[Guest]

Hello to all! I'm a new member, have been a fascinated lurker for many weeks, b/c I have the same problems that many of you describe. Mainly unconsciously passed gas and *terrible* odor when I go to the bathroom. I was laughing when I read the thread about bathroom strategies, because over the years I have learned *never* to go to a crowded bathroom!Anyway, I was surfing the net last night and learned some things I wanted to run by the people here. Several sites I visited suggest that foul odor comes from certain kinds of bacterial overgrowth in the colon, which in turn can happen b/c of inadequate stomach acid. Stomach acid is supposed to digest food, but if you don't have enough acid the bacteria digest your food for you, and the result is smelly. My mother was diagnosed with low stomach acid when she was young and had to take supplements for years. I wonder if this might be the cause of part of my GI problems? Has anyone else has their stomach acid tested?Thanks for your input.

 

[Kathleen M.]

I dunno if that theory is correct.I know they studied people and some people have more methane procucing bacteria and some people have more hydrogen sulphide producing bacteria (hydrogen sulphide smell like rotting eggs, or volcanos, which some of us at least sympathize with--pressure builds and builds until eruptions occur). Everyone has bacteria in their colon BTW. I'm not sure if anyone has a really good explaination of why any individual has what. Some foods also contribute to odiferous gasses (at least part of the problem with hog odors is from assorted fatty acid breakdown products and if they change the food around the hogs**t smells better.)FWIW chorophyll tablets may help (they give 'em to the oldsters in nursing homes for the odor thang). And some places on the web sell charcoal pads to sit on, and I think there are some that you can wear as well.You may want to try tracking the smell and your diet. There may be somethings that make it worse (I've got a list of suspect foods, but not on me. I'll post later).K.[This message has been edited by kmottus (edited 01-03-2001).]