Welcome to the IBS community! I would say that you have two problems going on. One would be IBS. And in my opinion, the other would be either a fixed dilusion, OCD, or anxiety. I think the huge thing you always need to keep in mind is "My family or friends or Docs cannot smell me." I didn't have time to read through your entire post, but have you spent any time seeing a therapist at least once a week? I would highly recommend seeing a therapist about this. You also might want to check out the PATM community on MedHelp. In my opinion, most of these people are probably struggling with some sort of fixed dilusion, but it might be helpful to talk to people who are similar to you.
http://www.medhelp.org/forums/People-Allergic-to-Me-PATM/show/312
Hi sleepmonster,
I read through everything and can only offer that this happened to me once. I kept smelling this "tar" smell everywhere I went and when I went pee, there was an awful odor that lingered afterward. I even went to the doctor about it. Turns out, it was due to the asparagus binge I was on!! I know you have changed your diet but is there something you haven't left out over the years? Milk?
To address the possibility of this being your imagination, I challenge you to ask people what is the matter when they hold their nose or wave away the air. Probably most won't answer you but I'm sure there will be a few who can. Will it hurt to ask? Have you already??This will determine if they are in fact, actually smelling an awful odor coming from you.
I can't imagine this is easy to live with for so long whether it's real or imagined. I hope things get better for you soon.
For whatever reason your suffering, it's awful. I actually used to mod here ages ago for Bipolar/Mood Disorders I hate to say it, but what you are describing and the words which are screaming between the lines are that you are OCD fixated that probably started with the IBS, which I totally get - too well if you've had a rough stomach day then you worry a lot. You mentioned your brother has an illness, sometimes illnesses run in families, this might be the case. You know, I've played it off as if I've stepped in something and if they say that they can't smell it, you excuse yourself anyways to clean your shoe just in case but you get the affirmation that you don't have the odor. You have been told several times that you don't, when are you going to believe that you aren't pungent, that's what you've got to ask yourself. You might need to change up your meds or augment them. I'm BiPolar and when I was first diagnosed they had to try a few things and now and then they shuffle things around, but not as often... maybe I'm just getting old :-) You have to have faith that folks are being honest with you. With IBS coffee, onions and the like are big no no's. Do you think maybe people are reacting strangely, because you are? Take a step back, take a deep breath - know that you are okay - when you feel overwhelmed just take a moment to regroup. See your Pdoc and get back on track, you don't want your life to remain miserable. You sound like a decent chap... go live life and then you can stop and sniff some roses.
You might have TMAU (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trimethylaminuria). It's poorly named fish odor syndrome but you more typically smell like the things you've mentioned. Won't hurt to get tested. More info here: http://www.meboresearch.org/trimethylaminuria.html
I have the same symptoms and am waiting to hear back on my test results.
You're going to need to drastically change your diet.
I am too having the same type of symptoms that you have mentioned. It is definitely a kind of TMAU problem. Reduce your body weight and do yoga.
My husband has this same type problem. I can smell him when he walks into the room. We have figured out that bananas is the culprit. It is probably something that you are eating or drinking that is not agreeing with you. Maybe the coffee? Maybe a combination of foods. Try eliminating one thing at a time from your diet for a week at a time and see if the smell improves. Drink lots if water likw 10 ounces or more. Hope this helps.
You and I are in the same boat ! EXACTLY the same. Even the shrinks tell me the Can't smell me, YET my own niece, (9 years old) call's me "Poopy Man" (to my face) Yet her Dad (my brother) claims he Can't smell me.
Some people say I smell like S__t 24/7, Most accuse me of farting, while others claim they smell Nothing. I DON'T have an answer for you, what I do have is Sympathy for you.
I'm 49, I've NEVER had a girlfriend (Not even for 1 hour) I did (recently) win my SSDI case, so at least I Don't have to worry about trying to keep a job (anymore) I Know I've had this since 7 (anyhow) due to the itching.
here's what I think. I think it's caused by encopresis (SEVERE constipation) that liquid stool eventually "slips past" the blockage. The constipation causes gas, and the fecal matter is inside for so long, that it "ferments" and becauses Even stinkier !
The Dr's KEEP telling me there is NOTHING they can do for us/me. I Don't believe that. i think they All know "pieces of the puzzle", they've just Never "connected the dots"
I Can't smell me either. Which causes SEVERE paranoid (Not to mention Social isolation) I just Do NOT want to be around anyone PERIOD ! Because I'm Always worried / thinking , do I stink ? Can this person smell me?
Anyhow, if you want/need someone to talk to.... I'm here. Cal 3576
At first, I have to say that I'm from Finland so I apologize if my English is bad.
Anyway,
I FEEL SO RELIEFED, because now i know im not the only one anymore. I have the absolutely same problem. I'm fifteen years old and I'm going on Upper Secondary School (that's what I think it's called in English) and this problem is driving me crazy!
My IBS symptoms started on a week-long confirmation camp (a kind of church stuff). There was some food that I did'nt like much. On the contrary I ate a lot of candies and lemonade and all kind of junk food all the week. During the week the symptoms started and I thought the stomach problems would just end when getting back home and eating good food. On the last day of the camp, once I sat on the table on breakfast, my friend asked me "did you just have a dump". When we headed back home in the bus I noticed that people were hiding their faces and keeping their noses closed. I was wondering what's going on. Back home when I went to school the odor was still troubling and I still had my stomach symptoms.
I'm going to jump now a year or a half forward from those time because nothing happened in that time and I was just wondering what's going on. I went to see a doctor and there were some tests and lots of diseases were excluded (for example Coeliac disease and Ulcerative colitis, just a couple to mention). So I read about IBS from somewhere and quitted eating sweets and coke and all that nasty stuff, and the symptoms alleviated. There was half a year of almost no smelling at all (at least I think so cause nobody was keeping their nose closed). At some point I started to drink apple juice (at that moment I did'nt know that apple was bad for IBS-patients) and the smell came back. Now I could smell it also and it wasn't a poop-like smell, it was like a smell that comes from a dead animal or something. At the same time there were school prom and there were a lots of people keeping their nose and staring at me angrily.I felt ashamed..
I'm getting tired of this typing now because I can't just type what I think cause of being Finnish. The smell increases when I have just ate and when I'm holding the gases inside me and trying not to fart. It also increases when I havent ate in long time for example in the morning. My parents or siblings dont smell it and the doctor doesn't smell it. But just like you, some people do smell it and some people don't. That's what I call a weird thing. That some people don't smell and some people do. Anyway I won't type anymore cause I got all kind of stuff to do now so I would hope someone would reply to this and I would like to communicate with you guys who have this problem....... there are sure a lot of things that I forgot to told.
I read about this and wonder if you have considered it:
Trimethylaminuria
• TMAU is a rare metabolic disorder in which the body is unable to process the compound trimethylamine. The compound can be found in choline-rich food such as milk, eggs, liver and peanuts, and gives off a rotten "fish odor" that can be detected through your breath, urine and sweat. However, in some instances the odor can be similar to the smell of feces. People who suffer from fecal body odor may opt to test for TMAU.
This may sound strange but all u have to do is repent and beg god to restore you to a natural state try it and also try fasting and detoxing. The smell may be a way of haunting u for past sins but askig for forgiveness and fresh start is your best bet
I am to dealing with the same thing here it started when I was 14 and now I'm almost 15 but here is what mines smells like fishy fart sewer smell and sometimes I can't smell it but than sometimes I do when I ride the bus to school it smells horrible than it dies down than comes back it came out of nowhere and I take good showers and have lotions powders and the smell always comes back and its so strong people smell it immediately when I walk in the room or in hallways and my grandparents and aunties say they don't smell anything but I know they are lying because I go to school and the students there seem to smell it perfectly I would do anything to smell clean I cry about it I pray but it doesn't leave its like its coming out of my pores everywhere and I just dont know its nice to know I'm not the only one dealing with this but I wouldn't want to wish this on anyone not even my worst enemies guys try to talk to me but I turn them down because I smell really bad I'm a nice looking person im very kind and sweet but some people are rude to me because I'm smell and make noises when I come around and I just want to go to a place where all these smells would disappear I want to die so people wouldn't have to deal with me I get scared when people walk behind me because I feel like they can smell me. If you feel this way email me at ***@**** and maybe we can figure this out together
Hi I am 20 years old and this has started for me in the past year. I have no Idea what it is. IHas anybody found a cure to it yet? It's driving me crazy I'm so clean I shower like twice a day. And I'm a pretty girl. It comes and goes though. And I can kind of control it with water. But I want to just be carefree. And b confident again
Oh and I am also pregnant right now! Hopefully it doesn't affect my baby?!? I'm freaking out!
This happens to me, do you get the feeling that gas is coming out without you having control over it, Your boxers are then drenched in sweat with your rectum feeling as if someone has taken a lighter and set it on fire, I understand perfectly what you're going through and I know as a logical thinking person it is definitely not paranoia, it really happens, people are reacting.
This happens to me, do you get the feeling that gas is coming out without you having control over it, Your boxers are then drenched in sweat with your rectum feeling as if someone has taken a lighter and set it on fire, I understand perfectly what you're going through and I know as a logical thinking person it is definitely not paranoia, it really happens, people are reacting.
Brazilian domino'm not much English .... I have the same symptoms, the U.S. has imported a drug called Devron to me it sugiu effect, is quite another thing to exercise this was the one and it worked, but it has to do 3 times a week. change the lifestyle is not easy but in our case or moved or changed because you can not be in this situation so embarrassing. Have any of the facebook community that talks about the subject? Some of you take some medicine, or already did daily cleanup of the colon?
I understand what is happening to you as I have the similar problem for the last 3 years. Recently my condition is getting better after I consulted TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine).
It started 3 years ago when I had a very stressful life so I started to indulge myself on food. I ate a lot of chocolate, spicy food, fried food and consumed a lot of alcohol. At that time, I suffered post nasal drip due to a bad sinus infection. After that, slowly, I noticed that people started to cough or turned away when I'm talking to them. When I entered a room, immediately I noticed that some people started to cough and some even leave the room immediately. When I in public places especially in enclosed area like bus, some people gave me a strange look and covered their nose before they move away.
I went to few ENT and performed all the checking available like CT scan on my sinuses, checked for H. Pylori in stomach, ultrasonic scan for my liver, etc but the problem still remain.
I started to wash my sinus 3 times a day using salt with distilled water and turned myself to be a vegetarian, eating only steamed vegetable and consumed only water for many months but only little improvement.
About 6 months ago, I visited TCM, Traditional Chinese Medicine. The doctor told me that my Sinuses is blocked and my stomach lacked of "Yin" because I ate too much "Yang" food that caused imbalance of Yin & Yang in my stomach and the problem with my sinuses and stomach is related.
I started to take the powder medicine from TCM, twice daily from the last five months and stay away from "Yang" food like spicy, fried, red meat, chocolate, alcohol, I take probiotic twice daily and drink at least 4 liters of water a day. I continue to wash my sinus using salt & distill water. My condition is getting much better now as I can see from the reaction from people around me. I will continue to take the medicine from TCM and hope I will finally recover from this nightmare as it ruined my social life for the last 3 years.
From: Singaporean
I understand what is happening to you as I have the similar problem for the last 3 years. Recently my condition is getting better after I consulted TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine).
It started 3 years ago when I had a very stressful life so I started to indulge myself on food. I ate a lot of chocolate, spicy food, fried food and consumed a lot of alcohol. At that time, I suffered post nasal drip due to a bad sinus infection. After that, slowly, I noticed that people started to cough or turned away when I'm talking to them. When I entered a room, immediately I noticed that some people started to cough and some even leave the room immediately. When I in public places especially in enclosed area like bus, some people gave me a strange look and covered their nose before they move away.
I went to few ENT and performed all the checking available like CT scan on my sinuses, checked for H. Pylori in stomach, ultrasonic scan for my liver, etc but the problem still remain.
I started to wash my sinus 3 times a day using salt with distilled water and turned myself to be a vegetarian, eating only steamed vegetable and consumed only water for many months but only little improvement.
About 6 months ago, I visited TCM, Traditional Chinese Medicine. The doctor told me that my Sinuses is blocked and my stomach lacked of "Yin" because I ate too much "Yang" food that caused imbalance of Yin & Yang in my stomach and the problem with my sinuses and stomach is related.
I started to take the powder medicine from TCM, twice daily from the last five months and stay away from "Yang" food like spicy, fried, red meat, chocolate, alcohol, I take probiotic twice daily and drink at least 4 liters of water a day. I continue to wash my sinus using salt & distill water. My condition is getting much better now as I can see from the reaction from people around me. I will continue to take the medicine from TCM and hope I will finally recover from this nightmare as it ruined my social life for the last 3 years.
Please try this out for a week.
1. At all cost avoid milk and milk products.
2. Treat constipation.
3. Try eating foods that has no flavour or smell bland kinds of food. No garlic and onion.
4. If you are constipating try enema which will evacuate feaces completely ( use plain water) but ask your doctor first...
5. Detox your body anyday , once a month. That time eat just khitchari (indian recipe made with rice and lentils)
6. If your symptoms still doesn't subside ...finally go for PRANAYAM ( BREATHING EXCERCISES esp kapalbhati and anulom vilom) Im sure you will get cured....
This started happening to me when I was 18. I'm 33 and still have the same problem which has not changed in all that time.
I went to DRs and attempted to explain and they sent me away and said everyone farts (of course I know this). I smell bad most of the time, some days really bad. I was diagnosed by 3 Gastroenterologists as having Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) but that doesn't tell me anything. I've had medical procedures with cameras down my throat and up my backside to check everything is fine. Many test, blood tests etc. I'm healthy. Drs subscribed muscle relaxants to relax my digestion but it makes no difference. I know why - read on.
I’ve seen several counsellors (usually referred by Drs when telling about IBS symptoms such as I smell) who say I don't smell. I like you have had thousands of experiences where people leave the room, I overhear people say I need to wipe my arse, take a ****, don't know when to use the toilet, **** myself, suggest I am gay and have anal sex too much (gay people don’t have this\our issue), and other offensive comments. A few times a group of people have clapped when I've gone to go to the toilet, 1 group was more than 20 people :( I've quit 2 jobs because of the comments, attempted to take 2 employers to court and settled both, with the employer's denying my claims. I suggest you don't quit your job or run from this issue. Seek support and tell people you have IBS and they will be supportive. If you don't know how to, tell your supervisor you need the afternoon of to see your Dr about your IBS. Your supervisor will tell everyone around you (because they discovered what the problem is) and people will support you.
I am use to cruel comments and have learnt to harden up and cope. I sympathise with you all, some days its hard and causes stress.
I asked my family if I smell and they say no. I became stressed trying to treat a problem I wasn't sure existed because so many people had cause me to doubt myself. All the while having experiences of people moving away, making comments etc.
Fortunately, over the years people have told me to my face I small like ****, you stink, you smell, you smell like poo, try to show me where the toilet is etc. I am thankful for their directness as it is a relief to know I don't have mental issues and my symptoms are real. Your symptoms are real too.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE and aren’t crazy. The people who you see regularly can't smell you as they get use to the smell. If you work on a farm you don't smell the cow manure after 2 weeks. This is so if you live with people, work with them or see them regularly. That's why after a while people you meet regularly get use to you and don't make comments. That's great, when you are new to a workplace, school, friends, GF, BF, you might have to deal with comments for anywhere from 1 to 8 weeks. If you are worried about a GF\BF, spent a lot of time with them at first and they will adjust. Tell them you have IBS and they will be understanding if they are worthy of you.
Why is this occurring? My theory:
You have a lack of certain bacteria in your digestive tract which are normally present in a normal digestive tract. Why? Gastroenteritis (it can take weeks for the changes to occur – I think this happened to me), antibiotics, processed foods, preservatives, stress, traumatic experience etc. All of these events can cause a permanent loss to bacteria diversity in your digestive tract.
This means, there is an imbalance of bacteria in your digestive tract causing gas and wind. The bacteria were wiped out and will not return without intervention. I explain below why I think this makes us smell.
People smell like us after they have eaten too much gas causing food like beans or sprouts. Having too much air in your digestive tract is causing excessive fermentation\digestion of the faecal matter and you begin to give off an odour. You smell all the time but are not farting all the time. If you've ever smelt rotten egg gas you would know you only need a tiny bit and it stinks.
Too much wind in your digestive tract means the contractions (motion to move food stuff through your bowels) of your digestive tract (medically called peristalsis) doesn't work effectively as the stool is not solid (being mixed with a large amount or air) and the stool is not moved through the digestive tract normally. When your digestive tract contracts to move the stool down, the abundance of air acts as a cushion and stops the stool from compressing properly and moving down. The stool stays in your digestive tract, is mixed with more air and this causes further bacterial fermentation\digestion. And this is how we smell. This is also why we need to go to the toilet often as our stool is not moving effectively through the digestive tract and we only do partial poos in relation to the full digestive tract contractions. I bet by now you're thinking, "yes, yes, yes" this makes perfect sense right? This is also why we are left with the feeling of not completing going to the toilet.
Solutions?
You can replenish the bacteria in your digestive tract through a process called bacteriotherapy. I am not suggesting you do this and take no responsibility; I have no medical qualifications. Whatever you do, you do at your own risk. Bacteriotherapy involves getting a small amount of someone else faecal matter (a tiny amount of their poo mixed with water - 30ml) and inserting it directly into the small intestine by a tube down the throat or into the large intestine through the anus. However, this is not an approved therapy in most countries including mine (Australia). I haven't done this because other people’s stool could make things worse if they have parasites or bacteria is not suitable. Some labs can test poo to make sure its ok. But you would need to get approval from your Dr. Will they do this in your country? Let us know. I've heard its preferable to use children's poo from a relative like your brother, sister, niece, nephew or cousin.
Bacteriotherapy is also used to SAVE PEOPLE'S LIFE who have Clostridium Difficile (C Diff) which is an over-abundance of the bacteria Clostridium Difficile in the digestive tract which prevents absorption of nutrients and after months or years they can die from lack of nourishment. You don't have this unless you’re losing several kilograms a week and you would be hospitalised. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clostridium_difficile
C Diff is occurring far more often now than ever before. I suspect this is for the same reason we have our issue.
There is a new bacteria pill (poo pill) made in Canada via a stool donation made from an approved donor (poo giver) and the sample is washed in a lab and treated to remove harmful bacteria. These pills dissolve when they get into the lower intestine. Taking these pills over a number of weeks can resolve your IBS and the 24/7 smell should disappear as the excessive air in the digestive tract normalises.
http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/poop-pills-are-latest-way-cure-dangerous-c-diff-infections-f8C11300066
I attempted to contact the Dr in charge but he did not return my communication requests. There is hope, so don't give up. If you are in Canada can you let us know if you can get a hold of this treatment?
Anyway come back here and post when you need to. We can start a support group via email if anyone is up for that?
Take care awesome people!
You are brilliant giving sleep monster that advice about poo pills. You explained it well. As an RN in California, I agree that re-inoculation with healthy poo is the cure for IBS. I am also so proud of the other people that responded. The yin and yang and TMAU advice is excellent. So helpful. I hope sleepmonster replies. We are al here caring. It's nice to know we are not crazy! Or alone.
Hi, I'm from Korea and I'm bad at English...
I have experienced the same, though I couldn't smell me. I've been experiencing this nightmare of being a disaster since I hit around 16. It's been over 10 years
I couldn't smell me almost every time I release the gas. so I couldn't make intelligent decisions. I have just been in panic. dare I guess you're feeling better than me because you could smell the stench from yourself. you could at least do some analysis by yourself, alone without anyone.
my stuff is somehow related with my emotion and body stiffness and breath, I can release it by increasing the pressure of my stomach and chest and neck and nose-I normally release the poisonous gas through the anus these days- so I usually am very cautious with my body control. I'm nervous every time I hear/see people/vehicle.
I found that I can significantly reduce the release by posing a specific posture in which I can't use my hands and calming down the emotion at the same time, but that's not what humans always do, we need to move, eat, walk, talk and make money. etc.
I am going to use all of my money by going see 10 year experienced digestive system specialist in an advanced hospital in July. If it were not working out my life would be becoming a total wreck.
I'm going to do some ultrasonic test July 7, endoscope stuff in July 12.
oh, well, anyone has experienced the angry stompers?
they stomps intentionally-I believe almost every one of them did it intentionally- sometimes I release the gas. they live around my apartment or studio apartment.
ridiculous experiences are that I've seen a few people stomping the ground/floor for no reason immediately after I release my gas.
you know, we tend to be shy and ashamed and can't ask directly when they do some ridiculous thing. you know we are avoiding people.
I meant that I can release the gas through the nose.