Hello and Help!

[Rosie]

Hello all,

I found this board by chance, and wonder if anyone out there might be able to offer some advice? I'll try to give you the short version...

I'm a woman in her late thrities and have just become a mother, which is part of the reason I'm trying to tackle my 'odour issues', I don't want my daughter to grow up with a mummy who's in a constant state of nervous anxiety. Which, at the moment, I seem to be.

For the past twelve years or so I have been plagued by embarrassing flatulence (though I can never detect it happening) which mostly manifests in public situations. At home I seem to be fine, so I'm assuming stress in the trigger. My doctor diagnosed me with IBS, but the odour of the flatus is quite extraordinary and very strong. I mean it can literally roll along the street like a wave of some sort of poison gas. The smell is often of garlic, rotten eggs, manure, marijuana smoke (honestly), and sometimes even something like tarmac or rubber. Once or twice I've noticed a fish odour, which has also been strong, but this is uncommon, and I rarely eat fish. However, my own body odour is perfectly normal, and my breath is fine, so I just don't know what is going on. I have a new doctor now, who I've never spoken to about this, but am thinking about asking for some sort of referral. I live in London.

It is really the most ridiculous and life-destroying thing to live with. I do sympathise with other people having read their stories here. But because I don't have any unusual sweat or saliva smell, I wonder what on earth is going on.

Yours in mystification.
Rosie (my cheeks when disgraced at the bus stop)

[bubbles]

Hey Rosie,
I am no expert but just someone who happens to suffer with TMAU, the description of the odours you describe are very like those associated with this disorder, I have had the fish one (a few occasions) burning rubber quite a bit, sick, chemical smell, wet dog, passing wind smell, most of the time sufferers cannot smell the odour of themselves and this is the same as me, some of the odours I can get some of the time but most times I am oblivious until others start making remarks about what is that smell. Even in the midst of having a bad day (going on other peoples comments) when I smell my armpits all I can get is deodorant. My family have never smelt this and it does seem to mostly occur in the workplace. I have been through too many painful, mortifying and embarrassing situations to recall and having people tell you it is all in your head only compounds the problem, you actually start thinking am I imagining this even though you know you are not.

I got diagnosed in late September 2011, my urine test was seen my Nigel Manning of Sheffield hospital, he will send you an email with instructions of what is needed in the urine pack your GP should give you to collect your urine over a period of time and also of what you must eat prior to this. After many many months of trying to sort out a protocol I think I have hit on one where things are much much better although I had to go further than the dietitian's sheets sent out to me by Dr Lachmanns dietitians. If you ant any more information I will be happy to drop you a private message. Good Luck, getting tested may help you, at least you will know you either have it or dont and be able to move in another direction to find help for yourself or start the diet and protocol for TMAU.