smell food, peoples lotion and perfume or anything else but I cannot smell that gas I have been leaking!!!!!
It is the strangest thing, I think that because I have been chronically passing my whole life, I just cannot smell it and never have.
Anyways, I just go on living regardless of the gas.
Like I said the fact that it is so much less than it used to be makes it bareable.
No matter what I do, I know that I cannot have a day without gas but I have some control as to how much gas.
I avoid as much dairy, fried food, spicy foods, beans etc.
 
#5 ·
yup, I get comments here and there.
Mostly I can just read peoples body reactions, covering their noses one way or another, backing out of my cubicle right after they walk in to tell me something, etc.
Last week I walked into a gas station to pay, the guy at the register that I have never seen before or said a single word to tells me a fart joke!
Random coincidence? Nope!
Things do not happen to other people like that.
No matter what I think, wow today I actually feel great, no gas, no bloating, no pain then out of the blue one of my kids will tell me to stop farting or I will observe someone reacting.
It has been decades of this!
 
#7 · (Edited)
I think we should change the name of this condition from LG(leaky gas) to 20-80. The reason behind it is simple, 20 percent of people don’t smell anything, 80 percent of people do smell it. LG causes people to feel worse about themselves but 20-80 is giving this condition a name that has a neutral tone.

For those looking for a job, corona times proved us that there is plenty work from home jobs like customer support, Youtube and so on.

Everybody goes through trouble, the way to improving your life is having a positive outlook in life and accepting the things as they are. Like Stoic thinker Epictetus, we need to focus on the things we can control.
 
#8 ·
Hi,
Great to hear that you have been feeling better with the low fodmap diet (or at leats key elements avoided). I'm in a similar position with not being able to detect any smell but receiving occassional comments. It does make me cut down a bit on social functions but I'm not going to stop living and I am maintaining a positive mindset (some days it's more difficult than others I'll admit). I have tried certain diets before but am keen to give low fodmap a trial as I've heard some positive feedback. Can I ask in what way you are feeling better? Is it simply feeling less bloated or similar? It's just that I have no-one to give feedback on good days vs bad and so if I can't detect a smell myself how will I gauge if any diet is helping.
 
#9 ·
It just reduces the amount of gas a bit more.
Mine is not all leaky, I do have a considerable amount of regular farts that I need to walk to the bathroom and release at work.
I am learning about how, "the dose makes the poision".
I have learned that if I am backed up, I can eat exactly 15 red grapes in the evening, and in the morning I will have a healthy bowel movement. A few more grapes than that and the gas will be horrible and I will have diarrhea.
Just learning how to really fine tune things.
 
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