Bad Breath Halitosis Forum

Hi noone has actually said it directly to my face but I have heard people say it to other people on 2 occasions in the past 8 years. This was in social situations when out in bars drinking and smoking. Once was by my boyfriend of 7 years - his friend told him to stop passing gas and I heard my boyfriend tell his friend - in a not joking way - that it was actually my breath. Another time was one of my girlfriends to another girlfriend when we had just come back from having a cigarette and the other friend said it was probably just from smoking, but I suspect that the friend meant it was more than just from smoking and that there was a chronic problem other than smoking.
Other than that I would be considered very very pretty, yet i do not get chatted up by boys and all my friends do. I have had several long-term boyfriends but they have been abusive and bad relationships.
People think I am very stand-offish but I am just very conscious of people getting close to me because I do not want people to smell my breath.
I am convinced that people are just too nice to raise this with me because it is a pretty embarrassing thing to raise to someone. I'm very conscious of other peoples breath. Some of my friends breath smells sometimes and I havent raised it with them - people in glass houses shouldnt throw stones I suppose. But then part of me also thought doesnt everyones breath smell a bit sometimes? I dont know?
I dont smoke anymore thought part of me would rather have my breath smell of smoke than smell of bad.
I am on medication now for epilepsy and am concerned that this further gives side effects of general odours including breath odour.
I am constantly watching whenever I am out socially for how much distance people are keeping, analysing if they are giving me a wide berth. I am going home early and convincing myself that people are avoiding me and parting all around me everywhere i walk, say in a club or something because for like 3 feet all around me people cant bear to get close. Everyone seems to just stare at me. so then i just make excuses to my friends eg re my meds and come home and cry and plan my will and s*****e until i fall asleep. This is actually how bad it is.
I said to one of my friends the other day that this was why I went home and did I smell and she said no I always smell lovely, but she has to say that doesn't she, she cant say I smell bad otherwise it would be really awkward for her and it would hurt me. She probably also thought I was talking about body odour as I was too embarrassed to say directly that I was talking about breath.
I have split with my boyfriend of 1 year recently. He didn't say anything to me either. maybe this was a reason and he didn't want to hurt me by telling me the truth?
I've just had a tooth extracted so i must be stinking even worse at the moment too.
Thank you for listening.
I just don't know what to do.
I had an appointment with Dr Stemmer but as I had a dry socket on my extraction I didn't go, but after reading here that it's not really very honest and good I'm glad I didn't go.

Apart from those two "occasions" and your anxiety you feel about smelling bad, what else makes you believe your breath smells bad? I'm referring to the typical things most bad breath sufferers relate to such as bad tastes, tongue coating/odours, tonsil stones, detectable nasal odour, etc.

I've never noticed people covering their hands or moving away from me. I always move away first. i'm not really sure what a normal taste is to have in your mouth - i know it may seem strange but i feel really confused about whats normal. people say to smell your floss but I'm not sure if it smells strongly of anything. sometimes it smells a bit like sick? does that make sense? does everyone have morning breath? I thought that was normal to feel a bit manky in the morning, a little bit dry mouth or something.
I just generally feel like I must smell. It can be the only explanation. I went on dates with 10 guys that I met online. I was a lot more attractive etc than them and they were really keen until they met me. They must have thought that i just smelt really bad. Whereas my boyfriend I just split up from, I met him online and I chatted to him for 2 months before I met him, so he probably really liked me by then and put up with it when he met me and found I was smelly. I think he tried to broach the subject with me once because he asked me if he smelt and I just said no automatically because I was so embarrassed. But maybe that was him trying to bring the subject up to discuss it with me.
sorry for going on and on, this must be really boring

It's not boring at all. We can all relate to your confusion and what you're going through. This curse is pure torture, whatever the true reality might be.

I have no idea what to say to you at this point. You sound such a beautiful and caring person - like all of us on here. This is at the root of why bad breath becomes an actual problem for anyone.

All I can say is please try to give more information on your history and symptoms etc. Read through the forum to find out where you can relate to others and ask as many questions as you need to. We're all here to help each other.

Thank you for your message.
I don't have any family I can check with - I am estranged from all of them for reasons that I wont go into on here.
After a terrible night where I really was at the very very end of my tether where I could not go on 1 more day, I felt like I really had nothing to lose. I just called the ex-boyfriend I lived with for a year and asked him outright if I smell. It was the hardest thing I have ever asked anyone. We talked about BO too but and eventually got to breath and he says no. We talked about it for 20 minutes and he says that I am being paranoid. I am still not sure if this is just people being nice and not wanting to hurt me (we might get back together so maybe he doesn't want to burn his bridges).
I'm just not sure who I can trust. How can I ever know the answer? If I go to people like Dr Stemmer they are going to say yes aren't they so that they can make money and sell me stuff? then the pain of feeling like everyone must have been talking about my problem behind my back for years will be so excruciating it will tip me over the edge.
If I go through the pain of asking another couple of friends they are probably going to lie to me and say no there isn't a problem thinking they are being nice to me.
I'm just so confused.
I feel like when I walk in a room there must be a smell like a bin for at least a 6 foot radius. I'm just sure of it.
For years I have avoided sitting next to people in cars, at dinner tables, on planes, just getting in close proximity to anyone. My worst nightmare. People think I am stand-offish. I am the nicest person I just am so embarrassed at people having to endure my breath. I chew sugarfree gum constantly and carry a travel toothbrush and mouthwash in my bag. I'm vegetarian. I drink 2 litres of water. I dont smoke anymore. No longer drink alcohol. I dont drink soda. I dont really eat dairy. I brush with a top of the range sonicare brush, 4 times a day, floss twice a day, tongue scrape, peroxyl wash.
I have very straight bright white teeth. Yes they look pretty but I just know that they stink. I've had 2 extractions at the back and 2 wisdom out in total. About 5 white fillings. I've looked up a a normal tongue and I dont think mine has a white coating, it looks pink, only slightly milky.
What shall I do? Who shall I ask?
Dentist have never said anything to me. Do they say anything without you asking? Hygienists haven't either. Do they tell you?

You're welcome.
I think you should try to open up to the people who have been willing to discuss this with you, even if you don't quite feel you can fully trust them right now. There is no absolute thing you can ever do to outright convince yourself that you don't smell. You'll always have doubts until you ever manage to get to build some confidence back up and you really start believing YOURSELF that you perhaps don't smell.

The issue right now isn't whether you smell or not, it's about finding ways that manage to convice you of the truth - whatever it may be, so that you know what you are up against and can try to deal with it if necessary.

There are many people on this forum who have met other members at organised gatherings. There is always good feedback and much to gain from such events. This would be a great way to get some good honest feedback and help your confidence by being amongst fellow sufferers.