25M - Horrible Body Odor

Hi.

I always have some form of terrible body odor no matter what I do and I’ve dealt with it since I was a teenager I’m looking for suggestions. It persists even when I’m away from home for months (Facial acne does clear up when away from home but that is the only change)

Is it in my head? No. I've had unrelated coworkers, bosses, and customers tell me I smell bad across various work sites. Sometimes “subtly” and more bluntly when they are angry about something. I’ve also seen people make hand motions when they think I’m not paying attention. I’m sure the anxiety the concern creates doesn’t help but its a very real issue.

Where is it coming from?

• Underarms - Often bad. Worse with some deodorants and antiperspirants. I’ve tried using them at different times and in different amounts.
• Breath - Always bad. Alcohol and spicy foods makes it worse so I avoid them. Sometimes I can tell that its coming from somewhere deeper than my mouth.
• Crotch - Randomly comes and goes. Clindamycin gel seems to help stop it.
• Chest - Randomly comes and goes. Certain lotions or PanOxyl the morning of or the night before can lead to it smelling like unwashed armpit.
• Feet - I have only had odor issues with my feet when wearing work boots that don’t let my feet breathe. I avoid them and consistently spray my shoes with anti-fungal spray. IDK if this matters at all but when I shave down my calloused toes it gives off an old pizza smell. I don’t know when this started but it wasn’t like that when I was growing up.

Alcohol and spicy foods make my body odor worse so I tend to avoid them. Its a bad enough trigger that some soaps won’t always work on the resulting underarm odor. I’ve also given up on ADHD medication because they also make the odor worse all over.

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 What am I doing now?

• Shower - One before work and one after. If I'm dead tired after work I will at least wash my face, chest, and underarms with soap and water before using antiperspirant again. I always use a textured material for my body and a softer cloth for my face one time before they are replaced and washed. I use hibiclens (doctor’s instructions) on my underarms, crotch, and chest along with any body wash I feel like using. I used to use Dial Gold antibacterial soap but it didn’t seem to help and I didn’t like the smell.
• Bath - I take a bath at least once a week.
• Bed - I change my bed sheets once a week.
• Brushing/Flossing - I floss, water floss, brush my teeth, and scrub my tongue in the morning when I get up. I floss and brush my teeth after each meal throughout the day.
• Washer/Dryer - I don’t let me clothes sit in the washer and dryer for extended periods. They are washed between each use. I haven’t taken my washer apart completely but the agitator cap is clean, it doesn’t seem to give off a terrible odor, and the other person who used to live here didn’t smell bad after using the same machine.
• Water Intake - I drink a bottle of water as soon as I wake up, I have water with every meal, and I drink from bottles throughout the day.
•  Antiperspirants - I shift between different Degree sprays and sticks. I’ve tried a wide variety of antiperspirants, deodorants, “natural” deodorants and rocks, etc. On the extremely rare occasion that I find something that works perfectly (dry and no BO) it only works for a few days. I will put it on, my underarms will be drenched, and then I’ll have a really pungent odor whenever I try it.
•  Medication - I’ve been prescribed clindamycin gel and glycopyrrolate tablets for sweat and odor. Sweating has improved but body odor is still bad. I've also started voquezna which does seem to help with my breath until later in the day.

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Doctors:

• Dentist: Multiple have told me that they don’t see any reason why I should have lasting bad breath.
• ENT: Did not see anything in my throat that was concerning. There was an issue with my sinuses but that has been corrected.
• Dermatologist: I have been prescribed several different medications over the years. I was told to try OTC treatments like PanOxyl but some of them did nothing or made me smell worse. I continue to use clindamycin gel and glycopyrrolate tablets for sweat and odor. I also have Econzole Nitrate cream for toe fungus.
• Endocrinologist: My blood work is always normal. Cholesterol should be monitored and testosterone is green but I’m just barely above the red.
• Gastroenterologist: I’ve had a colonoscopy and two endoscopies over the years. Mostly normal and no negative results from tested samples. I’m lactose intolerant and I have IBS so I try to avoid milk products and foods that I know will cause problems for me. I’m gassy all the time but there isn’t much I can do about it.

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Family history: My mother has terrible acid reflux. Her breath only smells abnormal occasionally. She does not eat beef but bad breath wasn’t a constant issue before she started that diet. I don’t struggle to keep food down and my dentist says my teeth don’t show any damage from reflux. There are foods that give me severe reflux but they are easy to avoid and I haven’t felt anything try to come up in years.

Nobody else in my family smells like this.

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I’ve tried probiotics, nightly chlorophyll drinks, etc, etc but I haven’t had much luck. *I don’t need to smell good. I just need to not smell bad.* I’m open to any suggestions at this point. I did ask my dermatologist about services like MiraDry for my underarms but I was told that it wouldn’t help.

Please feel free to ask questions.