My 2 year bad breath: cause may have been discovered!
Posted: Fri May 25, 2012 7:52 pm
UPDATE: see my next post
To start off, I am 21, and I think my case is a combination of multiple problems:
1. Post nasal drip/allergies
2. GERD
3. Possible dairy allergy
4. Possible bacteria/fungal infection
I had always worried about my breath, but that's pretty normal. But about two years ago, my breath one day seemed different. I could tell it was bad, and it was confirmed by my girlfriend later that night. Ever since that day, I have not had a day without bad breath. She describes it as "fart". I could only really smell it when I wore a surgical mask this summer for my internship. This sudden onset makes me think bacteria/fungus.
I've had seasonal allergies since about 5th grade, and then constant PND since about age 14. I have been using Flonaze for the last 3 years daily. It definitely helps with drainage, but I still have a mild stuffy nose all day.
When I was little, I used to eat a lot then go straight to sleep nearly every night. I now get reflux after eating sometimes, and I wake up every morning with a slimy coating on my teeth. I used to think this was normal, but I know now that it is not. I have also been getting unexplainable mild swelling in my gums that seems to move. I asked my dentist, he said my mouth looks very healthy. I asked the hygienist about my breath, and she thinks it may be GERD. I asked a doctor, and he thinks GERD as well and recommended I try omeprazole. I tried it, but it made me dizzy after about 3 weeks.
2 weeks ago I noticed that after consuming milk I get really gassy for the whole day. I went to the doctor and she thinks it is either a lactose intolerance or a dairy intolerance. This could explain the chronic PND, some of the GERD, my extreme fatigue in the mornings, my acne, and my bad breath.
So here is what I am now doing:
1. I make sure to use my Flonaze every day, morning and night.
2. I started taking omeprazole in the mornings and ranitidine before I go to sleep about a week ago. This was recommended on some news website interview ( I can't remember where) by a physician from Yale med school. So far, I already notice that I no longer have a slimy, gross tasting mouth when I wake up. The omeprazole needs about 30 days to build up the needed blood levels to be effective, so I will have to wait and see. And honestly, dizziness would be better than bad breath.
3. I will be cutting out all dairy from my diet. Even after I tried lactose free milk as recommended by my doctor, I still got some cramps, but no gas. I also get a terrible after milk taste in my mouth all day after drinking both. I may be BOTH lactose and milk intolerant. Interestingly, my mom just told me that when I was little I broke out in hives to milk, so I drank soy milk until I was about 8 (I never knew this).
4. If none of these help, I will see a doctor about a possible infection.
I feel like I'm starting to narrow it down. I'm attacking from all angles. I want to hit it hard
To start off, I am 21, and I think my case is a combination of multiple problems:
1. Post nasal drip/allergies
2. GERD
3. Possible dairy allergy
4. Possible bacteria/fungal infection
I had always worried about my breath, but that's pretty normal. But about two years ago, my breath one day seemed different. I could tell it was bad, and it was confirmed by my girlfriend later that night. Ever since that day, I have not had a day without bad breath. She describes it as "fart". I could only really smell it when I wore a surgical mask this summer for my internship. This sudden onset makes me think bacteria/fungus.
I've had seasonal allergies since about 5th grade, and then constant PND since about age 14. I have been using Flonaze for the last 3 years daily. It definitely helps with drainage, but I still have a mild stuffy nose all day.
When I was little, I used to eat a lot then go straight to sleep nearly every night. I now get reflux after eating sometimes, and I wake up every morning with a slimy coating on my teeth. I used to think this was normal, but I know now that it is not. I have also been getting unexplainable mild swelling in my gums that seems to move. I asked my dentist, he said my mouth looks very healthy. I asked the hygienist about my breath, and she thinks it may be GERD. I asked a doctor, and he thinks GERD as well and recommended I try omeprazole. I tried it, but it made me dizzy after about 3 weeks.
2 weeks ago I noticed that after consuming milk I get really gassy for the whole day. I went to the doctor and she thinks it is either a lactose intolerance or a dairy intolerance. This could explain the chronic PND, some of the GERD, my extreme fatigue in the mornings, my acne, and my bad breath.
So here is what I am now doing:
1. I make sure to use my Flonaze every day, morning and night.
2. I started taking omeprazole in the mornings and ranitidine before I go to sleep about a week ago. This was recommended on some news website interview ( I can't remember where) by a physician from Yale med school. So far, I already notice that I no longer have a slimy, gross tasting mouth when I wake up. The omeprazole needs about 30 days to build up the needed blood levels to be effective, so I will have to wait and see. And honestly, dizziness would be better than bad breath.
3. I will be cutting out all dairy from my diet. Even after I tried lactose free milk as recommended by my doctor, I still got some cramps, but no gas. I also get a terrible after milk taste in my mouth all day after drinking both. I may be BOTH lactose and milk intolerant. Interestingly, my mom just told me that when I was little I broke out in hives to milk, so I drank soy milk until I was about 8 (I never knew this).
4. If none of these help, I will see a doctor about a possible infection.
I feel like I'm starting to narrow it down. I'm attacking from all angles. I want to hit it hard
But last night when I came home from studying I was starving and most places were closed. So I broke down and had some pizza pockets... I had to go to sleep about 2 hours later but I was too hungry to not eat. Today my breath feels a lot worse, and back to how it was before. But at least I've found my cause(s)! 