I live a high-stress lifestyle (due to job), I eat terrible (why must grease be so delicious?), I don’t exercise much, and I’m dehydrated because if I drink enough water to undehydrate, I end up having to urinate every 2 hours or less (I do not know why; it’s been that way since I was a little kid). On the other hand, I get enough sleep (about 8 hours a night).
Presumably as a consequence of that, I smell like feces and the smell does NOT go away no matter how well I shower (and, yes, I do clean everywhere). I know it’s not just in my head because of some overheard comments…
Anyway, does anyone know of a product that actually works to control body odor? I have heard of “Odor Cleanse” but I can’t seem to find any reviews on its effectiveness or (more importantly) safety.
Will switching to a vegetarian diet work? Exercise?
Drinking lots of water? (This would be the toughest one as my boss is very suspicious and views frequent bathroom trips as a sign of a slacker)
Thank you, internet, for making it possible to ask extremely embarrassing questions that I could never ask in real life.
Cures for bad breath would also be appreciated, but that’s less important since I have found it effective to use industrial-strength mints, like Altoids.
Oh, yeah, and I want to hear about things that actually work. That is, I’d prefer to hear “I (or a friend) did X and my stink went away”, rather than “I heard that X gets rid of stink”.
I’m not a doctor, but have you gone to one? You do know that regular thirst, frequent urination, bad breath and body odor can be symptoms of diabetes, right?
No, I did not know that. It is conceivable since my uncle and grandmother have diabetes and my father has a similar condition (not exactly diabetes, though), although aren’t I too young to get diabetes? I’m about 25, and anyway I’ve had the frequent urination problem since I was young (I can recall at least back to 4th grade).
I will schedule a doctor’s appointment and look further into this.
Have an acquaintance sniff you, if possible, to find out where the odor is coming from. Assuming you are a male, the likely sources are your breath, your axillae or your groin. If you are showering regularly with an antibacterial soap, and still smell like feces, the likeliest culprit is your breath.
Bad smells are usually from bacteria, and unless you don’t clean your perineal region properly, “feces”-like odor is more likely to be anaerobic bacteria growing in the mouth than poopie in the pants. Skin and hairy areas such as underarms and the nether region have distinctive smells, but they don’t smell like feces. Ketotic breath (diabetes; “starvation” state…) does not smell like feces either. Altoids may mask your own perception of your breath but it won’t mask other people’s perception of it.
If you can’t cure your breath with ordinary dental hygeine, a clean tongue and mouthwash, it’s time to see a dentist. Tell 'em what you are there for and get some professional advice.
Don’t discount the possibility of diabetes just because of this. Given your family history, it’s a very real possibility. So go ahead and see a doctor.
If you think it’s your breath, try the following: thoroughly clean your entire oral cavity by brushing, flossing, scraping your tongue, and using a chlorine dioxide mouthwash. If you still wilt houseplants with your breath, off to the dentist you go.
If it’s good ol’ BO, ask your doctor for a prescription for hexachlorophene soap. The stuff is frightfully expense (on the order of $800/gallon±), but it should do the trick. Use sparingly; you should be able to make a gallon last at least a year, two if you’re diligent.
I’m not sure if diet has any real effect on body odor. I’m not aware of any real clinical evidence which supports this notion, but I have not really investigated it to any extent. Based on anecdotal evidence that I’ve read on vegetarian message boards, being an ardent carnivore can have a real impact on how you smell. However, I just don’t know if there is any veracity to these claims.
I’ve been told (anecdotal evidence again) by drug users that people who use crystal meth smell like chemical waste pits. I can’t smell it, though.
Let us know what happens; I’m very interested in the outcome. I’ve always had a BO problem, particularly during the summer months. I have to keep myself scrupulously clean and well groomed at all times to avoid public embarrassment. I’d like to know what you find out.
Yeah, that helps a lot. During the summer months I usually take the dog grooming shears to my axillary hair and chop it down to about ¼” long. Not only does this cut down quite a bit on odor, I use far less deodorant as a result. I estimate that I save about $30/year on deodorant by doing this.
No, that’s why I chop it rather than shave it (aside from the fact that the idea of a man shaving his armpits just seems “odd”). It should be longer than stubble to avoid the itchy/scratchy/prickly sensations.
Get more fiber. If you hate fiber rich foods get some Fiber-Sure or similar product and add it to your regular food. Or drink a large glass of that orange powder stuff 2X a day. Or buy a jar of those fruit-flavored chewable fiber tablets and eat 2 before each meal.
Add Probiotics to your diet. Live Culture yogurt is a great source, (“Activa”) but there’s cheese and cottage cheese now with added Probiotics. Or just buy a jar of the pills.
I once asked my ex-wife if she thought we really know what we smell like. :eek:
Don’t ever do that.
I also told her that her real voice sounded nothing like the recording. And I called her shoes “brogans”. And pertended to trip over them.
I wonder why she divorced me. None of it was true. Although she did have these hairs on her…
Go to the doctor. Does your employer have health insurance?