AIBU to worry about a smelly leaking belly button before scan?

[ImSoAfraid]

Last night I noticed my belly button felt a bit sore. I shone my phone torch into it and noticed there was something in there like a scab type thing so I started digging it out. To my horror I ended up digging out crusty type stuff with numerous dog hairs stuck in it 🤮 it was never ending - everytime I got some out I shone my torch back in to see more still in there.

Anyway I got out as much as I could and since then it was been leaking a foul smelling goo. It’s not visible but the are feels wet and when I wipe it it stinks so I’m assuming the scabbed stuff was actually stopping the crap from behind it coming out.

Any ideas? I’m worried as I’m having an internal ultrasound scan tomorrow to look for endometriosis due to lots of other symptoms. When I googled it said this could be a rare type of endometriosis???

I shower twice a day so it’s not a hygiene thing

Omg. New nightmare unlocked.

I’d book a GP appointment for this. Thank goodness you are having a scan! Hopefully they can tell you what’s going on.

I get this (minus the dog hair), especially when it’s hot - I am very clean, but my belly button is really deep and it seems to happen no matter how much I wash 😩

The only thing that works for me is canesten cream, at night after showering. I use a cotton bud to poke it down inside (sorry, grim) and it usually clears it up pretty quickly.

It’s easy to miss when you’re showering. Lie flat, clean as gently and thoroughly as you can, then assuming there’s no broken skin, fill it with sudocrem. Repeat a couple of times during the day, and again at night.

The lump sounds like a navel stone - I had the same a couple of years ago (the hair was likely human rather than dog!). They are not uncommon and I had no ill-effects agyer mine came out. It does sound like you jabe an infection inside the belly button of it is leaking smelly pus so it's good you are getting it checked out.

It isn’t leaking so don’t worry.
This happens on and off sometimes if you have a deep belly button.
Keep it clean and dry very thoroughly.
Then a bit of sudocream.
It will settle down.

Washing it with salt water, drying it, followed by an antiseptic cream on a cotton ear bud will sort it.

I use sudocrem in my deep belly button if it gets smelly

That is so gross but I also want to see it 😂

I have a deep belly button and due to the nature of my work sometimes shower twice a day, so it's not always hygiene related. Some of us are just prone to it! I second pps suggestion of caneststen cream on a cotton bud. It's just a bit of yeast overgrowth because it's deep so naturally warm and damp. Caneststen clears it up overnight usually for me. I will add that's it's become significantly less frequent for me since loosing a substantial amount of weight

Happened to me too. Use saltwater to clean it, a hairdryer to keep it dry. It will clear up quite fast.

Just keep an eye on it in the future. I use a finger with very short nail to wash it in the shower occasionally.

It’s very sensitive, thin skin so don’t be poking it regularly! Just the occasional soap, and be aware so you can act fast if it starts again.

Yes that is what I use, it is disgusting but it happens. I read somewhere that athletes foot powder also works. Op clean it out with cool boiled salty water you can pack your belly button with cotton wool to make sure it is dry and put some thrush cream in it.

Salt water and a hairdryer is a great idea.

I clean my BB with a cotton swap and then use some sudocrem and it clears up.

If you get something stuck in there (eg hair) I think it causes a bit of an infection but it’s nothing to worry about.

If you’re concerned that it’s leaking, clean it and put sudocrem or whatever in it and then put a bit of cotton wool in it just before your scan and explain.

Chances are now you’ve cleaned the crap out it shouldn’t smell anyway.

I’d put antiseptic cream in, or wash it with diluted dettol. Don’t clog it up with sudocrem.

I agree that it likely started as a fungal infection, possibly from not drying thoroughly inside your belly button after showering. Get some canestan cream and use that. If you don't see an improvement after a few days, see your GP.

I get this occasionally! I agree with others, a proper wash and dry and some canesten or failing that a tiny amount of sudocrem works on a cotton bud works but wash it out!

I just googled navel stone 😬 it’s sounds exactly like that.

Good timing you’re having a scan tomorrow. Good luck.

Seconding using thrush cream on it - mine is very deep so I get a bit weapy in there once or twice a year and a quick swirl with a blob of cream fixes it.

I've never had the crusty stuff but my OH once did and I had to dig it out for him. It does smell rank but it clears up very quickly once it's treated, usually within hours for me.

It is a hygiene thing. Otherwise it wouldn't be full of crusty stuff and dog hair. Letting the water run down isn't enough. When you shower, you need to actively wash and rinse inside it and then make absolutely sure it is fully dry. Use talc in there during the summer. Bacteria and fungus love warm moist places that don't get thoroughly cleaned.

Get the shower head down, soap up then point water into it, rinse until the gunk stops then put a big dollop of Savlon in there. Repeat this at least twice a day until it heals.

Sudocrem is antiseptic

Some people have endometriosis of the belly button. It’s relatively rare but it happens - to the extent that there are several people in my online endo support group dealing with this issue.

good luck with your scan. Remember that even if it doesn’t show endo , it doesn’t mean it’s not there - it doesn’t usually show up on scans, so keep pushing for answers x

I had this too. I went to the doctor as it smelled so bad and they gave me metronidazol, but it did come back. Now I try and make sure I dry it properly and put caneston in when it flares up. Its so grim.

Never heard of navel stones but I get an infected navel quite often, and dabbing Germolene in there is effective.

I got a lump of fluff out of mine. Took ages. Used bio oil on it after that. I hate bellybuttons. I have a fear of them unravelling.

Salt water, thrush cream. A dettol wound spray you could spray in it occasionally to get it clean without prodding and exacerbating it more.

Put a massive plaster over it before the scan if you’re worried about it?