{"id":32224,"date":"2026-03-16T21:04:54","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T02:04:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/?p=32224"},"modified":"2026-03-16T21:40:50","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T02:40:50","slug":"my-breath-smells-like-an-open-sewer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/2026\/03\/16\/my-breath-smells-like-an-open-sewer","title":{"rendered":"\u201cMy Breath Smells Like An Open Sewer\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

*Repost from April 4, 2016<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Robert\u2019s breath had become his worst nightmare<\/a> and as a consequence he knew was starting to isolate himself socially. For three years, he\u2019d tried every over-the-counter remedy. When he walked, Tic Tacs rattled in several pockets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Robert had seen specialists, had his teeth cleaned every three months, and followed a twice-daily oral regimen that included flossing, brushing, and jet-streaming his gums.  The finale was a vicious tongue-scraping that left his taste buds raw and aching. He\u2019d then blast whatever was left with undiluted mouthwash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Robert had tried everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe tongue-scraping is especially horrible,\u201d he told me. \u201cI can actually smell that sewer odor coming from that guck I scrape off.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One doctor said it was all in his mind, that he should see a good psychiatrist because his breath might be a symbol of some deeper issue and that he might be sinking into the terrain of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Robert was intelligent enough to consider this for a moment, but because his wife had recently remarked that his breath was interfering with their lovemaking he skipped checking the mental health benefits on his insurance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An otorhinolaryngologist (ear, nose, throat specialist) scoped his sinuses and pronounced them clean. A gastroenterologist (GI) scoped his esophagus and stomach and found nothing out of the ordinary. The GI doc was less than hopeful. \u201cMy brother has had bad breath since he was 20. He\u2019s 50 now and spent a fortune trying to figure it out. Nothing. Nada. He lives on Certs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Robert offered the doctor a Tic Tac and left the office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My meeting with Robert<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When I first saw Robert I was not hopeful. First of all, I couldn\u2019t smell a thing, which isn\u2019t saying much because I have a dreadful sense of smell. He\u2019d already read one of my previous Health Tips citing poor digestion as a possible cause of bad breath, but a month of digestive enzymes <\/a><\/a>and betaine<\/a> didn\u2019t make a dent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I reviewed Robert\u2019s entire health history and there wasn\u2019t much. He did have some heartburn (gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD) that he\u2019d self-treated on an as-needed basis with Nexium, one of the proton-pump inhibitors that reduce stomach acid. Robert told me he had frequent bloating, but generally his bowels were regular and there were no particular foods that gave him trouble. Except for seeing a dermatologist for some stubborn rosacea, there was nothing really wrong with him that decapitation couldn\u2019t cure (I knew he\u2019d laugh when I told him this).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since he already had a primary physician (who had pronounced him healthy) and had been pretty thoroughly tested by other doctors, I ordered two tests of his gastrointestinal function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n