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Intermittent fecal/sulfur breath odor
After scouring the web, I'm certain I'm not the only person with this problem, and not the only person who's been told they were imagining it. Anyway, the issue is I have intermittent odors when I talk (yes, I've been to the dentist 10+ times-- all say my oral hygiene is on point and xrays and inspections showed nothing). The only time it's practically non-existent is when I eat an unhealthily low-carb diet. Like others online, I've had CT scans, Barium swallows, endosocopy/colonoscopy, screening for parasites (getting one more from an IDS before crossing that off my list). All showed up negative. I tested positive for SIBO, but after researching that for the past 3 years, I'm certain SIBO is more of a symptom than a primary causal problem. Furthermore, even when I treated SIBO with heavy antibiotics, it did absolutely nothing for my breath-- and yes I was cleared of SIBO after a couple rounds of work. yet, the moment I eat carbs, I still get a "did someone just s*it themselves?" comment.
I guess what I'm getting at is I'm tired of doctors just saying it's IBS and SIBO and then proceeding to do zero investigating afterwards. I want to get down to the root cause of this, but most doctors are either too apathetic or too incompetent to do anything. Are there any researchers who specialize in studying and diagnosing hard to find problems in the GI tract? Between the 3 GI docs, 2 ENTs, 2 NDs and 1 IDS, I just can't take normal doctors anymore. I want my life back and I want a specific root cause so I can work on progressing from there.
Further notes: Diarrhea actually cleared up when I ate junk food and I had zero bloating, albeit the odor remained.
Xifaxan and neomycin did nothing for the odor, nor did the elemental diet. I actually think the elemental diet made the smell as bad or
worse than before.
*******Nitazoxanide********** worked wonders for the month I was on it. Solid stools even with foods that normally cause my ibs to flare up.
It's exactly the reason I felt there was more going on to everything than just SIBO and IBS.
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I appreciate all that you shared and have traveled a very similar path. In addition to exhausting all of the medical options presented to me (I will list them here in case any are of interest: multiple endoscopies (including one with a Bravo study to measure ph levels), colonoscopy, gastric emptying study, barium swallow test, multiple stool tests and lab work, and hydrogen/methane breath test), I also explored the holistic path (black walnut parasite cleanse, DGL, HCL, enzymes, ginger tea, grapefruit seed extract, and much more).
It seems we have found ourselves in a very similar place = our breath smells like poop.
Currently, I have become interested in studying SIBO caused from sulfur producing bacteria (the current test only measures hydrogen and methane) as well as focusing much more closely at specific dietary changes.
I know that meat exacerbates my issues (I can measure this by my kids saying things like "your breath smells like a rotten garbage")
To be clear, I have seen the dentist numerous times as well as an ENT, both pointed me back to the gut.
I am also an athlete (yoga 5x per week), lean body with an organic plant based diet with very little meat.
None of this is working and my GI is unsure of what to do next.
I also went to see multiple allergists and all of the results were negative.
What is interesting about these and related posts is that despite incredibly strong foul smelling breath (which is important evidence that something is wrong) no one has an answer.
Like many of you I now brush multiple times a day. So....how is it that 2 minutes after brushing and flossing others are smelling feces from one's mouth???
For me, all of this began in Costa Rica in 2006. After returning my gut was never the same. Bloating. Reflux. And for the last 5 years breath.
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1 ReactionWelcome to Connect, @gethealthy1977. I completely understand how frustrating and uncomfortable your symptoms must make you feel. The causes of halitosis (bad or odorous breath) can both be intraoral (from the oral cavity itself), or extra oral (may include various systemic diseases and use of certain medications). https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bad-breath/symptoms-causes/syc-20350922
Recent evidence from research suggests that a better strategy to overcome bad breath/sulfurous odor may be more about nurturing helpful bacteria in the mouth than about destroying germs and their by-products.
– Knockout mice help find gene for bad breath https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/12/171219133617.htm
– Halitosis: Current concepts on etiology, diagnosis and management https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4813452/
Are you concerned that you may have eaten something or picked up some bacteria from your trip to Costa Rica?
Thank you for responding.
I'm in the middle of watching True Detective season three where the main character is investigating the same crime at the time it occurred, a decade later and then years beyond as an elderly man struggling with memory.
I was afflicted with "something" in Costa Rica over a decade ago and have been investigating ever since. It was likely from something I ate, but no test could determine that.
Tonight a friend shared nearly identical symptoms that his sister suffered in 2007 after leaving Costa Rica (we each lost about 40 pounds as we were too bloated to eat, though she lost a considerably higher percentage). His sister now carries a tupperware of food wherever she goes due to great food sensitivity. I also struggle.
While others on this message board may not have been assaulted with such an aggressive bacteria/parasite/??? we may all now be suffering very similar forms of gut dysbiosis.
I take no medication, am in great shape and have been cleared from the dentist and ENT. I am assuming this is dysbiosis and that some foods have either greater amounts of sulfur which release into my breath or there are an abundance of sulfur smelling bacteria in the gut.
I know this sounds simple but it's worth a try and not expensive or difficult. I had a similar issue and I did a lot of research to solve the problem. One thing I discovered is that volatile sulfur compounds (VSC) that make the breath smell bad can be bound by divalent cations through their interaction with sulfur. When the VSC are bound by divalent cations they precipitate and are removed from the body in the urine. Divalent cations are minerals like calcium, magnesium and zinc. My problem started when I began jogging. It struck me that my bones might have constituted a strong drain on my intake of divalent cations as a result of the bone building that must accompany the impact on the bones from running. Bones have a high concentration of divalent cations. I tried taking a calcium, magnesium, zinc supplement 3x a day with vitamin D to help absorb the minerals and I think this helped a lot. I also cut way down on sugary foods, dairy and meat as these foods seem to exacerbate it. As I said, these minerals are cheap and worth a try. I hope this helps.
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1 ReactionHi there,
And 1st off I am so sorry that you have been experiencing these horrible symptoms. I to have had really unusual symptoms w/ more that just digestion & bad breath. My face swelled up 3 times the size it was normally, burning tongue & feet, neuro problems & many other strange symptoms that I won't mention as the list goes on & on. I was a mess & all the different doctors I saw thought I was crazy. I was tested for all kinds of bacteria, fungus, parasites, etc. & nothing showed up as a red flag. I thought I was going to die - really, but I was not giving up. My neuro dr. sent me to National Jewish Hospital where my C Reactive protien levels were thru the roof & RA blood work off the charts. I did not get on the meds they wanted me on as I opted to go the natural routeI with a natural path Dr. and was put on Oil of Oregano & Grapefruit Seed Oil, SamE, & Magnesium. Turns out that I am now 80% better & all this may have been caused by candidia overgroth in my intestins & sinuses. My point is you need to fig=ht hard for your health & sometimes you have to try alternative route. Please see a natural pathic dr. Or maybe go to a health store & try the Oil of Oregano & Grapefruit seed Oil. They killed off some nasty stuff in me that NO test showed results for. Good luck to you & God bless you too.
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1 ReactionI just want to express my gratitude for your response and to ginjax28. Your compassion this morning also feel like important healing supplements.
No thanks needed. I just want to see you get better. My name is Lori. If you ever need to talk I am at Loreleibanta@gmail.com
I just ordered zinc and a three in one bone formula, and will give it a try. Here is the immediate research I found on zinc and VSC's "Two mechanisms of oral malodor inhibition by zinc ions." As a new member I am unable to include links). Will you please post additional research on this topi?. Thanks again!
I do not know anything about zinc except that I am taking it & I have so bad reactions to it. I mentioned oil of oregano & grapefruit seed oil as they may kill of the underlying cause of your symptoms. You should go to a health store or natural path dr. & explain what is happening to you. They will help kill off - not mask symptoms. I can not use bone broth, biotin or any bone formulas as I have severe reactions to all of them as I have a gene mutation keeping me from making protein from beef, buffalo, etc. I'm sorry I can not help on what you mentioned about zinc & bone formula. I really think you might have a parasite or fungal infection that could be causing all your health issues as you drank contaminated water. Or maybe you had a open wound when you were in the water or it got in through your sinuses. There are so many unanswered & unaddressed issues like these by doctors that just do not care or will not take the time to understand.
I want to help you very much but I am not an expert & can only give you personal opinion, insight to healing naturally & what has worked for me. I will tell you I asked my neuro doctor for anti fungal meds & he gave them to me & they are working fantastically. After the oil of oregano & grapefruit seed oil started working & really making a difference I brought the subject up to neuro dr. & he trusted that I was on to something & I believe that is why I am now really starting to heal.
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