To worry about DH's weird breath smell?

[FortunesFave]

He's a fit and healthy 47....he doesn't drink alcohol or do drugs or smoke. He works out and eats an admirable diet.

However...over the past few months I've sometimes noticed a weird smell on his breath. I described it at first as a "Dairy/sweet" smell.

But it's got worse...last night he went to bed before me and when I walked into the bedroom, the whole room smelt of it. It's a sweet sort of smell...not absolutely rank but unpleasant and odd.

He is a health nut and says it must be a yeast imbalance...and has taken some brewers yeast and later some apple cider vinegar.

I just caught a faint whiff of it again though ...(it's evening here in Oz)

He sometimes has a bit of gut pain...and indigestion...that's all I can think of which isn't perfect about his bodily health. He's not a doctor-goer...should I worry?

Hopefully the OP has taken her DH to A&E

No...he wouldn't let me 'take him' anywhere! Thanks to everyone for all the advice etc but he's his own man...I can't make him go to the doctor unfortunately.

He just wouldn't.

The only time I've ever seen him seek medical assistance was when he broke his leg once and once when he got some metal in his eye.

I'll try to tell him again...but it's really like talking to a brick wall.

Golden this is definitely not a sharp smell. It's a bit like rotting fruit...a sort of fruit-like smell but with a kind of off-dairy smell to it as well.

Its very unusual for type 1 diabetes to develop in middle life, it's a much younger thing, and this isn't type 2 diabetes as ketoacidosis isn't a feature. If he spends a day eating bread, pastries, sugary foods and similar crap, I think the symptom will go

Also...re. A&E....this isn't an A&E sort of thing I wouldn't imagine! He's physically fine...surely the GP would be more sensible?

Has he cut out carbs? This leads to ketosis, so the sweet pear drop type smell other posters have referred to.

People do smell differently when they are ill. My DH had a strange rotten sweet smell when he had pancreatitis.

@FortunesFave
would he pee on a stick if you got some from the pharmacy? or would he take a blood sugar test at the pharmacy?

If he is walking and talking he really doesn't need A&E. He can speak to his GP and get his urine tested in the morning.

@FortunesFave It is perceived differently by different people, and a fruity smell could also be appropriate. Its so unique its impossible to describe. some people say new mown hay, but I never got that. I used to work in A&E as a nurse and I could smell it in a babys wet nappy my nose is so acute to it!

It could also be from the stomach acid if he is having digestive issues. this is especially noticeable in the morning on an empty stomach. A glass of milk and toast would neutralise this, so thats another possible test . That could be a rotting fruit, sourish smell. Smell is so subjective!

Not A&E for sure!

Just something else to consider - he may be becoming lactose intolerant, hence his gut pains...The gene that controls lactose digestion is supposed to switch off in early childhood but in most Europeans remains active for years - that said it can suddenly turn off at any time leading to an excess of undigested milk sugars in the gut, which in turn causes bacterial overgrowth.

There are enzyme supplements available that allow you to digest milk better - may be worth trying these to see if the issue resolved.

Sounds like ketosis

@goldenharvest

Its very unusual for type 1 diabetes to develop in middle life, it's a much younger thing, and this isn't type 2 diabetes as ketoacidosis isn't a feature. If he spends a day eating bread, pastries, sugary foods and similar crap, I think the symptom will go

Dka is unusual , but possible in type 2. Untreated it can be very serious. And as others have stated it is also possible for type 1 to only manifest itself in later life.

Could he have a dead or wobbly tooth? DH has lost a couple of teeth over the last year or so, due to a bad fall which unfortunately loosened them (& subsequent lack of dental care due to coronavirus). Both times his breath was increasingly unpleasant until the day they came out, then rapidly improved. Sort of a stale sweetish rotting smell. (He pulled the 2nd one out as he was getting thoroughly pissed off with it, & aware of the breath issue. He had to sleep facing away from me, it was that bad.)

i agree op,
A & E sounds an extreme reaction

@FortunesFave

Also...re. A&E....this isn't an A&E sort of thing I wouldn't imagine! He's physically fine...surely the GP would be more sensible?

I agree. But an urgent appointment with doctor is needed

Sisyphus no...his teeth are all good. Can you buy a test from a pharmacy does anyone know?

the atkins diet,
that is right

does he low carb op?

You can't get DKA in type 2 diabetes.
If you get very very high blood sugars you can go into a Hyper Osmotic Non Ketoic Coma.
People can get sudden type 1 diabetes into their 40s which includes DKA.

Anyway, I think a Gp appointment is called for.
But if OPs husband won't go there's not much she can do.

"A sweet, fruity odor can be a sign of ketoacidosis, an acute complication of diabetes. An odor of ammonia is associated with kidney disease. Similarly, a very foul, fruity odor may be a sign of anorexia nervosa. Other diseases, such as asthma, cystic fibrosis, lung cancer, and liver disease, also can cause distinct odors on the breath."

First thing that came up googling it.

@LIZS The husband is incredibly low risk for type 2 diabetes, and with ketoacidosis being extremely rare with type 2, its not something I would be concerned with. Probably much more likely due to a severely low carb diet or some other cause, like an empty stomach. Type 1 is unusual in adults as I said, but the fact the smell is transient, would indicate its not ketoacidosis from diabetes. The smell would be there all the time, and strengthening over time, with other symptoms developing, like excessive thirst, weight loss etc.

@FortunesFave

Sisyphus no...his teeth are all good. Can you buy a test from a pharmacy does anyone know?

yes, you can buy pee-on testing sticks or electronic pricking blood testing kits in a pharmacy. often pharmacies also do a test if you ask for one.

Does he have reflux? Reflux does this to me.

Symptom checklist for type 1 diabetes, op.

www.diabetes.co.uk/type1-diabetes-symptoms.html

You can get urine strips for detecting ketones from the pharmacy. Although getting properly checked out seems a better idea. If he really won’t do it you can even get a blood glucose monitor and test strips from the pharmacy, but they’re a bit expensive.