Offensive fecal odor from the anus

[will120]

Fecal odor from the anus is driving me crazy!

I have tried everything to resolve the situation to no avail and feel as though it's to the point of nearly destroying my life. I'm so very very embarrassed by it that I'm practically a social recluse and avoid everything. I am meticulous about personal hygiene and I dread being at work or college because its so very embarrassing.

My problem seems worse when I am tense or nervous which inevitably comes about because I am preemptively nervous about the odor, although I've never noticed any soiling in my underwear. I go regularly and clean intensely but the problem persists.

I've tried;
- regular colon cleansing by douching
- chlorophyll
- constant washing, wiping and showering
- diet change
- laxatives

Nothing satisfyingly works and I'm never rid of it! Any ideas?


This discussion is related to fecal odor.

[tj200]

I totally understand what you are going through.  I have had the same problem for at least the last 4 years, but it seems like maybe even longer.  I know it can be very depressing, but I have read about people who were cured of this.  Please don't give up.  I basically always wear headphones in public except when I am at work.  This helps a bit to block out the comments and whispers I sometimes hear, and especially the coughing.  Try not to give up.  From my research, I think it might be rectal prolapse, fistula, or internal intussusception.  In your case, maybe you could get to the a different colorectal surgeon who might be able to diagnose you and fix the problem.  If other people have beat this, you can too.

[whenn]

You are not alone.  I have lost all incentive to live and live a life with absolutely no dignity.  I go to college, work part time and everywhere I go my stench follows me. People around me are offended and comment about my stench (rightly so, it is disgusting).  I also am meticulous with my hygiene.  I wash after every bowel movement, in between bowel movements, I have tried pads with cologne, everything, changing my diet, enemas.  IT WILL NOT GO AWAY.  I am SO EMBARRASSED, all the time.  I am a social recluse and have little sanity left.  I have had two operations, they both made me worse, the first one actually destroyed my outer sphincter.  I so look forward to death.  I now live alone and will never be able to have a relationship again!

[ibsiguess]

I bet you are right IBSKiller0917.

It's pelvis or anus.  Also being over weight increases pressure in that area. A history of constipation can cause straining and damage over time.

[stinkynomore]

About 2 years ago- out of the blue- I inexplicably developed this flesh decaying odor problem.  At my wits end and out of experiments and doctors ideas to clear it up-  I solved my horrible problem by accident when my dermatologist gave me a prescription for Doxycyline to clear up my face & eye rosecea.

For the past 15 months I have experimented 3 times to confirm my observastion. If I quit taking the Doxy, the flesh-decaying odor comes back in about a week.  When I resume taking the Doxy- the odor is gone within 3 days.  

I chatted with my dermatologist yesterday about my observations. She said the Doxy is an anitbiotic that will kill many different types of bacteria in the body and I must have a gut bacteria that was making the odor.  The down side is the stench causing bacteria could become resistant to the Doxy.  (I sure hope not.  Me, my family and coworkers can't live with that stench. )

I hope this observation helps others.

[hound4u2]

It is so humiliating and shameful. Suicide has been on my mind frequently. I am back at work, but it still smells bad. People say they can smell it, but not as often as I can. I am making an appt. with a naturopath this week. I am at the end of my rope with limited money and means to cure this!

[mybuttsmells15]

OMG , i'm so dumb! Guys this is NOT SWEATING! sweat does not sweat ! sweat doesn't create odor. For example your armpits sweat but the bacteria causes the odor. Anyways it is not sweat ! you think it's sweat because it just gets wet and you're not sure. THIS problem is Anal Leakage ! or fecal incontinence! My problem started in September , when everyone said "what is the smell" .I was scared and thought it was me because my butt was wet. A lot of people sweat in that area when playing sports or going to the gym but most don't have a smell. If you have these symptoms then you have anal leakage:

-When you sit down your butt get wet.
-Awful Smell
-When you are sitting it feels like you need to poop or something and you are trying to hold it.
When you wipe your butt , it gets wet after 4-6 minutes or less.

So if you wipe , the sweat i gone! But this is not sweating guys! THIS is Anal Leakage! I am meeting a surgeon to get this cured.

You're probably leaking because of many reasons like Inflammatory Disease or Constipation or Diarrhea or maybe anal nerve muscles are damaged. So see ur doc.

In the mean time i found things that reduced the smell and wetness but not COMPLETELY ! The smell is still there and people do notice it but it's more comfortable and less leakage. This is what helped me a little.

- Have a bowel movement once a day(normal) if can't then u have
constipation that is causing the problem

- Practice to control the external anal sphincter : Tense ur anus as hard as you can for 5 seconds or longer as if you were trying to hold gas. Practice ten times a day.

- Relax and don't be stressed cuz it can cause this problem too.

-after bowel movement before wiping tense up butt for 6-10 seconds and release for 3-5 times { this will leak most the waste in you butt]

- Drink Cranberry Juice and eat Garlic daily ! Cranberry juice is really good for digestive system!

- eat Healthy like Yogurt and eat foods with high vitamins and proteins like eggs and Orange Juice has 100% vitamin C which is really good.

-Shower Daily and scrub that are gently with loofah.

-Exercise daily and or play sports.

- Don't Wipe too hard because you will damage your anus , take your time.

-Eat FRESH vegetables and FRUITS which helps too.

-Take a lot of fiber (Metamucil)

So guys i did this on Sunday and i saw improvement on next day (Monday at school) and it's Wednesday and still go better and more comfortable!
I hope i can cure this! People still do notice the smell but it has gotten better! I hope it goes away soon! Don't sit somewhere for too long! I sit in class for 75 minutes and i try to get up at least twice for whatever excuse ! LOL!

But yah , and the other thing is if you shower daily and you have that butt smell ; RElax and don't think it's always you who smells like ****! you don't smell like **** generally. I found that stress and thinking it's always you and getting embarrassed is also  another cause of this! You have a medical problem and that's why it smells so JUST  RELAX and be comfortable!

BUT until you get CURED , just ignore people that's what i try to do! If people or your friends are nice and REAL friends then they won't make fun of you! I hope this helped ! I swear i thought it was sweat at first but noo no no it was leakage . I will update when i meet my surgeon in April ! Later