Bad Breath Halitosis Forum

Did anybody in the UK watch a programme called Embarrasing Illnesses tonight?

In it, a girl was complaining about bad breath. The doctor took an oral swab, which was sent off to a lab to grow cultures from. They found an over-growth of bad bacteria (no surprise there!) and gave her antibiotics, which probably didn't do anything in the long term.

I was just wondering if anybody has had this done by their doctor, what was found and if anything positive came from it? If it was found that it was an over growth of candida rather than bad bacteria, surely this could be treated with antifungals. I'm just wondering if it would be worth while asking my GP to take a swab.

Yes, yes, and yes.
Maybe they will find its a fungal overgrowth or H. Pylori and you could be treated and cured.
Please stress to your GP how difficult BB makes your life.

I'm waiting for an appointment with an ENT which I should get around November. As well as asking him about my sinuses, lingual tonsils and soft palate, I'll also ask if it's possibly for swabs to be taken from my tongue and nose too.

Hopefully something will turn up, but I don't think taking antibiotics is the answer.