Cured?? Zinc deficient!

dollymary1 · Post by **dollymary1** » Sun Nov 22, 2015 9:33 pm

Hi everyone, I haven't posted in a while and a lot has happened since. A brief background on myself, I have been suffering from bad breath for around 5 years. I'm 18 currently. Like us all bad breath has destroyed my life, although I've managed to maintain a great group of friends, and the occasional boyfriend, bad breath has still completely ruined my self confidence and I've been close to s*****e many times.

I originally believed my bad breath was coming from my tonsils, like a lot of people do while trying to cure this horrible awful affliction, I had a tonsilectomy! I was so excited and I couldn't wait to be cured however a year later I'm still stuck with the breath. Countless dentist visits have revealed my teeth and gums are in great condition. I also had an impacted wisdom tooth removed, again no change. So I was stuck for a few months, trying to cure myself to avoid embarrassment. One day I woke up and decided I wasn't going to be stuck like this forever, the countless people I encounter every day with awful teeth, yet they don't have bad breath? I knew something was causing it.

So I made another appointment with my dentist, I decided to try a new surgery. So I turned up for my appointment and explained to her my issue, however I explained my symptoms as "a bad taste" as I could not stand to say the word "bad breath" but I think she understood my pain. She advised me to try a new toothpaste for 3 weeks, I did and nothing changed. So I made another appointment, where she referred me to the dental hospital! I waited 3 months for my appointment, I explain to the dentist my "bad taste" to which he was very understanding, he couldn't find any issues with my teeth or gums so he decided to take a swab of my tongue and send me for a blood test. So I waited another 4 weeks, and the results came back, which revealed I have a low level of zinc in my blood, the number I had was 11.4 I have no idea what this means!!??

i had to go to the local gp in order to be prescribed zinc, I had been reading a bit about how a low level of zinc can cause bad breath, as zinc prevents the bacteria in the mouth from releasing the smelly gases. At first I was excited, I'd ruled the main causes of bad breath out and I'd discoverd that I had a low level of zinc, and low zinc is known for causing bad breath?? Of course this was the cure!! So I started my zinc tablets on the 18th November, it's now the 22nd November. I'm on solvazinc tablets, they contain 45mg of elemental zinc in a zinc sulphate formula I believe. I haven't noticed any change in my breath, I feel exactly the same as before I started the tablets. I'm sort of disheartened, I'm on a 3 month course so my mind is telling me to wait it out before I start to give up, but my heart is telling me this isn't the cure.

Does anyone have any advice regarding zinc supplements? How long does it take for them to take effect? How likely is it that this is the cure? That type of thing.

Thanks so much in advance!
Dolly x

Atrial · Post by **Atrial** » Sun Nov 22, 2015 10:00 pm

Hi dolly

Why don't you also try b2 vitamin 100mg/ day you can get it from amazon.
Also PM if you want to be part of BB what's app group.

StillHoping · Post by **StillHoping** » Mon Nov 23, 2015 1:39 am

I have tried Zinc, along with B12... it did not do anything for me

sopo · Post by **sopo** » Mon Nov 23, 2015 5:53 am

I read that there are no body stores of zinc ..
So daily intake of zinc is required to maintain adequate levels...zinc is absorbed by the small Intestine and is excreted in sweat urine and faeces... Look out for foods which are rich in zinc..may be ur diet lacks zinc..I don't think taking supplement s for few months will fix this problem since zinc is not stored in body, so u better introduce zinc rich food in ur daily diet..vegetarians may be deprived of zinc red meat and poultry are the main source

dollymary1 · Post by **dollymary1** » Mon Nov 23, 2015 7:48 am

Atrial wrote:Hi dolly

Why don't you also try b2 vitamin 100mg/ day you can get it from amazon.
Also PM if you want to be part of BB what's group.

Thanks for your suggestion!

dollymary1 · Post by **dollymary1** » Mon Nov 23, 2015 7:50 am

StillHoping wrote:I have tried Zinc, along with B12... it did not do anything for me

Hi StillHoping! I would like to ask, did you have a confirmed zinc deficiency/low level?? If not, maybe that's why it hasn't worked out for you. What are your symptoms??

dollymary1 · Post by **dollymary1** » Mon Nov 23, 2015 7:52 am

sopo wrote:I read that there are no body stores of zinc ..
So daily intake of zinc is required to maintain adequate levels...zinc is absorbed by the small Intestine and is excreted in sweat urine and faeces... Look out for foods which are rich in zinc..may be ur diet lacks zinc..I don't think taking supplement s for few months will fix this problem since zinc is not stored in body, so u better introduce zinc rich food in ur daily diet..vegetarians may be deprived of zinc red meat and poultry are the main source

Hi Sopo! Thanks for your suggestion it sounds great! I'm a vegetarian however I've had this problem much longer than I've been veggie?? Who knows though. I'm definitely going to eat more zinc rich foods, even if it doesn't cure my bad breath at least I know it's good for my body.

StillHoping · Post by **StillHoping** » Tue Nov 24, 2015 5:18 am

dollymary1 - I did not have a deficiency [not that I know of anyway]. I believe someone posted on here that zinc helps minimize odour, and I gave it a try.

Ive had bb for 18 years now; and ive tried a lot of things. My symptoms are dry mouth, sour breath/ smells of whatever I eat. Right now, I'm exploring it being due to oral/ bacteria issue

dollymary1 · Post by **dollymary1** » Thu Nov 26, 2015 9:23 pm

StillHoping wrote:dollymary1 - I did not have a deficiency [not that I know of anyway]. I believe someone posted on here that zinc helps minimize odour, and I gave it a try.

Ive had bb for 18 years now; and ive tried a lot of things. My symptoms are dry mouth, sour breath/ smells of whatever I eat. Right now, I'm exploring it being due to oral/ bacteria issue

Hi! I'm hoping because I do have a confirmed deficiency that this is the cure, it's been over a week now with still no changes im as bad as ever.

My symptoms are similar to yours. I have noticied my breath isn't the room filling sort of bad breath, more where you can notice it only when you talk close to me. I've always wondered about that as a cause, is it possible to treat that sort of bad breath?

StillHoping · Post by **StillHoping** » Fri Nov 27, 2015 12:43 am

hmm thats true! well fingers crossed, I really do hope it improves it for you at the very least. Maybe give it time till over a month, and see if there's any difference.

I dont know about the possibility of a cure but my bb has definitely gotten worse over the years. Similar to you; it could only be smelled up close before. Now its pretty much almost room filling. Not sure why its gotten worse

dollymary1 · Post by **dollymary1** » Mon Nov 30, 2015 4:12 pm

StillHoping wrote:hmm thats true! well fingers crossed, I really do hope it improves it for you at the very least. Maybe give it time till over a month, and see if there's any difference.

I dont know about the possibility of a cure but my bb has definitely gotten worse over the years. Similar to you; it could only be smelled up close before. Now its pretty much almost room filling. Not sure why its gotten worse

Thanks! Your support and everyone else's means so much to me as I don't get this kind of support in real life

And I hope it works out too!! It all makes sense for this to be the cause but ever since my tonsilectomy I don't have hope in anything anymore.
That's strange how it's got worse!! Have you been to any medical professionals??