[Guy81]

After a year of searching the internet I actually found out that I'm not alone with this problem.I'm a 28 years old male and I've had problems since about summer 2005. It just appeared out of nowhere. My main problem is that I just smell like poop although I don't fart. And it really smells like poop, not regular fart smell.A lot of the times I don't notice the smell myself but others do. And it affects your social life enormously. I quit my job partly because of this problem. All you wanna do is lock yourself in your apartment, because every social event is a big pain. And you get to hear a lot of comments like "what the hell is that smell", "he pooped his pants", "he need dipers"...And some of my acquaintances has stopped wanting to go out with me because it just stinks wherever I go. When it comes to my family they have all noticed it, however not as often as others. The same goes for my best friend. And this seems to be common for a lot of us, people you're around much or live with don't seem to notice it as often. Luckily I have a few really good friends that knows about my problem and accepts me anyway. Although it's not very likely we'll be dining out...In 2005 I didn't notice it at all, I just reacted that people always were saying that it smelled bad. I was like "what the hell are they talking about". But for the last maybe 2 years I've started to notice it more myself and I also believe it's gotten worse. I also have constipation, worrying and bloating abdomen. For a couple of years I lived a VERY unhealthy life. Was living on McDonalds and pizza every day and drank 1,5 L coca cola/day. And it went on for over 2 years. Have wondered if that could have had some affect on my problem...? I also smoke. And I once had an allergychock and had to go to the emergency. I'm pretty shure that actually was in summer 2005. But the doctor never found out what I was allergic to. Two days later the rash disappeared and I didn't really think about it more. Had fast food and a nut chocolate ice cream the day it happened. Also had big problems with wisdom teeth, still have those two left. I also stopped working out (gym) in spring 2005, and felt more stressed and worried over personal problems.Would be interesting to know what people with this problem have in common when it comes to life style. To see if there's some kind of pattern?And no one seem to know where the smell/odor is coming from. It hasn't been confirmed that it really comes from your anus, has it? Although thatwould be the most logical.Anyway, I've had three different doctors. Checked liver values, cancer cells, hepatitis, hiv, ultrasound (fatty liver and more), gluten and probebly more stuff I can't remember. Everything looks normal. The doctors are clueless and my third doctor thought IBS might be a good diagnosis. I'm not super convinced since IBS can mean absolutely anything. I'm going to take a dna test for lactose intolerance and after that I have a couple of things to try out to experiment with.Feel free to post any comments, suggestions, questions...

 

[Kathleen M.]

Have you been tested for TMAU?Most people hear "fish odor" and say they don't smell that fishy, but the smell ranges from rotting garbage to fecal and isn't always fishy.A choline limited diet it the treatment. Usually you have to have a urine sample sent off to a special lab to get tested.The odor isn't a consistent feature of IBS, but the bloating and constipation are.TMAU odor comes through the skin, not out the anus.

 

[Guy81]

Thanks for your answer. I've never even heard of TMAU, I had to look it up. The odor part does seem to fit. Although a lot of conditions fit. I will definately check that out, and try to have my doctor let me take that test. But I do also have problems with constipation and bloating and have had that for a long time. Does those things occur in TMAU?I also had a urine and a stool sample but I don't know what they checked for. Most likely not TMAU.

 

[Kathleen M.]

TMAU is relative rare so it usually isn't tested for.I don't think it causes specific GI symptoms, so you may have IBS on top of that.I wrote to one of the organizations a while back to get some info to share http://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/index.php?s...=50652&st=0 is that thread and has information on the labs, it is a couple of years old but I think it is still good.

 

[Guy81]

Thanks a lot for the suggestion, I checked it out. The big problem seem to be to find a company that actually perform those tests. TMAU seems to be so rare that there aren't many test centers available. At least two of those companies had stopped testing forprivate persons. Anyway, I'm going to check with my doctor in Sweden, hopefully there are some institue that actually does perform those tests.Thanks again!

 

[18124]

Guy81,if you want details of TMAU testing in Sweden, i think member merkap on the website tmau.org.uk has undertaken this - you could maybe contact member or post on site to get help?

 

[Guy81]

Thank you for the advice! I've already been in contact with Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm. They're the ones doing that test.They said I'll just contact my doctor and then the do the test for free. I'm very hopeful, all the pieces fits together nowsince I've learned about TMAU.

 

[Common Response]

Sorry to hear your situation Guy.I've had similar experiences having thrown away my career & missed out on social opportunities to avoid contact.I don't think your diet would have helped your situation.Once a gut gets used to functioning poorly it's difficult to restore it to the way it should work.On your next medical visit I'd ask the doctor for a lactose & fructose intolerance gas test.If you're intolerant of lactose & fructose then unless you eliminate these from your diet it'll have a huge impact on your symptoms. The other things I'd seriously consider are:Give up smoking.Get back to the gym.No more cola or soda pop.Limit junk food to once a week.Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day.Allow time in the morning to clear the bowels before starting your day.I start my morning with 3 large glasses of water which soon gets the peristalses going. If you have stools backed up in your rectum (just inside the anus) then this might explain you FBO.When exposed socially or at work your anxiety might trigger a slight dilation of the anus without you noticing.For your constipation Id recommend 1-2 teaspoons of Normafibe daily with water for short term relief.It's not a pharmaceutical & doesn't cause bloating or gas as do psyllium husks.Normafibe, is a soluble fibre made of sterculia granules. It swells in the gut & ensures soft stools with enough bulk for daily evacuation.I think it's best taken just before or after your evening meal to get your morning motion going.A couple of guys at my workplace thank me daily for putting them onto this stuff.15 bucks gives you about three months supply.Worrying about your situation and stressing out is no good for your general well being & may contribute to your FBO.Experiencing chronic stress will reinforce your situation & make it difficult to overcome.Exercise can help but I also recommend you practice some kind of relaxation or meditation to take your mind off your negative thoughts & auto responses. Have a go at doing these things and review your situation in a month or two.

 

[niel]

Hi Guy81 ! I have also this problem since 8 years and i am aware that is the IBS since only 3 months. My doctor said me to make a test for fructose and lactose so i'll make it. I'll give news about my situation. Good luck to you !

 

[anmegrl]

I had my test done here last yearhttp://www.bloodbornebodyodorandhalitosis....ayo-clinic.htmlI assume they are still doing it. My test came back negative.

 

[Trinity]

I'm still trying to get a TMAU test. My Primary Care doctor doesn't want to be bothered with what she calls IBS symptoms and wants me treated by a gastroenterologist. The GI doctor said she wouldn't order the TMAU test for me because TMAU is congenital and I wouldn't have developed TMAU in my 30's. A new GI doctor I just saw said she never even heard of TMAU or the test, even though I printed up the info from the Mayo clinic and she spent two seconds on the Mayo site and said there was no testing for TMAU listed and refused to look at the papers I printed. She told me to contact a TMAU support group directly and I was trying to explain that I still need a physician to order and send in the lab specimen and get the results but she rushed right out of the room.

 

[WonkyColon]

I'm so sorry to hear that you're having to deal with this. It sounds awful. I've heard that liquid chlorophyll can help people in your situation. It's quite non-toxic. Maybe give it a try?

 

[anmegrl]

That sucks Trinity.

I'm lucky that my doctors have been accommodating to me - I think mostly because they don't know what to do with me and are open to any suggestions. I actually went to my GI doc first. He agreed to order the test but the lab messed it up (they looked at the website and freaked too) and didn't send out the sample. Next I went to my PCP who's at a different hospital. She ordered the test and I gave my sample a week or so later after clearing my system of any meds that could affect the results. I did stand there with the lab techs and made sure they knew exactly what to do. Luckily, I called the Mayo Clinic customer service number and got more info so I didn't have a repeat of the earlier episode. A few weeks later I got a letter from my doc and a letter from the Arkansas lab showing that my levels were normal. My PCP must have coded the test as IBS because my insurance paid 100%. I was prepared to pay out of pocket.You should definitely get a new PCP and the GI doc is uniformed

. Has he never heard of secondary TMAU? If you get a new doc, see if he/she will code it so your insurance will cover the test fees. Even if you don't have TMAU it helps to eliminate it as a possibility. I just got tired of doing the recommended TMAU protocol time after time without any results. At least I know why now.

 

[eaglewriter19]

hey can you email me ? I have exact same issue. I notice this post is old and hopefully you are still seeing these posts. this problem is ruining everything I do and hoping we can figure out what it could be

 

[Adam 412]

Me too this is new to me! I need help.

 

[Rachum]

I dealt with this life-ruining problem for a long time, and FOUND A SOLUTION I changed my diet to a low-FODMAP diet, and it worked like magic. Seriously. No more smell, no more bloating. FODMAPs are certain kinds of carbs and sugars that can ferment in your digestive system, and they're found in tons of foods, especially fruits and vegetables. Cutting these out of my diet has saved my life. I finally feel like I have control over my body again. There's a lot of information out there about it, just google it. I hope it works for others as miraculously as it's worked for me!

 

[mylifeisover]

Yes and take peppermint liquid chlorophyll twice a day, it removes the odour of the stools. Try it for 3 days, you stool will darken but no odour. It worked for me.

I dealt with this life-ruining problem for a long time, and FOUND A SOLUTION I changed my diet to a low-FODMAP diet, and it worked like magic. Seriously. No more smell, no more bloating. FODMAPs are certain kinds of carbs and sugars that can ferment in your digestive system, and they're found in tons of foods, especially fruits and vegetables. Cutting these out of my diet has saved my life. I finally feel like I have control over my body again. There's a lot of information out there about it, just google it. I hope it works for others as miraculously as it's worked for me!