Bad Breath Halitosis Forum

hi all,

i can't believe i'm actually doing this. this is the first time i've ever been open and admitted to people that i have bb. i am a 30 yr old woman who has been dealing with this since grade school. the first clear memory i have is when i was about 12 in middle school. i was talking to a group of friends in the cafeteria and my best friend at the time as like "ooh-did somebody fart?" from there it's just been comments from friends that may be funny to them, but only hurtful and embarrasing to me. i've had someone text me and say i need you to call me back at this number. and when i called the number, it was one of those rejection lines except it was one for bad breath. i'm sure he thought it was hilarious, but i was depressed about it for days. i've seen him since then, but we both pretend like nothing happened. i've tried some things like special toothpastes, gums, mints, even chlorophyll capsules. i don't think anything has really helped. sometimes when i'm in a social situation and i don't see anyway backing away or making a face, i think it's ok. but then someone offers me a mint or a piece of gum and i get depressed all over again.

i've had different family members say things. like my mom will say "you should drink plenty of water," or once while driving with my dad in the car-he kept offering me mint after mint until i just stopped talking to him. it was so mortifying. once in high school i was talking to this guy that i really liked. i was trying to tell a story about another girl. he didn't know who i was talking about so i was trying to describe her. then he just said really loudly "does her breath smell like shit?!?" i didn't even get it until years later. it makes me wanna cry when i think about all the comments and depression i've been through because of bb. i'm a really funny, attractive person who would otherwise be very sociable. when people ask now why i'm so quiet and don't say much. i just shrug or laugh it off. if they only knew the truth. i try to shield people from having to deal with my bb. i feel sorry for my husband. he is really sweet. and i don't think he'll ever just come out and tell me. i've been trying probiotics and hcl acid for digestive help. i really thought it was helping. but one day my husband and i were at this place and there was a bowl of mints. i whispered something to him and he just reached over into the bowl and handed me one. the other night he reminded me to bring me toothbrush on our quick getaway-yet he didn't pack his own.

to sit here and list all the things people have said to me over the years would take days. besides i'm sure everyone here has been through the same thing. the weird part is that i can never smell my own breath. so it's bad because i don't know when i'm offending people. of course until they make a face or offer me gum or a mint. i really doubt that the problem is in my mouth. i know that i have digestive issues and i stay constipated. so i'm looking for ways to help with that. if anyone can suggest something other than what i have already tried that would be great.

i just wanna get back to being sociable and not have to worry about kissing my husband or being intimate with him. i want to not have to turn my head in the other direction when i talk to people so they don't catch a whiff of the stench. i want to feel confident about talking to people and making friends. i want to not spend my life obsessing about it and wondering if other people smell it cause i know they do. i want to stop having depression and social anxiety because of it. anyway, thanks for providing a forum for me to vent and here's to finding a cure.

Hi there! I have been battling with BB for about 5 years now, and it just seems to be getting worse.

From a few days ago, I have been taking Colon cleanser tablets, and tablets called Clear Lungs to see if I can clear out my colon. It's only been a few days but I think I am already seeing a difference. Today I went to the mall and not a single cashier rubbed their nose or cough. Might have just been a coincidence but I was happy~!

I am trying to cut my almost daily iced coffee and milk tea drinks as they contain lots of sugar and milk. I am trying to eat as healthy as possible, and will definitely take the Colon Cleanse tablets every day!

If you haven't tried cleansing your colon, it's worth a try. This may sound yucky but everytime I go to the bathroom now, the poop is really really smelly. But I think of it as all the waste that's potentially causing my BB is coming out!

Wishing you all the best!

Hi smelly cat, just want to welcome you to this forum. I dont have any advice thou, im not cured. Maybe you can meet up with someone from this forum. I did, and this crazy bb situation doesnt torture me that much anymore. Occasionally there are also arranged meetups. Mentally it is very healthy to know someone with this condition. xxx

Hi Smelly Cat, you basically live a parallel life to mine, please read my story in the my story section and you will see what I mean. I just dont get it! I was at church today and I realized that I have basically lost most of my faith. I just want to live a normal life and not feel like a happy person living inside a miserable person. I feel for you when you describe the situations where people have told you about the bb. I lived that my whole life and thought maybe that is not what someone meant to say but i knew deep inside they mean it and they are trying to hurt me. One day I received an anonymous note that was about a breath specialist with a phone number to call. That put me out for almost 2 weeks, I didnt want to leave my house and cried for days. So painful!

Hi smelly cat,

I'm sorry to hear about your pain. But you're really really brave. You're trying to live your life as best you can. You've got a husband, and I assume you go out to work each day? This means you're opening yourself up to social encounters and the possibility of pain, rejection and humiliation: but you do it anyway and just continue to get on with things.

The world is cruel and people like you and I, and all the other people here, have to stay strong mentally. I've found that the greatest problems stemming from bad breath are those of depression, extreme anxiety and loneliness. I suffer from all of those as result of my bad breath, and I'm trying to be brave like you. But I'm starting to fall apart. I'm 21 now and used to be able to cheer myself up by watching a comedy or something but my depression seems to be getting worse. I'm pretty sure this has something to do with my ever increasing use of alcohol.

I use the alcohol like anyone else, to relax me in social situations-like when I have to go to uni. But I've started to abuse the booze and my depression is getting out of control as a result.

But I had a lot of success with meditation previously. I think if you, me and fellow sufferers can become more relaxed and composed via meditation, then we'll be less vulnerable to the jokes and jibes of cruel people and happier as a result.

Give the meditation a try. In the absence of a cure, stabalising your mind may improve the quality of your life.

All the best.