Advice please - Worst breath in a living human

[Teagoanngoanngoann]

My DS has horrific breath. He always has. He is now 22. Its so bad i have to put my top over my nose if he sits next to me. My DH thought someone had got into the car with dogmess on their shoes yesterday but it was the car filling up with his breath. I have taken him to docs who just said to try changing his diet. He eats the same as us and we dont all smell like this. I have today purchased CB12 mouthwash, new brushes, tounge scrapers and sugar free gum and have got him a dental appointment. I hope they can help. He has great overall hygiene. Showers twice daily and brushes teeth2 or 3 times a day because he knows he has a problem. Any other advice?

Try salt and water morning and night for the oral hygiene part. Also any chance could be haemocromatosis ? Too much iron - some symptoms are fatigue,bad breath and weight loss

Poor thing

Good luck OP

Sinus infection? I had one before Christmas I could taste it and before I got an appointment at the doctors my ds asked if someone had stood in jobby in the car, it was my breath! It was so embarrassing, dp gets it aswell if he has an infection in his teeth (terrible teeth as he was neglected in those respects as a child).

Poor DS. My first thought was tonsil stones then when you said pear drops I thought about diabetes. It must have had an impact on his confidence

If it had been diabetes causing this problem for this length of time you’d have known about it. He would have become seriously ill by now. Worth getting the check but I wouldn’t worry too much as it is highly unlikely to be diabetes.

Has he been swabbed for helicobactor pylori? Hubby had same problem. Difficult conversations re breath took place. He went down hill and got really sick. Then diagnosed. Antibiotics given & breath got better. At worst it smelled like dog s#!t.

If it turns out not to be diabetes...

My DH is lactose intolerant and if he eats dairy his breath smells like actual dog s**t.

It's hydrogen I believe - apparently there is a breath test for it.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/lactose-intolerance/diagnosis/

Good luck OP

Gum disease can definitely make your breath stink like this! Trust me. It can make your breath smell like poo and can fill a room.

Especially if it's ANUG. Which is a type of acute gum disease. That was my first thought but less likely if he doesn't smoke.

The pear drops does sound like diabetes, its the classic sign. Before pear drops I would definitely have said rule out dental causes first but I think I would be looking at diabetes first and foremost. Plus diabetes can lead to gum problems anyway so could be both.

Also if he isn't drinking enough fluids - my brother's used to smell a bit then.

Ok .. quick update. Dentist said teeth are fine. Small filling required. Has gum disease but its not that bad. Has a follow up appointment and a hygenist app after that. He missed drs app. Grrr! Made a new one so will update after that. CB12 mouthwash seemed to work initially but then the odour came back. He did say it got rid of the taste he always usually has though so slight improvement.

It's good you're ruling things out but that GP appointment is vital given what you've posted about pear drops, weight loss and fatigue.

If you're in the UK, I believe some ASDAs with a pharmacy will test you for diabetes for free, may be sooner than another doctor appointment? Obviously if it came back high you'd need medical treatment anyway but could help. T1 diabetic myself, the sooner he gets diagnosed or given the all clear the better!

It really does sound like a sinus issue to me.

I've just googled tonsil stones 😳😳

OP, was there any update?

I've just had to pin down both my kids and stare into their tonsils to find the source of the smell that poured out when I opened their bedroom door this morning. 🤢

Update. At docs Got given antibiotics, otrivine nasal spray and another nasal spray for hayfever or swollen lining of the nose. Was just about to start them all and was in an accident on his bike and broke his jaw. Had op to fix along with huge doses of antibiotics and weirdly since then his breath is fine. Dont think it was change in diet as he still just ate sloppier version of standard diet. So either hitting his face or the antibs have fixed the problem. Wouldnt advise as standard treatment though! A bit drastic!

Interesting update, thank you. Hope son is doing ok.

Sounds like it may have been a bacterial infection then....but what?

Intriguing. I hope his jaw heals well x

Could be his Sinuses.

I assume they will have checked his bloods if he has been admitting to hospital for surgery? So have ruled out potential diabetes?
It may well have just been tonsil stones, I used to get them after I had glandular fever, going on antibiotics for a separate issue always cleared them, but they did come back after I stopped. Weirdly- don't get them at all now.

You make your son sound very lax with his health OP, no idea if this is just unintentionally glib wording on your part but glad he has seen an improvement and gets answers re: loss of hearing!! etc. At 22 it's not your responsibility to take him to doctors appts so am not digging at you at all but him 'missing' one is very poor indeed unless there was an emergency that meant he couldn't attend. People are desperate for them.

@dontgobaconmyheart son has adhd so has difficulty remembering appointments or prioritising stuff which isnt his main source of focus at the time. We do have to still do more or less everything re appointments etc.
Lovely guy and you would find it hard to tell.
When i asked nurses on admission to tell me everything as well as him as he wouldnt retain info they replied with... ahh..we all knew there was something but couldnt quite figure it out.
If he dosent tell us there is a problem health wise then it dosent get sorted. Hope this explains the lack a daisy attitude

Also consider kidney disease. He should have his kidney function checked.