strange body odour

[Sallybones]

Hi everyone I've not posted on this site before but have lots of health problems and on quite a few sites.

Did a York Test quite some years ago and was told I was allergic to wheat and gluten and to avoid. I was never quite sure if this was really so back then but on and off experimented with my diet. Eventually knew some foods caused me very severe periods of depression and I would come round about 6 weeks later after hardly eating at all. Chemicals are a problem too and lots of intolerances. So I know quite a lot about myself. I've plodded through life really till about 10 years ago and I can hardly plod at all now.

Symptoms vary, come and go, new ones appear others subside.

However one nasty one appeared over 2 years ago and it was a strange body odour under arms and in groin area. GP swabbed and tested for bacteria but it was clear.

Bathing didn't help. The only thing that worked was wiping the area with alcohol (namely vodka). But later in the day and next morning it would be back with a vengeance. Bit like a sour vinegar smell. I'm not diabetic.

I've always had negative blood results for coeliac so I won't be referred on for that but curious if anyone had similar symptoms as I'm on the verge of going gluten free for good this time. Any thoughts appreciated thankyou. Sallyb

[Lisahelen]

Not quite the same for me, but i know when i have had any fish, omega or cod liver oil supplements!

Could it be a supplement or a certain food you are having frequently.

[Sallybones in reply to Lisahelen]

Hi again Lisahelen. I can't really tie it down to any particular food or supplement but think it probably occurs when my system gets clogged and my body is out of kilter. Once my system clears again it seems to subside. I never ever used to perspire or have any odour problems and never used antiperspirants so it's not something I've always had.

It has improved quite a bit since I've been SI with B12 so it may be related to that deficiency.

[jill55]

My daughter's ME was severe he body odour was strong and quite unpleasant. I read of other people having the same problem. I don't recall finding any reason for it.

[Sallybones in reply to jill55]

Hello jill55

did your daughter's body odour subside eventually? I googled it of course and yes quite a lot of people seem to experience it but one of those things your GP (mine did) looks at you blankly when you mention it.

[jill55 in reply to Sallybones]

My daughter's smell eventually went but she had an acute sense of smell smelling things than no-one else can! It was always worse the iller she was.

[Sallybones in reply to jill55]

I too have an acute sense of smell which drives me mad at times so it probably did seem worse to me and like your daughter it always seemed worse if I was going through a bad spell.

[jmjhoh]

May I ask how old you are Sallybones? I ask because I too have what I call 'smelly sweat' which has been happening for about a year or so now, and seems to be getting worse, I am putting it down to my age, so it's a hormonal/menopausal sweat as such (or so I think) I also have coeliac disease but I was diagnosed with cd nearly 5 years ago now so have not attributed it to that. I find the smell of me very unpleasant when it happens but think it is more noticeable to me than anyone else. I hope you find a reason for it, as such things are quite irritating and make you feel self conscious when you are among others.

[Sallybones in reply to jmjhoh]

Hya jmjhoh yes I'm 60 so you could put it down to hormonal things also. But it comes and goes and as I said to Lisahelen above it seems to be when my body is all out of kilter and 'clogged' up. The smell is awful when it's really bad and I did ask a couple of close friends in the end if they could smell it but they couldn't! I trusted them to tell the truth. To me though it was rank and I would have to wash those clothes pretty quick. Dabbing with alcohol seemed to help but I don't know why. Perhaps body wasn't getting rid of toxins.

It's subsided at the mo thank goodness.

[Jazzw in reply to Sallybones]

That makes me wonder - if your friends could be trusted to be honest and that they really couldn't smell anything - could it be that actually the problem is with your sense of smell?

Not the same at all, but when I'm poorly I get so that I cannot bear the smell of vinegar. I love it normally.

Just a thought...

[Sallybones in reply to Jazzw]

Yes my sense of smell is extremely acute and more so when unwell. Must note what I've eaten next time it happens.

[jmjhoh]

Glad it has subsided at the moment - I expect the alcohol neutralised the odour somehow Maybe it was due to a body detox, lets hope it stays gone for you

[Fatima66]

Hi Sally ones I have Dermatitis herpetiformis and have to avoid gluten. If I eat some by mistake, I get a ghastly oniony smell under my arms.

[Sallybones in reply to Fatima66]

I think it's to do with what I've eaten at the time and then my body struggles to process it. I'm going to try and note what I've eaten next time it happens.