I'm on day 11 of ABX, but I had this problem on and off before starting ABX. I have been sweating again and have this...vinegarish, sour smell. My son also has this so badly that I have to make his bed with a double folded, thin blanket (hospital blanket actually), a fitted sheet, a mattress protector, another fitted sheet and then the flat one and blanket/comforter.
I have 3 sets of all the "layers" and blankets/comforters for him because all of it has to be washed like every 5 days. I also put pillow protectors on his pillows. I am not that bad, but I'd love to know what is causing it.
Growing up I never (ok, rarely) sweated and only used deodorant on occassion, I certainly didn't have this weird smell. I think my kids and hubby all have Lyme, but my son and I are the only ones that have this problem & I am the only one be treated right now also.
Does anybody know about this or how to treat it?
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
This has been asked before. Do a search in Medical and in General. Need help with that??
I know there are others who have the same problem.
Posted by mom2kids (Member # 31972) on :
Ok and thanks Lymetoo, I always forget about the search thing.
Oh and James, tread lightly if you reply to this please.....
Posted by sutherngrl (Member # 16270) on :
At my worst, my pitts would sweat and I would smell weird(bad). My doc said it was caused by lyme. Thank goodness with treatment this has cleared up.
Posted by James1979 (Member # 31926) on :
What...
is...
that...
SMELL?!! Good riddance! I knew something was wrong when I woke up this morning!
Mom, are you really from Rhode Island. I was certain that the perpetrator was at least 1 or 2 states away from me, at the most.
Just kidding. I actually don't make jokes about peoples' smells, because I smell worse than everybody! My feet especially always smell yeasty. I can't wait to get off of these antibiotics!!
Posted by kam (Member # 3410) on :
It does have something to do with the lyme disease. I recall my LLMD teling me I didnt' stink anymore....
..He said it in a more professional way
Posted by momintexas (Member # 23391) on :
I think it could be from a lot of things. The abx can be causing it or a need for detoxing.
Are you doing anything for detox? Our favorite is taking warm epsom salt baths with peroxide.
And drink lots of lemon water to help flush yourself out. Posted by mom2kids (Member # 31972) on :
James, I'll try to stay downwind from you until I smell better.
Momintexas, I did 2 epsom salt baths this week, but not peroxide. I managed to stay in the bath 15 minutes the second time, but the heat makes me sick so it's hard to stay in long. During and right after the bath I think I smelled like wet dog. It seems both my son and I have the smell mostly while we are sleeping. It seems the strongest then anyway.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Why? Toxins. Die-off.
Lots of water - and Liver, kidney, lymph support (with food, nutritional supplements, movement) should help.
I recall this as a problem I had early on - especially when I wore synthetic clothes.
Cotton is King:
All cotton fabrics, lighter in colors (so less dye), organic cotton (if at all possible) for your nightwear may be helpful.
Even 5% of any synthetic fiber still makes me sweat like a pig and smell like one, too. Be sure to read the fine print for all fabrics. Also avoid over-dyed items. These often appear very vibrant but the wash water will be telling. If the item bleeds out in washing, don't wear it.
Cotton knit casual clothes can be found through LL Bean for the best quality. Lands' End, too, but I've found that the quality of their fabrics has sharply declined in recent years.
Wearing of skirts is best, as much as you can, so that your legs can breath. If you can't find cotton skirts, at least a cotton slip under other synthetic fabric will help. Rather than full length tights, try cotton sock for around the house and knee highs (and longer skirts) when you go out.
Finding knee highs and tights that don't have a ton of dye is very difficult, though. Vermont Country Store might be a place to start. If your legwear dye bleeds when washing out in the sink, just say "no" as much as possible. It's also impossible to find tights in all cotton but you might try SMART WOOL knee socks.
Warning: all cotton white women's underwear by Hanes has an sickening sweet permanent scent. it will not come out - no matter how many washings (I tried and tried). If you get any underwear that is scented, just return it. Some companies are actually infusing scents into the fabric. Really. Ugh.
Regarding bed linens that are next to the skin, whether over or under. ANY synthetics can cause more sweating. As the weather is getting cooler, fleece blankets can feel cozy but cause sweating. To keep the heat but make it more breathable, I find that cotton blanket buffer to help. Keep the cotton closer to you.
Cotton sheets can be found at LL Bean, The Company Store and other places. Again, even a small percentage of a synthetic fiber makes me sweat all through the night.
While a mattress protector may be necessary, that can actually cause much more sweating. I have to have as much cotton in my mattress cover as possible.
I hope the mattress is not new. The newer ones have more chemicals. But that's another whole chapter.
Even the pillow matters. Try wrapping an all cotton towel around the pillow and its protective cover, then add an all cotton pillow case. Even a tiny bit of synthetic fiber in a pillow case can case sweating.
Many times, I had to use ONLY a cotton towel, rolled up as a pillow. Many pillows can also off-gas and emit toxins.
Avoid fabrics that are treated in ANY way as they contain toxic chemicals. Wrinkle free = teflon. Not good. Stain resistant treating = teflon. Never good.
Personal care products:
Be sure to avoid any petroleum in any kind of soaps or skin care products you use. Petroleum-free is key. Here's one good company: Avalon Organics through VitaCost:
* The astounding chlorophyll content of chlorella and spirulina - by Mike Adams
Excerpt:
. . . Chlorophyll does much more than protect you from mercury, however: it's also a general detoxifier that supports liver function so that your liver can do a better job of eliminating toxins from your system.
[ 09-25-2011, 01:41 PM: Message edited by: Keebler ]
Posted by James1979 (Member # 31926) on :
Keebler - thanks a lot for the excellent info!
mom2kids - why aren't you putting h2o2 in the bath? I think it helps a lot with the smells, plus it's just healthy in general.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- James, glad to hear something here may be of help for all those with this problem. More thoughts: ------
Kidney Function ?
I forgot to mention: ask your LLMD if kidney function tests might be in order. My guess is that you and your son are being monitored but, just in case, be sure to mention it.
Also talk to the LLMD before about any supplement you consider. It may be redundant or contraindicated in some cases. Besides, if something helps, they need to know all the ingredients of the overall mix to be clear on what is / isn't working. My guess is that spirulina will be fine but it's just good for your LLMD to know and offer advice on dosing, timing, etc.
Going GREEN. You may already be doing this but if not, it's really important: leafy greens with EVERY meal of the day. Lightly steam kale, chard, collard, bok choy, spinach.
For breakfast (or any meal), a dash of nutmeg on spinach or chard is rather nice. All these greens can be seasoned many different ways with spices and herbs that also help with healing.
Even if you add spirulina or a liquid chlorophyll, leafy greens 3 x a day are vital.
Gut & colon health ?
As your gut health is connected to body odor, you might also be sure you have the probiotics and fiber that you need.
Most lyme patients are advised to follow a gluten-free diet. This will also help the gut tremendously in most cases. -
[ 09-25-2011, 03:20 PM: Message edited by: Keebler ]
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- I just happened to be reading his post on why his mother did not eat hospital food and saw this: ----------------------
[Sept. 23 post is interesting in that it discussed infection as causing autoimmune disorders . . . but] for purposes of this thread, sticking to toxins that can cause sweating and body odor, see what he says about hormone disruption from treated fabrics:
Scroll down to entry for:
Monday, September 5, 2011
It is getting harder and harder for all of us to maintain our optimal health. . . .
. . . Even our clothing can contain toxic chemicals. In my book, Iodine Why You Need It, Why You Can't Live Without It, I discuss the widespread problems with bromine toxicity.
Bromine is a toxic halide that is used as a fire retardant in many consumer products such as clothing (and food).
Bromine is the most common toxic item that I have identified in my patients. In my book, I discuss safe and effective ways to detoxify bromine including supplementing with iodine.
It is not just bromine that we need to be concerned with. Greenpeace reported that samples of clothing from 14 top clothing manufacturers were contaminated with chemicals known as nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPE's).
NPE's break down into nonylphenol which is considered a toxic, persistent organic pollutant. That means it is not easily broken down and it can last in the environment for a long period of time.
NPE toxicity comes from its ability to mimic and bind to estrogen receptors in the body.
These chemicals have been found to cause the feminization of male fish as well as to disrupt hormones in mammals (including humans).
Greenpeace purchased 78 branded clothing samples from 18 countries including China, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines in order to complete their study.
These clothes were manufactured by 14 different companies including Adidas, Uniqlo, Calvin Klein, H&M, Abercrombie & Fitch, Lacoste, Converse, and Ralph Lauren. (On a side note, I am writing this blog sitting at my computer wearing a Ralph Lauren polo shirt.)
If our clothing contains toxic chemicals, what can you do? -- [clink on link above to read the rest of this blog entry as it's quite entailed.] . . .
Iodine Why You Need It, Why You Can't Live Without It - by David Brownstein, M.D. -
Posted by momintexas (Member # 23391) on :
Thanks for the all of the information Keebler!
I also wanted to add that when you take an epsom salt/peroxide bath to make sure the water is warm and NOT HOT.
I felt awful the first few times I tried the detox baths. Thanks to Keebler pointing out to me in an old post that it needed to be warm instead of hot in order to keep from putting the body under more stress.
The water being warm made a huge difference.
Posted by James1979 (Member # 31926) on :
momintexas - can you please show me where that post is? I've been wondering about this recently. I even asked a question about it on a thread about IR heaters.
Last night I took a bath that was so hot that I almost passed out. In order not to drown, I had to keep telling myself: "Before you pass out, just make sure you pull the drain plug. Before you pass out, just make sure you pull the drain plug." Then I figured that when things start to get blurry and I start losing it, either I'll remember to pull the drain plug, or I'll drown.
I've been curious what's the best temperature to keep the bath, because Tom Grier says to make it uncomfortably hot. Other people have said to make it hot so that we sweat more and the pores get opened.
Thanks
Posted by nonna05 (Member # 33557) on :
Also Brucellosis, another skeet-type infection gives off a wet hay smell. psudenomous???spelling, infection gives off a strong smell
Posted by Robin123 (Member # 9197) on :
Thx, Keebler - you're back helping here again!!
Try using 50% rubbing alcohol, especially for deodorant, and see how it works anywhere else!
Posted by momintexas (Member # 23391) on :
James - I cannot find it unfortunately. It only goes back 50 posts for me.
I'll keep looking but so far I can't find it. It was a long time ago.
Posted by James1979 (Member # 31926) on :
momintexas - don't worry about it. Thanks a lot for looking! I'm just glad to hear that overheating is related to some kind of a stress response. I'm sure I'll run into more info later.
Bless your heart.
Posted by missing (Member # 22437) on :
That happened to me too!
Before i started on Lyme treatment, I smelled like sour vinegar.
We thought it was because we had moved to the country and had no more chlorine in the water anymore, and therefore our clothes were not being cleaned of the odours the same way.
Then my husband thought that he was smelling that smell on himself too.
I could never smell it on him, only me.
Now, after 2 years of being on these abx, the smells are gone, real or imagined.
Good topic, and all the replies were very interesting.
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