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.

[CalGal]

You may want to try some probiotics. It's possible that the odor is coming from some by-products that are produced by bacterial 'digestion' and production of short chain fatty acids in the colon area. SSFA's are something we need, but if the type or output is skewed, it might result in what's currently happening.

They're not going to work immediately, but it can't hurt to try. A decent brand that is known to be effective in general is Culturelle. You can find it at drugstores, but not all carry it, so call before you go in.

[Thypatient]

Get this checked out.  My mother had a similar circumstance that turned out to be an Anal fissure.

Good luck.

[rectalprobs]

Hi, I am also suffering from this odor for more than 2 yrs now. But recently I detoxified my body completely and used probiotics. Odor was gone, but when I eat certain foods which odor is coming back. So I avoided foods which my stomach is not agreeing to.

It could be heavy metal poisoning, especially mercury. I met few guys in other forums who had this same problem and it turned out to be mercury poisoning. So you better checkout that too and if it is then get rid of mercury from your body. Smell will go for good.

Any help lemme know...

Thanks,
rectalprobs

[tara101]

I have the exact same problem! Many of the other posts on fecal body odor and related symptoms I have read on this site do not apply to me fully, but how you are explaining the odor problem applies to my problem exactly.

I have never noticed any leakage/soiling in my underwear and also seem to notice the smell when I get really anxious or nervous. And the sad thing is I am a really anxious person so just about anything puts me a little on edge. I have seen that the odor gets more noticeable when I am in nerve-racking situations, like if I'm in small quarters, because I know there is a possibility that the odor will arrive suddenly and it always does [perhaps I also pay more attention to the odor in tight quarters which is why it seems to be more prevalent in these situations but I don't think this is the case. I think my worries about the odor end up eventually triggering the odor.]  

In addition to when I'm nervous, the smell also seems to be more prevalent after I eat which initially led me to believe that it was IBS or some other digestive issue, especially since I have always had a lot of digestive issues and have never sought treatment for any of them. But now I am taking fiber supplements every day and am eating more fruits/veggies in addition to exercising and taking steps to decrease my stress level [which have not been completely successful but it is a lot more tolerable than before] and I no longer have any digestive issues but the odor still persists.


I can't offer you a lot of advice since I am still in the process of testing out things but I'll tell you what I have tried thus far, even though none have helped me, but who knows it may help someone else.

I've tried:

Fiber supplements

laxatives

enemas

Antibacterial soap [+ lots of showering and washing multiple times a day]

Antibacterial wipes [for use throughout the day]

baby powder, gold bond powder

Dietary changes [but I have not been very consistent with them, so I have decided to give it another try because it seems to have helped a lot of people. I am starting a diet that eliminates dairy, sugar, very fatty foods, wheat, oats, gluten, meats, nuts, broccoli, anything spicy and rice. I haven't really figured out how to supplement everything I am going to be missing without these foods so any advice on vitamin supplements would be much appreciated.]



Things I am planning on trying next if dietary changes don't work:

Internal Deodorant tablets, like Nullo (If anyone has taken these or any other chlorophyll/chlorophyllin tablets I would love to know if they worked because it almost seems too good to be true)

Detoxification [still a little uncertain about the best ways to effectively do this]

Probiotics [have never tried them but if the odor is caused by Candida, then this may just do the trick]

Lastly, if none of these work I am going to have to suck up my courage and just go speak to my doctor about the odor, no matter how embarrassing it is going to be.


I'll keep everyone posted on my progress and would appreciate to know about any effective methods anyone else has used to solve this problem.
Thanks!

[benroy666]

Hi Tara, I believe that I might have a solution for your issue, I was also suffering the same tragic symptoms, managed to get my life back after 7 years of misery.

[benroy666]

Here is what I did: 1 year ago, I went on the SCD diet, strict adherence was followed for 9 months, all symptoms except for one went away after 9 months, there was only one quite major issue that was left with (fecal odor), I tried everything that all people here had mentioned, nothing worked. I am a master at making Sauerkraut and other fermented food like Kvass since I started making these at the start of my SCD protocol (lot of information out there on how to make fermented food on the web, which is where I got all my knowledge). I knew that the fermented foods played a major part of my ultimate recovery, also had an idea of the fact that these probiotics were working from the top to the bottom (since we all eat these), I thought that if fermented foods can be ingested through the mouth, then why not through the rectum? This way the probiotics would be working from both ends and my remaining symptom was related to the rectal area. I started reading about administering probiotics through the anus and decided to give it a try, and it really worked, please consult your doctor or an expert in administering enemas and take the plunge, I am certain that a few treatments will do the trick, I am a naturalist therefore my enema consisted of Sauerkraut liquid at first and then Sauerkraut juice (where I pulsed actual Sauerkraut and its juices in a liquidiser making sure that I  only used short burts to keep the liquid from heating up (this protects the sensitive bacteria from being destroyed by the heat generated from continuous processing in the blender). I am 100% symptom free and am still following the SCD diet religiously.   The reason for my ailment (IBS), was definitely my eating habits and stress (I thinks that the food I ate was responsible 90% of the time), I only had 4 hours of sleep per day for over 5 years and a lot of stress, always ate processed food with minimal fibre for the whole time,  my digestive health was a mess at the end of this, after a years worth of SCD and details explained above I have my life back, I still do not get to sleep for 8 hours a day, but I make sure I get at least 6 hours of quality sleep each day. Thanks to the SCD diet (Elaine Gottschall’s book and the related website was indispensable for guidance and inspiration) I have got my life back. This is not and advertisement, you can gain all the knowledge in the book free of charge on the website and other related sites, I love books so I bought it.  I know how EMBARRASSING it is to smell like a dead fish all the time, I was a miserable wreck. I know the reasons for my suffering, never will I eat fast food, or any processed food for the rest of my life, after being on the SCD diet for a year; I am appalled at the sight of a fast-food restaurant or when seeing all the processed foods in supermarket shelves these days. I feel a million dollars, my weight is in check, have enormous amounts of energy and look 10 years younger to my former self, this was all due to the SCD diet and a lot of dedication.  All the best with your recovery!

[SickofDox]

That's great that your enema worked for you, but for someone like myself who has gerd, this sounds too harsh. Also, in fermenting salt is added, right?
Why didn't you just try chlorophyl or other green products?
I agree, too much processed junk on the shelves, add to it GMOs.

[greencity]

KYOLIC GARLIC TABLETS may help ive had this problem for abt 6 months now and just started using garlic a few days ago so far it has reduced the odor alot...ill keep you guys posted i hope everybody finds a cure to this senseless problem

[greencity]

nevermind i thought the garlic was helping but the problem is back..
dont know what to do now i hope this just goes away somehow

[robbie26]

ive got the excact same problem but mines been on going for 12 years now and really get me down,its a relief that someone else has got the same problem as me just need to get this sorted out once and for all

[pray1st]

I have also experienced anal odor and anal discharge. What I did was to pray. I prayed for quite sometime and then I was lead to stop eating foods that caused IBS. I would either have IBS or constipation. Once this leveled off, the doctors found that I had a fistula. I received treatment for that and took probiotics. Later I was lead to do anal floor muscle exercises. This is where you pull your anal muscle up and hold for so many seconds to strengthen the anal muscles. I'm not sure when I was treated for the fistula but it was in 2009. I began the probiotics and exercises this year around February. I have not had a problem since that I can remember. However I would encourage you to pray first. What your body needs to recover may be different from the next person. Before, I keep reading everything I possibly could on this issue and tried many things, but none of them really worked for me. Then I prayed and cried for a while and things began to turn around. I believe that it can turn around for you as well. I hope this helps you.

[SuperSkunk]

You are not alone obviously. I am put at ease to see others with this condition. Still I am looking for answers. The reaction by strangers is more geniune than relatives and friends. They all say the dont smell anything.I dont either always, but we all know its there. I've tried most of the things that i've read on this forum' to no evail. I'm going to google home remedies to see if i can find something.

[Indie_life]

I totally understand your struggle I think we have the same exact thing because my smell is horrible as well sometimes people cough or say that they feel like throwing up and it's just driving me deeper and deeper into depression it's literally every where I go people have to make a comment or you just know and people treat me like trash even some people that I used to talk to just stopped talking to me completely  I understand the anguish and frustrations your are going through I just want an answer.

[cdt19802]

I have an bad odor problem from anus I cause people to sneeze and people treat me like trash. But people found out I get hurt when i cause them to sneeze so they sneeze diliberately to get me down.

[Br50lady]

I am a 50 y.o. female from Brazil, I also have this problem, and have been suffering for over 20 years, I tried so many things, went to so many doctors, but recently I found something about WEAK PELVIC MUSCLES, and I found many articles about this, that I may have this problem because I had constipation in the past.  I am trying KEGEL exercises and eletroestimulation (I bought a machine from quark, and am using it everyday).  Since I started these exercising, since 1 year ago, I am feeling the muscles of my anus are becoming stronger.  I still have the problem of odor, but I am hopefull that after more exercising I some day soon I will get rid of this problem.  I really pray I am right.

[freewind]

I'm 25 years old and have been suffering from this problem till the age of 15. I remember it all started during my brother's wedding. All types of spicy foods were served and the ceremony lasted for 4 days. I remember that because of the spicy foods, i started constipating and this lasted for all these days.

From that time i started having foul odors from my rectum. At start, i didn't pay attention because i didn't know i had fecal odours. It started gradually, starting with back biting comments from other individuals to apparent gestures like coughing, covering the nose with finger, etc... I even met some gastrologists and one prescribed me some watercress which is a veggie usually accompanied in salad which is full of chlorophyll and fibre.

From research i made and information provided from other people in other forums, chlorophyll acts as a deterrent to foul body odors. I've tried the watercress on a daily basis and seen a progress in my fight against anal odour.

I also avoid as much as possible spicy and chilli foods. These caused my anal to burn and eventually to swell. I also use some antiseptic powder to mask the odour and i use some herbal laxative namely colocyll senna to help me ensure my gut is clean and empty.

[gta403]

It may be loose stools / permanent diarrhea.

I'm a 54 yr old [male] and need to take 1 small bottle of metamucil [or store equivalent]  pills daily. My discharge is so clean I do not need toilet paper.

No smel  !!!!!!!!!!!

[SharingGoodNews]

Suggestion:  Eat Two Bunches of Raw Parsley Everyday*

Hi!  I used to suffer from the same embarrassing problem!  I overcame it using very inexpensive means!  I feel it’s my OBLIGATION to share**.  
My (brief) story:  in 1999 I decided to return to college to finish up a degree I tried for years to complete.  I was trying to go to school and working full time.  My stress level was insanely high.  A year of this, my anus began to emit fecal like odor.  I tried everything:  washing, (at one point I was taking 8 showers a day), wiping, and wearing diaper.  Nothing worked.  After my graduation, I got a job.  My co-workers made fun of me or whispered behind me.  It was sheer hell.
The solution:  I noticed my problem would be worse when I drank coffee and when I was stressed out.  So I stopped drinking coffee.  Also I googled around and discovered that eating parsley could be a cure***.  I began to buy bunches of parsley and eat them raw.  It was not easy but I had no alternative.  I kept eating parsley – two or even three bunches everyday.  I did this for about six months.  The odor went away.  
I hope my sharing will help.  I was so depressed when I was suffering from this problem.  I know how you feel.
I will be praying for you!!  Good luck!!!!

*Sometimes I simply can’t chew and swallow the parsley anymore so I would chopped the parsley up and mix it with tomato and lemon juice and eat it like a salad.
**I had limited insurance when I was going through this crisis.  Western doctors couldn’t tell me what’s wrong with me.  Chinese herbalists MIGHT have been able to cure me, but I didn’t have enough resources (aka $$$ and time) to try their method (boiling those Chinese medications takes HOURS and they smell!!!)

***After researching, I found out my problem was probably related to kidney.  I got a scan of my kidney – nothing was wrong.  Nevertheless, I started buying vitamin pills that would cleanse kidney.  It was too expensive for me.  Then I learned eating raw parsley would also do the trick.  

[stevemusic]

I am praying for everybody with anal odor problems.   I thought I was going crazy but I relize I'm not the only one with this.   I have been depressed and felt like ending it all.   But my faith in the Lord Jesus has made me
hold on.  I beleive he can heal me.   My doctors have no clue what to do.
I am believing God for TOTAL healing.  I want to live again.  I want to live a normal life again.  (  Going to ballgames, Church , school and work around
people again.   I am praying fot you all I know what your going thuough.
Hang in there.................

[IBSKiller0917]

Please go to a colo-rectal surgeon and ask for a diagnostic test called Dynamic MRI of The Pelvic Floor, I bet half of you have pelvic floor dysfunction/prolapse. I was just diagnosed with internal intussusception which is causing me to smell like feces despite perfect hygiene. Don't waste your time with GIs like I did for 2 yrs. I hate to say it but the diagnosis of IBS is worst than cancer.

[dingbat7_000]

Did you get better? I really want to try what you said. I'm not even going to try GIs, they're just going to say things like halitosis, nasal spray, hyperacidity, and so on. I've gotten this condition from school and suffered months with it. I think I'll try your method.

[user678]

I am 22 years old male also suffering from the same symptom since last 7 years. I was in a HSC when I felt irritation and inflammation in my anus. Whenever I hv stool a stickly white or yellow mucus dischrge with fishy odour comes fom my anus. If I sit for long time I experence some wetness in my anus followed by fishy smell. I am not alcoholic neitther I take coffee still I have this problem. Even my best friends fom school tease me indirectly by passing comments about it and so do my college classmates.
When I go to class people around me experience some fishy smell fout of me. I stopped thinking about it. But as soon as i visit class or college people experienced same thing and passed weird comments about it.The problem is still there nw i completed my graduation. I also visited plenty of doctors and they told me its in your mind. Even my parents tell me same thing that u r perfectly fine. But I knw what the problem is as it has been 7 years. I also tried many medicines but none helped me. I also used Diltiazem hydrochloride cream it helped me little. I also take sitz bath but it is also nt useful. Yesterday I took saline sitz bath it helped me a lot I dint xperence smell bt i m nt sure it may come. I also had a barium enaema and colonoscopy test done both were negative. Recently I visited a doctor and he diagnosed me with anal fissure. I am very depressed PlZ HELP ME in sorting out this things and suggest me some medicines to cure this

[Tmcnicholas]

I happen to run into this post and I has a few ideas that might work. First of all I would try braggs apple cider vinegar both internally (drink) and externally (apply to anal area).  Google Braggs ACV and order the book. Wonderful healing product!  I have used the vinegar to cure a minor case of hemroids as well as anal itch. It stings at first but you need to keep applying it till it stops stinging. Works wonders.
Lastly, and this I recommend to  everyone, is to do the Master Cleanse detox diet for at least 10 days. May be the hardest thing you've ever had to do but i consider it one of the biggest life changing experiences I've ever done. Do your research, read blogs from other people who have done it. Buy the book by Stanley Burroughs. And for good measure, incorporate a "P & B" shake once or twice a day while on the this detox diet. I really feel that this combination will help most the people who have issues with anal odor and such. A P & B shake is a mixture of two wonderful intestinal cleansing and detox products:  psyllium husks (powder flakes) and Bentonite Clay (liquid) mix the two together chug it down fast and follow with water throughout the day. You can do this even when not on the master cleanse diet too. Again , do your research here. This combo detox diet us simply the most life changing event that your body can experience. As long as it us done right of course  .  Good luck.

[att5555]

Has anyone had any respiratory problems as well (i.e., chronic rhinitis, difficulty breathing through nose, short breaths)?

[lally900]

I have prayed and cried for years and the problem is still here , doctors are clueless and i just dont know where else to go for help from this embarrassing problem!

[lally900]

Hi I just read your comment and going to try your suggestion , I was just wondering if the smell ever came back or are you still using the parsely method to control the smell? My nightmare began when i was fourteen years old , I am now 21 years old , I am a woman so you can imagine how this has ruined my life. I'm a walking gray cloud!, Im going to try your suggestion and hope it work thanks for the help.!

[Billy48]

I have been working with cadmium and I have had this problem. I am 48 and it probably started at 45. It comes and goes. Who do I see to check for cadmium?

[jpock]

I have a solution that worked for me.

I too had unbelievably bad rectal odor.  When it was at its worst the smell was quite indescribable, but I couldn't believe the human body could produce a smell that bad in someone that appeared otherwise healthy.  At other times it smelled like a poopy diaper, or another strange odor which I can only liken to wet oil-based paint.  I was extremely hygienic but the smell was pretty much always there, and was often much worse shortly after using the toilet, even if I took a shower afterward.  This does not seem to be the same problem people have with a fishy smell, by the way.

SO, the solution for me turned out to be straightforward: Avoid all foods containing animal products.  No meat, eggs, or dairy, including any foods that have ingredients such as whey, milk solids, etc.  Basically, I've had to become a vegan, which kind of ***** but it's nothing compared to that life-destroying odor problem.  Honestly the hardest part is coming up with some lame excuse to give people when they ask why you've decided to become a vegetarian.  Plus, going to the toilet is a much more pleasant experience since you always have plenty of fiber :)

I HIGHLY recommend people with this problem try this solution for a few weeks, and if it's the same problem I have, your symptoms will go away.

Some other tips:
- Try using wet wipes to wipe your bum, especially if you have hemorrhoids.  Any irritation down there seems to make the problem worse.
- Try applying a bit of petroleum jelly to the anus.  It seems to help prevent the odor from escaping somewhat.  Not too much though, since it can actually show through your pants, skirt, etc.  I don't have to do this anymore, but it did help, if only a little.
- Read the ingredient labels of everything you buy!  You will most likely slip up at first and get some bread with milk products in it or something, but you'll get used to it quickly.
- Stick to the diet.  Even having a little chicken can cause the odor to return for a few days.
- Get a book on how to be a vegetarian so you have ideas on what to eat, and how to make sure you're getting all your essential nutrients.

Good luck!

[problemsolved617]

It's a possibility that it may be from Lactose Intolerance?  Try taking Lactaid before you eat dairy products.  Guarenteed, it will solve the problem.  :o)