Bad Breath Halitosis Forum

Just had my 2nd cleaning/checkup at the dentist and he gave my mouth a clean bill of health. He said my halitosis definitely not coming from my mouth but elsewhere "downstream"

I am confused as to the next step. I am assuming its coming from my digestive tract and is most likely some sort of bacteria over growth.

*sigh* Sucks not being able to kiss my own wife

any suggestions as to the next step?

Make appointments to see gastric and ENT specialists to rule out common problems in those areas. Ask for blood tests to rule out any kidney or liver problems. Make sure you are not on any daft diets.

Read this thread:-
viewtopic.php?t=3495

halitosisux wrote:Make appointments to see gastric and ENT specialists to rule out common problems in those areas. Ask for blood tests to rule out any kidney or liver problems. Make sure you are not on any daft diets.

Read this thread:-
viewtopic.php?t=3495

I will def do so, whats a 'daft diet?"

I read the thread, I dont have "fishy" but the standard fecal smell. gross I know

Eat a well balanced diet. Eliminating types of food from your diet should only be a temporary measure to try to identify if there are any foods which you are intolerant/allergic to.
Certain food intolerances can cause BB in various ways, do some research. Ask your doctor about food allergy testing. An example of this is gluten allergy testing or lactose intolerance tests.

Eliminating foods from your diet for too long without fully understanding the implications has far more chance of causing problems that can lead to BB rather than reducing it.

Not even people who have TMAU are always able to reduce their BB through their diet, and that's with a full understanding of the mechanisms involved.

Its also easy to get confused if the sole cause of your BB is due to bacterial overactivity on your tongue. Foods that are high in protein will directly affect this type of BB, and it may only be for this direct affect, and have nothing whatsoever to do with your digestive system, but it may give you the impression that it is. And likewise, a high protein diet can also give you BB through your digestive/systemic processes, but if you are experimenting with your diet, can you see how confusing it might get?

You might have SIBO. Your intestines have different "zones" where different stages of digestion and processing and absorption take place. The bacterial flora is different for every zone of the intestines. There are various situations that can lead to the wrong type of bacterial flora in these zones. If you are not producing enough stomach acid for example, this can lead to germs getting into your small intestine, which otherwise would not do so due to the acidity of your stomach. Also, there are various "valves" along your intestine which separate these zones and its obvious what can happen if these valves are not working properly.

BTW, we all have a certain level of trimethylamine in our bloodstream. Some of us produce more of this chemical than others, through a combination of our particular gut bacterial flora and our diet. On top of that is the actual ability for our body to deal with this chemical once its been absorbed into the bloodstream. Some people have reduced capability and others have virtually zero capability. And depending on the level in the bloodstream and the susceptibility a person has for this chemical as it gets secreted/released through the lungs, saliva, skin, sweat etc, determines how they end up smelling to others. Trimethylamine in low quantities smells of a range of different foul lingering odours, particularly fecal/garbage. In higher levels it smells predominantly fishy.