Bad Breath Halitosis Forum

Well I don't really know how to start this or what to say for that matter. I don't even know why I’m writing it... I guess with the off chance hope that some one else might read it and know a cure, or perhaps realise they are not alone in their "suffering" (although I'm not sure how that helps).

Let me start by saying I have had halitosis for as long as I can remember. I mean even when I was a little boy I recall having problems. When I was about 10 me and some friends would play kissing games with girls. I always wondered why they would shy away when it came to be my turn. Now I know. I would say since high school (13 and up) I have been aware of my problem to a full extent.

Over the years it has just got worse, most likely due to my diet and un-active lifestyle. However that is not a reflection on the type of person I am, rather the depressive slump I have found myself in for the last 10 years.

And when I say depressive slump I really mean it. Halitosis has literally ruined my life. No joke. Every aspect of what many would consider a "normal" existence has been adversely affected by this cruel disease. Whether it be getting a driver's license, going to college, getting a job, hanging out with friends, having a girl friend, or something as simple as having a nice meal with family. It's all ruined because of halitosis. There are disabled people in wheel chairs that probably have more social interaction than I do. And I realise that's a pretty sick thing to say.

In some ways I’m very grateful for the person I am. I have an otherwise healthy body and never have to go to the doctors and without sounding too vain I believe I am pretty smart and reasonably handsome

And yet there is this over whelming shadow of grief and misery caused by something so simple.

Why?

The funny thing is no one really knows I have it. They just think I am some weirdo that likes to stand 15ft away when I talk to them. In fact, most people think it’s THEM that has a problem. They ask me “what’s wrong, do I smell bad or something?” “Why do you always stand so far away?”

Friends use to try and get me to go out with them to clubs and bars… I always declined and made up some stupid excuse, so they just stopped asking. It’s strange how much you miss even the most basic stuff when you can’t do it.

The real killer though is when I think about the past few years and how many opportunities and experiences I have lost out on because of halitosis. I have no real education, no friends, no job, no money and very few real prospects for the future. My life is just slipping away and nothing is being accomplished. That is pretty scary.

When I was about 17 I really cared. I really tried to actively find a result. I couldn’t believe my luck when I first came across TheraBreath. And then the disappointment when I realised it didn’t work. In fact, I now believe that site is nothing more than some clever marketing scam.

Anyway what more is there to say? Life sucks and this is proof of that. There are people in far worse scenarios than myself and I do feel bad when I think about them, but if I’m been really honest I don’t care. Not only has this problem screwed up most the crucial decisions in my life, it has also made me into a pretty selfish person (among other things).

I do think these forums are great though and I will take the time over the next few days to read through as many threads as I can. I have a horrible feeling that there is no cure. Perhaps a healthy lifestyle and drinking plenty of water is the only real “solution.” Or perhaps there are multiple types of halitosis caused by a wide range of varying factors. I for one think just changing your toothpaste or using some miracle mouthwash will accomplish nothing. What if the problem is a more serious one such as your stomach? And then we have the issue of knowing who to trust. How do we know people giving advice aren’t just trying to sell some new product to get the money?

My apologies if this post is self-centred. For over a decade I have tried to control and hide my problems. The thoughts expressed above are really just the tip of the ice burg.

Good luck to you all

Hi Leonardo,
I can relate to so much of your story. I hope the information and experiences on here will help you. Good luck.

Leonardo, welcome. Stay strong and positive if you can. There is lots of good info on this site, do a few hours reading. Then work on the potential causes. Becoming cured is quite realistic.

Hello halitosisux and asd.

Thank you for the welcome and it's nice to see people are still active on these boards. There are so many views to threads and yet so few responses (in proportion). I know why though. When you have halitosis a part of you is in denial. So, as crazy as it sounds, a part of you does not want to find a cure. For the last 4 years I have just not bothered at all. Now I am finally trying to get back on the horse as it were.

I know my diet and life style suck. I am not obese, but I am over weight and out of shape. Even worse is what I eat. Crap food virtually every day with very little fruit or vegetable intake. Until recently I hardly ever drank water. Now I make an effort to purchase a bottle of mineral water when I go to the super market (it's very cheap).

May I ask... Have either of you found a solution? Or are you still looking?

I am so thankful the Internet was invented. Without it I do not know what I would do! Talking to people about this problem in real life is just not an option for me.

Everyday you dont work towards a cure is wasted. Attack it! You wont get cured by sitting around, you need to inspect yourself. Check your mouth with your finger, Halitosisux did that and found an area that smelt horrible, and bam he got the tooth pulled and he was cured, he can tell you more.

As for me I am cured too. Tonsillectomy+improved oral hygiene did it for me basicly, but my there are some other things I have done which I think have yielded some sort of results.

Find your cause though. As far as we understand atm, BB can come from three areas, dental, upper resipiratory tract and digestive tract. Dental is the most likely and remember you have to take what the dentists say with a pinch of salt.
Good luck, ask any questions you need and they will get answered.

Hi Leonardo,
Regarding the denial, i agree with you, i think there is an element to that in us all. This problem has deep emotional aspects to it. It cant be a healthy mind from the beginning which chooses to place it's whole life on hold because of a problem which is essentially not OUR problem at all. WE dont mind having BB, it doesnt make US cringe, its OTHERS who mind it, and the way we're then seen (or think we'll be seen) and treated by others is what makes us feel so dirty and unworthy, and its probably this single fact which makes it so emotionally draining and overwhelming for most of us to face the facts and do the many things necessary in order to find answers. Most of us have been so deeply wounded by the way we've been treated over our BB that we're having to constantly fight it with these open wounds. That takes so much strength and courage, but probably what keeps us so weighed down. And even if we're just clutching at straws for hope and kidding ourselves by clinging onto some concept for dear life, we have to feel like we're doing something and making some progress, even if all we're doing is learning more about this problem.

I had bb as far as i was concerned my whole life. I was picked on in childhood because i didnt look after my oral hygiene very well and i was a constant mouth-breather because of a deviated septum, which as my ENT told me at the time is something i'd grow out of as my nose grew. In my teens, now with improved oral hygiene, i knew i had a serious problem when my brother told me to get help because of my breath. More than 20 years later after numerous dental visits, ENT visits, tonsillectomy, endoscopy, doctors, medications, etc etc i had one of my teeth removed and it cured my BB. Im still around because i want people who are going through the same desperation, to perhaps be able to comprehend that BB does not have to be the deeply seated and incurable problem it might feel to them. Just because our doctors have yet to find our particular cause, it doesnt mean we dont have one.

Hi Leonardo,
I know how you feel, its the part where I missed out on dreams, ambitions, social gatherings all those things that really hurt the most, wasted life. I saw a documentary on 2 older couples who were deaf their whole life and they had some type of surgery that would help them hear again. They were able to hear but it was still a long road to recovery. It was a sad and heartbreaking journey for them and even to watch it was painful. For me that is what a cure for bb would be like, it has paralyzed me for so long to imagine one day being free of it and being able to just live my life the way it was meant to be lived would be great. I wouldn't even mind if I am old and would only get few years to enjoy it, just anything that would cure me.

lolalola

I completely echo what you say. We miss out on dreams, ambitions and social gatherings and yes I do feel sometimes that i'm wasting my life hiding away like a leper. In my professional life I have only accomplished a fraction of what I really wanted to, all because this problem puts me in a state of embarassment and isolation.

I often wonder what it would be like to attend a social gathering without worrying that people are going to smell something, or being able to stop and have a conversation with someone without panicing and desperately trying to get away.

Some people would argue that this is a self-imposed state of mind and yes they may be right. But the question is, what make us behave like this? In my opinion it's the ignorance of 'halitosis-free' people and their reactions, remarks and behaviour towards us over a long period of time.