So, since you are aware of the odor coming from your gut, have you tried yet a good intestinal cleansing regimen yet to see if it would work for you? 

Since his last day of his work-week was Saturday, he took 2 TBSP (30ml) of lactulose (dosage prescribed by his Internal Medicine doctor) Saturday night before going to bed, and by Sunday evening (yesterday), after he had spent all day in the bathroom, his odor was completely gone.  We were all so happy to see that he was able to talk to each of us right in our face releasing as much air as he wanted AND THERE WAS NO ODOR!!! 

Yesterday evening, once he finished having all his bowel movements, he took 60 billion Viable Probiotic Cells (acidophilus) and he's going to complete his 7-day treatment with neomycin, to make sure the bad bacteria dies off.  He’ll probably have to take more probiotics, especially after he finishes the 7-day antibiotic treatment.

I don't recommend to my son that he use the antibiotics treatment on a regular basis, but the lactulose (laxative) every once in a while as needed could help his gut not accumulate the odorous bacterial activity.

Here is where we initially got the info on how to cleanse the intestines.  It’s all under http://www.genetests.org/servlet/access?db=geneclinics&site=gt&id=888... , which I understand to be a branch of the National Institute of Health (U.S.), and the University of Washington (Seattle, Washington).

Even though this website is geared toward the treatment of Trimethylaminuria, under the Management section entitled Treatment of Manifestations, it recommends a regimen for intestinal cleansing and deodorizing that has also worked on altered gut bacteria.  In the section on intestinal cleansing entitled Suppression of intestinal production of trimethylamine, it recommends, “A short course of antibiotics to modulate or reduce the activity of gut microflora… Three antibiotics with different target organisms have been used: metronidazole, amoxicillin, and neomycin. Neomycin appears to be the most effective in preventing formation of trimethylamine from choline… Laxatives, such as lactulose, to decrease intestinal transit time may also reduce the amount of trimethylamine produced in the gut”.  

I also like the section entitled Use of acid soaps and body lotions.  It also recommends the supplements that this forum has been talking about under the section Sequestering of trimethylamine produced in the gut, “When taken as dietary supplements, activated charcoal (750 mg twice daily for ten days) and copper chlorophyllin (60 mg three times a day after meals for three weeks) decrease the concentration of free trimethylamine in the urine”.  Again, this is all referring to TMAU treatment, but the activated charcoal and copper chlorophyllin deodorizes and removes odorous toxins, so it works even if you don’t have TMAU.    

I think it’s wonderful that you are a medical student.  You might want to ask some of your professors about how the medical field handles a patient who presents with body odor.  It is one of my main goals to address this question in the medical field and in the university Schools of Medicine.  

Your 3-mile daily run will help you clean out the toxins in your blood right away, so after you clean out your gut, you should become odor-free very quickly.  

I bet your experience with body odor will help you treat your future patients with this malady well.  I agree with you that we need “to get the media on our side so we can get some help in battling this monster.” Let’s see what can be done regarding this. 

Hope you feel better soon.

hi again,

I think you might be interested in reading the article on Bromhidrosis posted on emedicine from WebMD.  It is a dermatological problem, and you might want to consult with a dermatologist, who would probably have a variety of solutions for you.  Here's the website.  http://www.emedicine.com/derm/topic597.htm

mpdela