Bad Breath Halitosis Forum

I'm off for an ENT appointment tomorrow morning. I've been waiting 4 months to see him, but I'm dreading having to go and speak about this to someone.

I'm also thinking that as I've already had my tonsils removed, the only other place where there could be a problem is my sinuses, but as I don't really have PND, just a deviated septum, he'll probably not find anything wrong up there.

After reading all the recent posts, I'm becoming more and more convinced that it's to do with diet and excessive bacteria in the stomach and mouth and isn't an ENT problem. Oh well, I have often wondered about my sinuses so it'll be something else to cross of my list if there's not a problem.

If something interesting turns up I'll let everyone know!

Hey Snobuni,

Hope all goes well at the ENT tomorrow.

How are you doing with your acidophilus/probiotics?

Do you notice any change?

I cant say I have.

I am still taking the acidophilus and probiotics and have started to clean up my diet too. But yet to see results.

I think something must be wrong with the insides if the mouth is constantly smelly. Some part of our immune system isnt working to stop the negative bacteria. I fear it might take months to see any results because of all the damage done by antibiotics and certain yeasty food.

Drastic

Im going to the GP tommorrow to ask for a recommendation letter for a tonsillectomy so I can get it done privately. Is more just part of a process of elimination for me than a hopeful cure.
Im going to give him the 6 times a year I had tonsillitis speech.
Anyone else done this before?
Im in the UK so deal with the NHS

good luck snobuni
xx

asd,

I am in uk. Been on NHS waiting list for tonsillectomy for 1 monthy and am still waiting. Dont know when they are going to send me my letter. I called them but still have to wait.

Drastic what did you say to the GP and ENT to get them to agree? xxxx

Hey Guys,

Thanks for the encouragement, I hope he's a nice bloke!!

Asd,

I told my GP and ENT that I had lots of bouts of tonsillitus and they agreed to whip my tonsils out, no questions asked, so I'd go with that if I was you. Be prepared for the recovery though, it's not a nice experience Don't let that put you off though. Why are you going private? It's really expensive (about £1500-2000). I paid for a private ENT consultation (£80) before my tonsillectomy. He was very nice and said not to go private, just wait for an NHS appointment. I said I was available for a cancellation, so I had mine only about 4 weeks or so after the consultation! I'd say, if you spend money on anything, spend it on a private consult or even hang on for an NHS appointment if you can.

Drastic,

I've not really noticed an improvement in my breath with the probiotics or the colostrum to be honest, they haven't even helped with my constipation. I'm probably going to keep taking them though, just cos they may improve my digestion over the long-term. I think the biggest improvement has come from following a strict diet. Today though, I've been eating all the things that make my breath BAD, so it'll be at it's worst before I see the ENT. If he says he can't smell anything I will not be amused at all!!!

I think the next step after this, if the ENT doesn't find anything will be to go back to my GP and ask to see a gastroenterologist. Last time I went to see her about my stomach she was really dismissive though. And even though I'm always bloated, constipated and having cramps and bb, she just gave me laxatives!! Really helpful!!! So I'm not really sure how to go about approaching her about getting a referral.

Well, I'll let you know what happens tomorrow,

Snobuni

Hi asd,

Well I went to the ENT as soon as I sat down he said I know why you are here. He said it because I have halitosis. I said yes. I broke down crying because he was the first doctor who seemed to tell me the truth and the first doctor who cared. I told him I used everything to get the tonsil stones out and he checked my throat. When I started crying he said Oh no he didnt know I had gotten to that stage emotionally. He felt genuinely sorry for me.

He siad that there are 2 different types of people which he has seen in his office. Firstly people who imagined bad breath. Secondly, those who really have it. He then said that he can see that I have bad breath.

He agreed to take them out right then and there. I was glad. It been a month and some days now that I have been waiting for the operation letter. Nothing yet.

For you it might be best to tell him that you suffer from tonsilitis 6 times a year.


Snobuni,

You are right it is expensive to do it privately. If I was still working. I would have saved enough to do it privately. Its now more expensive because its about £2800 at laser clinic in london. Plus you have to pay for spending the night in the hospital. I didnt have the money. I went to a private clinic once as well a while back. And the doctor told me why not do it on NHS. It would be cheaper. He then said that I would be a perfect candidate to get it done on NHS. All the time I was in his ofice he felt uncomfortable you could see he wanted to pop a window open his face turned red. He couldnt wait to get rid of me. He really could smell me. It was that bad. I went home and cried that day. I had some money at the time but didnt do it at the laser clinic becasue of how that doctor made me feel so bad about myself.


I am having a cheesy smell from my throat now. I am convinced it the tonsil stones stuck in building up the sulfur smell. I am going to call the hospital again. I called them last monday and spoke to a kind lady she said the waiting list was long. I will call her again. I need to get these tonsil out.

Good luck with ENT.

Drastic

hey guys thanks for input.
That story is touching drastic, and if you have tonsil stone caused BB you have a good chance of getting cured from this. Good luck mate
I am on a private system called Benaden, where you pay a set fee every month, and its like health insurance, so the op wont actually cost anything.
Im just about to go to the GP,
need to do an oscar winning performance
Il update in an hour or 3 xxxxxxxx

Good luck asd.

wow, how can you guys go thru random operations that are most likely not related to our problem, that's madness!

Archimonde,
to say its not related is wrong for many, especially in the case of tonsil stones. I was lucky enough to be able to reach my tonsils, and when I cured myself of tonsil stones my breath has got much, much, much better.
For those who have stones but can't get to them, tonsillectoy is the only way.
One may still have BB after a tonsillectomy, but if they had stones before it will be a marked improvement, if not a cure.
I personally am getting them out because they are sore a lot and piss me off.
Helping with BB is a secondary reason.


My appointment went ok,guy was a trainee GP so couldnt give me the final verdict, however he did say we can probably do it. I am waiting on a phone call or email in the coming days,
xxx

a tonsillectomy isn't gonna woks guys,believe me

We wont know until we try.

Furthermore, if it will give us up to 50% improvement for those with hidden stones then I will do it. ATLEAST that might bring us to the level of normal acute bad breath where we can still socialise with people instead of being a house hermit like myself.

I think it will reduce it because it will be one less place for bacteria to hide.

It is bound to reduce it for people like us.

DRASTIC wrote:We wont know until we try.

is that your reason for getting operated?! That's insane!!! We're talking about removing organs here.

"Like other organs of the lymphatic system, the tonsils act as part of the immune system to help protect against infection. In particular, they are believed to be involved in helping fight off pharyngeal and upper respiratory tract infections."

Seriously, if a specialist hasn't told you that your BB is directly related to your tonsils then you shouldn't be operated. What's the next op after tonsillectomy since it only has like a 3% success rate to cure bb, you're gonna have that sinus op for deviated septum which has only cured 2 people at most? Then what? What's the op after that, since your plan is "to try" operations. I'm not trying to be a jerk, i'm genuinely concerned.

So my trip to the ENT was pretty much useless really. He looked in my mouth with a tiny camera and said it was extremely dry, so I need to increase my saliva. He suggested I stop all antibacterial washes and toothpastes as they dry the mouth and disrupt normal bacterial equilibrium, which is probably true if you've got normal strains of bacteria in your mouth but not so good if you haven't!!! He also suggested using biotene artifical saliva and sucking on sugar free sweets and ice, genius!! I have cut out antiacterials before, but I've always gone back to them after a week or so as my breath gets so bad.

I mentioned my deviated septum and how my mucous has a strange odour, and asked if there's a possibilty of a bacterial/fungal infection, and he said he'll make an appointment for a CT scan, but I don't think anything will turn up on it. He also said to nasal irrigate, I tried to explain that I've tried it before and it makes things so much worse (painful sinuses, worsens the smell from my nose etc), but he really wasn't listening and insisted I try it with bottled water instead of tap as the chlorine in tap water is the problem!!!

So on the whole, a big waste of time except for the CT scan. Bloody doctors know nothing about chronic bb, and have no idea how to treat it!

Asd and Drastic,

I found out I had tonsil stones when doing a search for bb causes online one night about 3 years ago. I'd never even heard of them before then. I reached down my throat and pressed on my tonsils and all this mucous, tiny white balls and a huge yellow and stinking stone came out!! I was so disgusted and happy at the same time because I thought I'd found the cause of my bb after 20 years!!

I was totally convinced that a tonsillectomy would cure my bb, but obviously it didn't. I don't regret it though, even though it didn't cure my bb, I no longer have to worry about having stones in my throat, and I don't continually wonder if I'd had the op would I be cured now. I think having the op is a personal choice for everybody, and you may be lucky and bb free at the end of it.

I don't want to put a downer on your hopes, I'm just trying to be honest about my experience, but you really have to wait until you're fully healed to make a decision about whether your bb has gone after the op. For a week after the two weeks healing I was bb free, it had completely disappeared and I thought I was cured. Unfortunately for me, I noticed over the next few weeks that my bb was slowly creeping back and I was crushed and depressed for a long time.

As I said, I don't want to ruin your hopes, but be realistic and be prepared for the fact that this op may not be the answer you're looking for, I really hope its the answer for you both though.