From: "Steve Harris" <sbharris@ix.RETICULATEDOBJECTcom.com>
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Unusual Body Odor
Date: Wed, 12 Jun 2002 12:01:13 -0700
Message-ID: <ae85r8$3t1$1@slb3.atl.mindspring.net>

Chuck Yeager wrote in message ...
>Over the past several months I've had unusual smelling sweat when working
>out.  I'm a 30 year old male.  I have not changed my eating habits, nor
>have I started on any medications.  The best way to describe the smell is
>that of garbage, it also smells a little like semen (no flames...this is
>what my wife says when she does my laundry).  I have had no one directly
>complain about the smell, but I can definitely notice it when I am
>running.
>
>The odor has some unusual characteristics.  Firstly, it occurs even
>though I usually shower 1 to 2 hours before I work out, in other words I
>am clean. It only occurs on my upper chest area, just below my neck and
>across the collar bone area.  I wear deodorant and it does NOT smell
>underneath my arms (arm pits).  Finally, it only occurs when I work out.
>I do not have this problem in everyday life, even when I'm a little
>sweaty.
>
>Other observations:  Over the past year I've noticed that yellow arm pit
>stains have developed in my white shirts.  This actually proceeded the
>odor problem.  I've been an athletic type all my life, and this is a
>fairly common phenomenon, but a recent one for me.  In doing research
>about this I understood this to be a function of the aluminum contained
>in deodorant. However, since the odor has started, the staining has
>increased greatly. During one particular workout, I experienced a very
>heavy odor, one that was so bad (to me) that I left the gym early to
>shower.  When I got home, the white t-shirt I was wearing was yellow
>stained around the collar and down the center of my chest (basically the
>same areas I have the order problem). This was a first.
>
>I have not noticed any changes in other body fluids such as urine.  Also,
>I do not eat a high protein diet, which I am told can cause this type of
>problem when your body burns protein.  One last note, I recently had a
>full blood workup by my physician and all results were normal.
>
>Any help or advice is greatly appreciated.
>
>--Chuck


COMMENT:

The yellow armpit stains may actually be riboflavin if you're started a
mega-B vitamin about the time when you started working out.

As for the rest-- what other supplements did you or did you not start at the
time?  Garlic?  Selenium in a new sports supplement? Have you become of big
fan of asparagus (which only some people can smell, but those who can say it
does vaguely smell awfully funky).

I only know of one supplement that is much good for body odor in the
positive sense, and that's high dose vitamin E (mixed natural tocopherols,
800 IU a day, taken as 400 IU with 2 highest fat meals of the day).  You
might try that and see if it helps.

SBH



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