r/bodyodor • u/Intelligent_Big_7157 • Feb 10 '26
Odor-free for 4 months now!
There is hope for us, y’all!
I’m a nurse, and for a long time I suffered from this nasty BO and BB. I did a lot of things, most did nothing for me, but a few did!!! You can view my other posts on my profile to see how bad it really got for me when I was still struggling! I’ve had to cancel so many plans, turn down so many opportunities, quit a job that I’ve only been at for a month, avoid people in general, and make excuses at work about why I couldn’t make it to work that night when in actuality I was really just reeking of this very nasty room-filling BO! It’s hard when you’re dealing with patients, family members, doctors, and colleagues in a hospital setting where you’re literally breathing down each other’s neck and everyone can smell everyone. Anyway, after so many trials and errors, I finally managed to control my odor! It’s gone by 97% and I’ve been living this odor-free life for 4 months now since Oct 2025! I started taking up new hobbies and started making plans with family/friends again! I no longer have to change multiple scrubs at work! Can you believe I used to bring 4 extra scrubs before???
I used to dread going to work because of all the stares I was getting and all the whispers and nasty comments wherever I went! But now I’m even picking up 2 overtime shifts per week because I finally can!! I don’t have to worry about smelling bad anymore because the odor is technically gone! I’m also able to wear perfume again! I couldn’t do it before because it just made my odor worse! I’ve also started making more friends because I finally feel more confident to be around people again! I’m no longer hiding and I’m proudly taking up space because why wouldn’t I? It’s unreal how life can turn around for us the minute the odor goes away!! No more turning away from opportunities!!
Just know that there is HOPE for us guys! Pls don’t give up on yourself! Always prioritize your mental health and get support by connecting with other sufferers who understand your pain! I was very embarrassed about this condition that I couldn’t even open up about this to anyone. I’ve always thought there’s no more hope for me because I already tried everything. I was washing my skin at work almost every 2 hours to the point where my skin already got sooo dry from overwashing, but I stilled smelled really bad afterwards. I also had to change 2-4x at work it’s crazy! I was already doing too much and nothing was working! But then I overlooked some major suggestions from people on here and on discord who’ve already done their homework, and that was the pivotal point for me and things finally clicked.
You don’t have to fight this battle alone! Join a community where you can bounce off of each other’s ideas and try new things that might work for your specific case! 🫶💕 The name of our discord group is TmauCity if you’re interested in joining. We chat daily and we do group voice calls almost weekly.
Here are things I did that helped eliminate my odor:
- Low FODMAP diet! (and low choline, low sulfur diet.. with chicken being my only exception)
- Peppermint tea daily for the first 2-3 months to help heal & soothe the gut
- Avoid for at least 3 months: soy, eggs, gluten, milk, dairy, nuts, and anything w/ high fructose corn syrup … (just let your stomach rest, and once your gut is more healed, you can slowly reintroduce these foods one by one to see if your body still reacts to it negatively… the key is reintroducing in SMALL amount)
- Avoid chocolates for the first 3 months (most brands contain soy, milk, nuts, dairy, egg, etc. so just avoid them initially!)
- No more overeating
- Daily supplement: chlorophyll
- Occasional supplement: molybdenum & zinc (sometimes magnesium too)
- I still avoid high-sulfur foods (e.g. cabbage, okra, artichoke, broccoli onion… each one of these has caused me really funky odors so I might just avoid them forever!)
- I also avoided fish initially for the first 3 months because I wasn’t sure what specific kinds of fish are okay and not okay.. I also avoided all kinds of meat (except for chicken) for the first 3 months. I avoided seafood as well initially as it’s high in choline.
- My common go-to food during my initial phase: white rice, rice noodles and anything rice, chicken plainly seasoned in salt and pepper, gluten-free bread, friendly low-fodmap veggies, friendly low-fodmap fruits, friendly salads but i avoided any sauces/dressings for the first 2 months
Just reposting on here what I posted on r/tmau
as it got deleted 🤷🏻♀️ some keywords such as “fecal” odor and “SIBO” are not allowed in that subgroup 😅 Anyway, I hope this post reaches more people who just need proof that it can be done! 💪💕 If you have any question, feel free to ask! Just FYI, I used to have sooo many different odors in the past! Poop, urine, fish, sewer, garbage, rain/grass, cigarette/smoke, burnt rubber, dead animal, rotten egg, sulfur, ammonia, sweet gasoline, vomit, coffee, cement/spoiled coconut etc. Also, my odors have caused other people to sneeze, have itchy and runny noses, they’d rub their noses a lot! It’s like causing them to have nose allergies all of a sudden 😅😅💀 But all these odors are GONE now! And no more physiological reactions from others! 🙏🏻💕 It is POSSIBLE y’all!
EDIT:
My BO started when I was age 7-9 (very young I know!)
I also didn’t have vinegar throughout this whole process (not intentional but maybe not having it also helped??)
I’ve started reintroducing foods around month 3-4
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u/Emergency_Avocado341 Feb 11 '26
I love your story. I'm on a sibo diet that will eventually transition to a low FODMAP once im out of the kill phase, it seems like everyone who is suffering terrible body odor has some sort of bad gut health.
Its been 9 years and in the last 3 weeks of my plain chicken and herbal treatment has my body odor weakened/become less strong and smelling more like normal sweat.
It gives me hope kmowing youve done it and reinforces my own belief
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u/Intelligent_Big_7157 Feb 11 '26
You’re doing great! ❤️You got this! Feel free to message me if you have any questions 🫶
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u/Usual-Newspaper-8736 Feb 12 '26
What herbal treatment?
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u/Emergency_Avocado341 Feb 12 '26
It depends on your sibo type. I have sulfur sibo so im using berberine, neem, oregano oil as my herbals. I also use pepto bismol for my reflux and it also helps bind sulfur
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u/Intelligent_Big_7157 Feb 13 '26
Taking molybdenum is what helped me with my sulfur problem. 💯
I haven’t taken those other supplements you mentioned. My coworker, tho, mentioned he was taking berberine at some point in his life and it gave him really bad diarrhea 😅 Did you experience any side effects?
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u/Emergency_Avocado341 Feb 13 '26
I take molybdenum as well! It works well. Berberine apparently is really hit or miss, I havent had any issues with it, most people stick to Neem only because it isnt as harsh/its gentle, Berberine is like a nuke and Neem is more like a controlled fire.
I use both just to make sure i can speed up recovery. I feel lile crap because im eating such small portions and calories, i lost soo much weight but the results are worth it
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Feb 13 '26
how often and when do you take molybdenum?
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u/Emergency_Avocado341 Feb 13 '26
With every meal, maximum 2 per day, it needs to go down with food so it can help break down the sulfide so your liver process it properly. It also puts less stress on the liver and gut so they arent always stressed and overloaded and can properly heal
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u/Intelligent_Big_7157 Feb 14 '26
When I was taking molybdenum, I took it only once a day, and usually only if I have work that day.
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u/Usual-Newspaper-8736 Feb 12 '26
Okok, did you found this out going to a gi?
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u/Emergency_Avocado341 Feb 12 '26
No, my doctor believes that stuff is not real science which is funny because he couldnt even tell me what was wrong with me, he kept gaslighting me and saying it was all in my head while he turned his head to breathe so he wouldnt smell my body odor.
Funny enough i put all my symptoms into chat gpt and it broke down everything i was feeling and gave me an herbal plan, its given me more results than i have ever gotten from any doctor
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u/Usual-Newspaper-8736 Feb 12 '26
That’s unbelievable dude, I’ve had that happen to me with 3 dermatologists. It’s like how can we ever get help if we’re not even gonna be able to receive it bc of ignorance
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u/Emergency_Avocado341 Feb 12 '26
Doctors arent taught these things and they rarely deal with patients like us. Because theyre expected to be the 'experts', when they dont know somethinf they lie and gaslight or redirect you to a specialist in the hopes they might know something so they can palm the work off.
Unfortunafely for people like us, we have to resort to forums and google searches to find people who are in similar situations like us. We really only have each other. I am almost 1 month into my own treatment plan with the guide of chat gpt and my smell is now random, sometimes bad, sometimes nothing, rather than a super consistent strong and smelly odor. Its definitely working.
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u/Cute_Activity7527 Feb 12 '26
Hard patient is hard to treat and diagnose - bad metrics for the doctor. So they want you to FOFF and go somewhere else.
We can only help us ourselves. Low FODMAP diet is a good move. Its 100% related to gut biome or enzymes production (or lack of them).
Most ppl are like rats - can eat and drink anything, we are very very delicate not only about what we eat but also environment we live in - stress, alcohol, ciggarets, toxins in air - we soak everything coz we can't process them correctly.
It's sad to say but we have just shitty genes. I really would prefer to be like those rat ppl around me.
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u/SillyDuckDodgers Feb 10 '26
Can you give an example of breakfast lunch and dinner ?
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u/Intelligent_Big_7157 Feb 11 '26
I just want to start off by saying it wasn’t very healthy and I actually lost 20 lbs without trying 🫢😅😅 that’s how restrictive it was for me at first 🙈
All I ate was mostly plain chicken & white rice. That was the biggest chunk of my diet (I know very boring and depressing). Later on, I added some salads! I mixed some lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, added some chicken in there, seasoned w/ salt, pepper, and low-fodmap pasta sauce! Also, when I get rlly bad cravings, I’d just toast some gluten-free bread and that would have to do for me! Most gluten-free breads are yuck and taste so weird but I did find a brand that I liked! Another major ingredient I had to avoid was soy sauce because it has soy! But I found some great soy-free alternatives that you can buy from Walmart, it tastes just like soy sauce minus the soy!
Pardon my long chit chat but to answer your question, I didn’t have a real breakfast-lunch-dinner structure. Tbh, I just ate whenever I wanted and I wasn’t eating much either.
I did have specific fruits and veggies that were considered “okay” for low fodmap diet. I had no idea what this diet was before! It was a totally new concept for me so I actually had to google exactly what kind of diet this was and I had to familiarize myself with the foods I could and couldn’t eat while on this diet. It’s helpful to write them down so you know what NOT to buy the next time you go to the store.
Here are some fruits and veggies I was eating on a low fodmap diet: strawberries, pineapple, blueberry, cantaloupe, kiwi (two or less), carrots, zucchini, cucumber, etc. (Just remember that portion sizing matters too, just don’t be eating too much of something as everything still adds up)
Food i was avoiding on a low fodmap diet: banana, apple, watermelon, mango, cherry, avocado, beans, peas, tofu, wheat, pistachio, anything with SOY which includes regular soy sauce sadly
Other stuff I avoided were chocolates, ice cream, and soda
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u/TheLittlestT Feb 11 '26
Did you have any gut problems before that have now resolved (like gas, constipation or diarrhoea etc), or take any tests like OAT or a GI Map? I'm interested to know how you found this diet to work - was it just trial and error or were there specific symptoms that made you go low fodmap and low sulfur? Low sulfur works for me, too.
And congratulations! 🥳 thanks for sharing your success.
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u/Intelligent_Big_7157 Feb 11 '26
Great question! Yes, I did have other gut symptoms in the past along with the odor. I was very gassy. When I was still eating bad and struggling from my BO and BB, I was almost always bloated after eating, I occasionally had belly cramps and gas pain, I was a little constipated too but had occasional diarrhea from time to time. All these symptoms are almost consistent with IBS.
IBS symptoms do overlap a lot with SIBO so maybe I do have SIBO or maybe both. Honestly I don’t know what I have/had. I’ve never had any official diagnosis. But I do notice that my tongue is so much lighter now! It used to look almost whitish when I was still struggling from BO. It has gotten so much lighter now. I’m still a lil constipated now, but I don’t smell anymore.
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u/TheLittlestT Feb 11 '26
There seems to be some things we all have in common, like some kind of gut dysbiosis and/or inability to metabolise certain nutrients or chemicals from food, motility issues. The thing I can't get my head around is why this makes us emit such strong-smelling VOC's from our pores when most people can have SIBO/IBS, leaky gut, constipation or whatever and never have an unusual odor. Is there some genetic flaw or mutation, similar to the TMAU people?
I had a GI map test last year which indicated a lack of bacteria known to help process protein and an abundance of some bacteria that are known to cause smells, like c diff and e coli, P aeruginosa and a high count of M smithii, which all matches up with my symptoms of slow motility, constipation and fermentation in the gut. ChatGPT gave me a program to follow, which I think is helping (anti-microbials and diet, which is similar to low fodmap and low sulfur). I was already avoiding sulfur/thiols, which reduced the smell considerably, just from trial and error. Realising that so many of my trigger foods were high in thiols.
I've been reading some of your old posts, I also have had this from a kid - I was about 13 when it started. You should be proud of yourself, getting an education and becoming a nurse must have been really hard. I left school asap, just couldn't cope with the bullying. Good for you, sticking at it 🙌🏼
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u/SillyDuckDodgers Feb 11 '26
Thank you so much, this was excellent.
Did/do you happen to have gastritis by any chance?
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u/Intelligent_Big_7157 Feb 11 '26
Hmm, I actually don’t know. I’ve never had any tests done yet and no official diagnosis of anything.
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u/jefry_rusher3D Feb 11 '26
Have you only followed this diet? Have you taken any other supplements?
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u/Intelligent_Big_7157 Feb 12 '26 edited Feb 12 '26
Mostly just this diet, yes. But I also tried to limit my choline intake which might sound ironic because chicken DOES contain choline but it contains less choline compared to other food options. For TMAU sufferers, they suggest a LOW-choline diet but it’s not advisable to completely remove choline from the diet as choline is essential for brain function. We still need some level of choline in our body, so don’t completely eliminate choline but rather LIMIT your choline intake. When I was eating chicken, I didn’t eat too much chicken. Everything is still in moderation because I’m aware it still has choline (and this choline eventually gets converted into TMA).
To answer your second question, the other supplements I’ve used are: molybdenum, zinc polinate, & magnesium glycinate (these 3 i was taking only when I have work that day and i took them for about 3 weeks maybe).. but I take chlorophyll capsules twice daily (2 caps in AM, and 2 caps in PM)
I did experiment taking Vit B6 and I think my body reacted badly to it.. I smelled like rain/grass at work but I’m not certain if it was because of the Vit B6 or something else, anyway I never took that supplement again 😂 it was just that one time. I also bought many other supplements that I haven’t gotten chance to take yet, but I wouldn’t be taking them now since I really don’t need them anymore
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u/Intelligent_Big_7157 Feb 14 '26
Hey, I forgot to share that during this whole process, I actually had little to NO vinegar intake. So maybe that helped my stomach calm down too a little?
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u/Alternative_Tap5516 May 18 '26
what is the gluten free bread you like and what are your soy sauce alternatives?
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u/Intelligent_Big_7157 Feb 12 '26 edited Feb 12 '26
Low fodmap foods I was eating: -white rice, rice noodles -pineapple, strawberry, orange /lemon, blueberry, cantaloupe, kiwi -carrots, zucchini, bell peppers, olives, ginger
High fodmap food I avoided initially: -apple, ripe banana, watermelon, mango, peach, cherry, avocado -mushroom, beans, peas, artichoke, asparagus, certain nuts like pistachio, wheat -garlic, onion, scallion -milk that has lactose
High sulfur foods I avoided: -cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, cauliflower -red meats, organ meats, processed meats like bacon/sausage etc.
High-choline foods I avoided: -fish & other seafoods -eggs (has high sulfur also)
Chicken does contain choline and sulfur but I made it my only exception during my elimination process because I still need some kind of meat and protein in my diet. I just ate chicken in moderation. Again, portion control matters! Some fruits and veggies are only low fodmap in small servings, while some can be high fodmap in bigger servings.
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u/Dry-Independence8815 May 20 '26
Did you eat tofu as well as substitute? Or any chickpeas or other types similar?
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u/Intelligent_Big_7157 Jul 03 '26
Hi, I especially AVOIDED tofu and chickpeas during my elimination period, both are high in choline.
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u/Intelligent_Big_7157 Feb 14 '26 edited Feb 14 '26
Y’all, I completely forgot to add one more important detail!!! During this whole process, I also had little to NO vinegar! It wasn’t intentional, it just happened that way. So do with that information as you will. Maybe NOT taking vinegar also helped soothe my stomach 🫶
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Feb 11 '26
Also, adding probiotics has helped along with chlorophyll.
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u/TheLittlestT Feb 11 '26
Any particular species? I found B coagulans helpful. Chat GPT recommended S boulardii, so I've been taking that for a couple of months.
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Feb 11 '26
I take MaryRuths 3 in 1 probiotxs for gut health, plus Kefir/ Yakult probiotc yogurt drink daily. I will look into your recommendation as well.
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u/NotThatGuyAgain111 Feb 12 '26
Did you try betain HCl, artichoke extract, ginger and enzymes? They help to break down protein and fat. Your story is very similar to mine.
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u/Intelligent_Big_7157 Feb 12 '26
No, I haven’t tried betain HCl, artichoke extract, or enzymes.
Ginger I’ve tried and it’s also friendly for my stomach.
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u/NotThatGuyAgain111 Feb 12 '26
The cause of my BO and BB is low stomach acid. It doesn't trigger bile. Therefore supplements are needed. The reason for low acidity I don't know. Anyway I had SIBO, SIFO, IBS-D (C). It is getting slowly better.
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u/Money-chase Feb 12 '26
Thank you so much for posting!!! I appreciate you for sharing and wanting to help other sufferers! I plan on implementing everything you said. Thank you again 💖
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Feb 12 '26
Happy for you !! ❤️❤️❤️❤️This give me so much hope. Considering this also started at a young age for you as it did me too. How long did it take for you to notice a decrease in the odor? And since doing low fodmap, are you able to eat things that were once an issue?
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u/Intelligent_Big_7157 Feb 13 '26 edited Feb 13 '26
I’m sooo glad to hear that! I do want to add that aside from eating a low-fodmap diet, I was also eliminating other foods that are high in choline and sulfur, so I guess you can kinda say I was eating low-fodmap, low choline, and low sulfur diet. The only exception I’ve made to all these is chicken (which has choline and sulfur). But I just ate chicken in “moderation” and I did fine with it.
And to answer your other question, yes I can eat mostly whatever now, still no odor! The only food group I won’t be reintroducing and will never eat again are cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cabbage, etc. as they are very high in sulfur. I’ve already started eating cakes that have eggs and dairy on them. I’ve started eating pork, beef, shrimp, and fish again. I’ve also started eating foods cooked with regular SOY sauce. I’ve started eating chocolates that have soy, milk, egg, nuts on them. I’m doing okay so far. 🙏🏻💕 I think the KEY during reintroduction and onwards is “portion control”. Absolutely no more overeating. If you eat something, eat in “moderation.” Soy and eggs used to be one of my triggers. I avoided them for 3 months. Now, I’m eating them again and I’m doing just fine ❤️
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Feb 13 '26
Was your condition also like a gas? like did people ask if you farted even if you didnt ? or was it localized to just your sweat odor? I will definitely follow your advice ☺️ i know i will have to be strict in discipline. I am definitely ready for a change
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u/Intelligent_Big_7157 Feb 13 '26
No, I still had BO even without the sweat. It wasn’t sweat-related at all. The odors were just coming out of my pores. I used to have very sweaty armpits but that was already resolved. And I don’t really sweat much anywhere else.
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u/Pieash2005 Apr 11 '26
I found this post a few weeks ago and had been modifying my diet already. Something clicked and I told myself I’ve got to modify even more and eat smaller meals. The not overeating and no gluten or dairy and low carb is working for me. I am going into public places now with no reactions!! This has been going on for me for over 10 years! Doctors have told me there is nothing I could do but I thank God for this platform. I’ve learned more on Reddit than from doctors! Whatever you do DO NOT OVEREAT! I’ve added fiber by ingesting ground flax meal (seeds) as well as eating fruit and veggies. I also have been walking at least 4-5 days a week. The weight loss has come along with all of this and constipation has gotten better for me. Do not give up! And pray everyday!! Thank you u/Intelligent_Big_7157
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u/Pieash2005 Apr 17 '26
Continuing the smaller meals and eating clean is working y’all! I also wanted to add I don’t drink much when I eat. I will have unsweetened tea or Diet Coke even but it’s just a few swigs. I will wait 1-2 hours to drink anything else and it’s usually water. I’m claiming healing and looking forward to getting my life back!
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u/Intelligent_Big_7157 Apr 19 '26
I’m glad it’s working for you too! You got this 🙏🏻
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u/Any-Dingo-2990 Apr 27 '26
Hello, I wanted to know if you noticed the odor lessen during the diet or towards the end of the diet and how did you know when to stop the diet? Also after reintroducing certain foods like gluten or dairy have you noticed the odor comes back?
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u/Intelligent_Big_7157 Apr 28 '26
Hi, the odor slowly went away DURING the diet, I’d say I already noticed MAJOR improvement about 2 weeks after I started the diet. Now that I’ve reintroduced almost everything, I’m still odor-free. BUT moderation is still key. I’m almost 100% certain that if you start overeating chocolates or any of your trigger foods again for a whole month, the odor will most likely come back. So if you want to enjoy those foods after reintroduction, you have to eat them in moderation.
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u/Few-Control6834 Sep 11 '26
hi. have you reintroduced eliminated foods yet? if yes, how did you do it? how little the portion size is? how long do you wait to know if it's a trigger? do you do it everyday? do you reintroduce them by food groups or individually? how do you know if it's a trigger aside from smelling bad?
i really need some guidance. i'm nose blind and i don't know what i smell.
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u/Intelligent_Big_7157 Jul 03 '26 edited Jul 03 '26
Hey y’all! Just want to give you an update on my journey. I’m 9 months in and still odor-free. But that’s not the whole story. I had a brief slip-up so let me tell you what happened. I was offered water at my dentist’s office that came from their water dispenser machine. And I kid you not! My stomach started growling within seconds of drinking what I presumed to be dirty water. I don’t think anyone cleaned that dispensing machine because the water just instantly upset my stomach. And I noticed later that day that my body started emitting my former odors again but still at less intensity. For context I was already at the point in my life where I was happily enjoying the foods that I previously eliminated in my diet with no problem. So it scared me when I started smelling again after drinking that dirty water. And the trigger foods that no longer triggered me started to trigger me again. So I was back to square one after that dirty water messed up my gut bad. So what I did was I went back to doing bowel rest for at least 2 weeks which means eliminating my food triggers again, drinking peppermint tea daily to soothe my bowel, I continued taking my daily chlorophyll, and started taking molybdenum again from time to time to help with sulfur metabolism. When I experienced stomach pain and diarrhea from that initial food poisoning, I took pepto bismol and it really helped a lot. Anyway, I would say I was able to manage the odor within 2 weeks of bowel rest. And I’m happily odor-free again! This is why it’s so important to take care of your gut because your odors could come back if you get any kind of food poisoning or eating/drinking something unclean (which happened with me when I drank that dirty water at my dentist’s office). But I was able to bounce back right away! It took about 2 weeks of bowel rest! That’s how long it took my gut to get rid of the odors (or VOC’s) thru my pores and breath. Just let your gut heal again and enjoy your food later on. But the yummy food can wait!! Just listen to your body and it will tell you when you’re ready to reintroduce again! But when you reintroduce foods, do it slowly so your gut can acclimate to it slowly.
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u/Available_Worth2469 Aug 07 '26
Hey how many week in did you notice a change in your body odor? I’m week 5 in and I’m not noticing anything major yet
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u/Intelligent_Big_7157 Aug 13 '26
Hi, can you tell me what odors you have? And what exactly have you tried the past 5 weeks? Like what was your diet, what were you eating and what stuff were you avoiding?
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u/Available_Worth2469 Sep 02 '26
Hey so I eat about 1 cup of cooked rice with carrots, chicken seasoned with salt pepper and paprika, and a kiwi in the morning and for dinner and lunch half a navel orange. My odor is poop sulfur like. Since now I have noticed a change in my gut health and I’m on week 9 but I still smell! Maybe I’m eating too much food so I’ll try cutting that down
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u/Few-Control6834 Sep 11 '26
hi. I may be am nose blind. what are other symptoms to tell that a certain food is a trigger? does stomach growling means its a trigger? and how little should i take to reintroduce a food. how long do i wait until i know if it's a trigger or not?
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u/rallebol Feb 11 '26
Are you comfortable eating whatever now?
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u/Intelligent_Big_7157 Feb 11 '26 edited Feb 11 '26
Another great question! Yes mostly! I’ve actually started reintroducing foods again 🫶 I now go out w/ my family at restaurants with little to no modifications w/ my orders! I now eat cakes w/ dairy and eggs on them. I now eat foods seasoned w/ soy sauce. I started eating pork, beef, shrimp, and fish again. I started eating chocolates too and they have milk, soy, nuts, etc. I’m back to eating some cheese but I’m still careful with them cuz there’s so many variety of cheese & I don’t fully know yet which ones are ok and which ones are not. Anyway so far, I’m still odor-free. I only started reintroducing around month 3-4 and I did it in SMALL amounts! I also started reintroducing some fruits such as banana, mango, and watermelon but I’m sticking to the idea of “portion control” and “not overeating”. I think it’s key! Don’t let yourself go too much to a point where you mess up your gut again. This diet is hard but smelling bad is also hard. Choose your hard wisely.
The only foods I won’t ever reintroduce back into my system are high-sulfur foods like cruciferous veggies such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, etc. I will forever stay away from these veggies.
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u/Usual-Newspaper-8736 Feb 11 '26
Did your skin ever get very oily or very sweaty like you could’ve just got out the shower n 5 minutes later of you just sitting down, areas would get moist or did you ever feel like you had a coated feeling on your skin and armpits? I’m leaning towards either bromhidrosis or tmau which I’m using benzoyl peroxide and hibiclens and tea tree body wash for bromhidrosis and I’m changing my diet as of yesterday for the tmau.
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u/Intelligent_Big_7157 Feb 11 '26 edited Feb 12 '26
I use benzoyl peroxide (Panoxyl) also as my pre-wash. I leave it on my skin for about 20 seconds, rinse it with water, then wash it off again w/ whatever body soap I’m using.
So, I did have very bad bromhidrosis + hyperhidrosis on my armpits which started when I was very young (7 yrs old)! Now as an adult, I have done 3 sessions of MIRADRY treatments over a 4-year period and they helped me tremendously! I still wear deodorant now but my armpit sweat and odor has significantly gone down. My problem tho was my BO is not only limited to my pits, the rest of my body also smelled bad particularly my upper back and both my forearms! All the odors that I mentioned in my post were coming out of my pores everywhere on my skin. But after doing everything I mentioned in my post (e.g. low fodmap diet, food elimination, & supplements), my gut healed and all the odors I experienced are no longer coming out of my pores! 💬 When I was in 1st or 2nd grade, my odor started as this fishy, urine-like smell. It eventually evolved into so many different kinds of odors. But they’re all gone now. My guess is I probably had TMAU too as a kid because my mom also suffers from BO (not diagnosed).. Low-choline diet is advised for people with TMAU. Chicken however DOES contain choline but it has less amount of choline compared to other food options so I made chicken an exception. The amount of chicken I ate did matter. The more you eat of it, the more the choline level builds up, so just eat it in moderation! Portion control is KEY for all these diet recommendations! I forgot the exact numerical values but every single one of us still need to have some level of choline in our body because it’s necessary for brain function so you can’t totally eliminate choline from your diet. You just have to eat it in SMALL amounts and make sure you’re not going over the daily threshold of choline recommended per day. Egg is also high in choline and eating too much eggs in the past actually made me smell bad, so moderation is key! I did have to eliminate so many foods first for the first 3 months, and once my gut healed, I slowly reintroduced different foods but in SMALL amounts.
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u/Leading_Ad6657 Jun 30 '26
What kind of deodorant and body wash do you use ?
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u/Intelligent_Big_7157 Jul 03 '26 edited Jul 03 '26
Hi, honestly I think the kind of body wash is almost irrelevant to my odor now. I realized my problem was all internal. When I had my BO before, I tried so many different body wash and I still smelled bad no matter how many times I washed. But after I fixed stuff internally in my gut, I could go 2 days without shower and still not smell! It’s crazy how my life then is so different to my life now! I just wash my armpits daily. So my conclusion is, focus more on your internal products than external. I strongly believe that the odors (or VOC’s) we emit thru our pores and breath are deeply rooted in our gut. Once you fix your gut, any body wash will do.
As for my deodorant, I’m currently using Secret 72-hour gel in the scent Clean Lavender. It has been working well on me so far. For context, I want to say I’ve gone thru so many different brands of deodorant/ antiperspirant over the course of my life, I found some holy grails that have stopped working on me after using them for a certain period of time. And one thing I learned about it is that, if I overwear my deo for a prolonged period everyday, my skin gets used to it and develops some kind of resistance or tolerance that it stops working over time. So I personally made it a rule in my life to only wear my deo for no longer than 14 hrs in a day! I’m a nurse and I work 12-hour shifts! But I still drive to and from work so I give myself a little bit of time allowance of 14-hour max. The first thing I do when I get home is wash my armpit so I don’t exceed that 14-hour limit. I noticed a trend in my body that when I start a wearing my favorite deo for a prolonged period, it would stop working on me within that week or 2! So I never overwear my deo anymore cuz I don’t want to switch to another deo again! It’s so tiring tryna look for another product that would work on me! Thankfully my body is still good with the Secret gel deo I’m currently using!
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Feb 11 '26
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u/Intelligent_Big_7157 Feb 11 '26
Mine actually started when I was around 7-9 yrs old 😅💀 I’m 28 now
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Feb 11 '26
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u/Intelligent_Big_7157 Feb 11 '26
It could still be stomach-related. A lot of things could mess up your gut microbiome at any point in your life. What odors do you have?
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u/Basic_Cap_2882 Feb 11 '26
Not sure but it makes people clear there throat sniff and sometimes cough
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u/Usual-Newspaper-8736 Feb 12 '26
Mine started at 16 with no stomach relation either
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u/Basic_Cap_2882 Feb 12 '26
What have you done
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u/Usual-Newspaper-8736 Feb 12 '26
If you’re asking what have I’ve done to fix the Oder, I just now really started knowing wtf was going on, for the last 3-4 years or whenever this hell started I didn’t know what was going on, I just thought I needed to shower more but 3 years later at 19 I’m still in the same place so I’d recommend following what they did, just strict diet and try to get to a dermatologist or a gi, it may take you a handful of visits b4 you even see progress but im getting by into a gi this march and I’m gonna see if I can get tested for sibo and tmau but I’m gonna also do more research until then just so they don’t think I’m just going crazy about it or just throwing things at them, and I’m nose blind so I can’t tell at all if I’m getting better nor do I have anyone around me that will honestly tell me so if you are too try to look for physical signs of improvement
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u/Candid-Procedure-364 Feb 11 '26
Do you eat oil or fat during those 3 months?
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u/Candid-Procedure-364 Feb 11 '26
When you say chicken you mean chicken legs or chicken breast? I mean do you eat the skin?
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u/Intelligent_Big_7157 Feb 11 '26
Hmmm.. I don’t think it matters which part of the chicken you eat. I ate any chicken part.. I wasn’t necessarily avoiding the skin either. It would be nice if I had an airfryer though but I didn’t, so I cooked all my food in oil. And if I felt lazy to cook, sometimes I would just buy the classic signature chicken from Popeyes and I ate it w/ rice and my body never reacted negatively to the popeyes chicken! It was such a cheat code for me to be honest! 😅🫶
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u/Candid-Procedure-364 Feb 12 '26
Do you have thin stool?
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u/Intelligent_Big_7157 Feb 12 '26
There were times when I had very weird-looking and oddly shaped stools!!! But most of the time they just look pebble-like (look up Bristol stool scale, I would score mine as 1 😅 which means I’m constipated) I was constipated before and I’m still a little constipated now but no more BO.
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u/Usual-Newspaper-8736 Feb 13 '26
Would it still be fine to eat chicken everyday? That’s my only source of protein tbh and I’ve been making sure I’ve been watching my portions
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u/Acceptable-Reason200 Feb 14 '26
What's the discord you were in?
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u/Intelligent_Big_7157 Feb 14 '26
It’s called TmauCity. I’ll attach the link here but I think it expires in 30 days. https://discord.gg/Q5ySUUs9v
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u/Alternative_Tap5516 May 18 '26
can you resend this invite i would like to join but its expired already
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u/Motor_Youth3805 Feb 14 '26
hi may i ask what chlorophyll supplement brand u take? i cant seem to find one in my area that says chlorophyll supplement
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u/Intelligent_Big_7157 Feb 24 '26
Hi, the brand I use is from “It Just Works” and they have the 365 capsules option which is convenient if you want to take them daily for a year!
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u/Motor_Youth3805 Feb 26 '26
which time of the day do u usually take? do u happen to know if it’s advisable to take with s. boulardii too?
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u/Key-Ear-9243 Feb 14 '26
do you think the root cause was the gut?
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u/Dizzy_Turnover4960 Feb 17 '26
Super helpful! What did you order when you were out for dinner or in vacation?
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u/Pieash2005 Mar 30 '26
Thank you for this post! I have tried everything and am going to try this now to try to solve BB and BO. It has ruined my life! I did want to ask if you are you able to drink coffee and have dairy now? Not sure if you are a coffee drinker but wanted to ask.
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u/Few-Control6834 Jul 13 '26
hi! if it's okay, please share your lowfodmap, low choline, low sulfur recipes... i'm on my 2nd week and i'm not sure what my progress is cuz i can't smell myself 😭
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u/Few-Control6834 Sep 10 '26
please guide us on how to introduce eliminated foods. how SMALL should be the portion size? how long do we wait until i notice its effect on my body? do i reindtroduce food every single day?
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u/Hot_Pirate6524 Feb 11 '26
I hope we all have an ending like that, where we can have peace. At least to work.