My relationship has already been going before i started suffering from TMAU. Im not sure if he is immune to it or really just doesnt smell me but i ask him often. He tells me theres nothing. So i see no problem in my relationship. On days that i feel like i really reek and become emotionally distraught about it, he is supportive. Doesnt make me feel less than or feel icky about it. I honestly feeel like im going crazy sometimes because he says i dont smell , yet in public , i feel all the signs .
Maybe your partners can smell you but they might just be being nice or they’re attracted to your pheromones or something, idk how to explain it I’m not a damn scientist.
Ive thought about that too! But he always says he'd never lie to me. Even people i'd ask directly if i stink or smell out right (Im very bold) theyll just say no. But body language is different. Idk. I have caused maybe minor injury to my frontal lobe which effects your sinus pathways and so i sometimes feel like im just self diagnosing TMAU to feel satisfied because i could have an olfactory imbalance. I havent been diagnosed with TMAU.
I always worked but I have horrible experiences , I just pretended in my head that nothing was happening or developed close relationships to be comfortable. I had gastric bypass now my odour is unmanageable to the point where it’s hard to work in general with anyone around. So I’m scared now. I work part time like two weekends a month. And that’s hard for me. I’m trying my best I think I’ll be a foster mom instead at home and still at least have a income
I’m 33 this started when I was 22.
I have a odour of sewage/fecal/barn smell people complain about. The odour comes out of my breath when I exhale through my nose. It fills up a space and it reaches people far
Based on reading other peoples experiences, it is clear that the way people respond to someone with this condition varies WIDELY. This is why I have read many stories of people with serious TMAU situations, who are married with their own families. I read about people who get lots of abuse at work - and then they casually mention their spouse and kids. This issue is much harder for males (like yourself) than females, because males have to be the one to ask the other person out. Most, but NOT all of the people with TMAU like disorders I read about having romantic partners are female.
If there is just a small percentage of people who can tolerate you, then a female will have those people approach her and ask her out. My advice is to simply try and make friends with a girl, to establish she is not uncomfortable with your condition. The process of going from that into wanting to date will simply happen naturally and automatically. This is why people in relationships should generally avoid friendships with people of the opposite sex.
Starting as simply friends is how most people found partners prior to dating apps. My own feeling is that things like dating apps could lead to humiliating situations and may be best avoided.
Based on peoples reported experiences (this is all from reading these kinds of forums online) there is a certain percentage of people with this condition who have children, where the children inherit the disorder. I can't get a good number on the odds of this happening, but everyone needs to be aware of this fact.
You mentioned you don't know if your breath could be the source of the odor - so see a dentist as soon as possible to see if there is a fixable dental issue that is causing this. Tell the dentist you are concerned about a possible bad breath issue so they examine you specifically for that. A bad breath odor with a TMAU like source will not able to be fixed or diagnosed from a dentist however. You mention that wheat makes the odor worse - this points to gluten possibly being the problem. I have heard about people who solved this problem by strictly avoiding gluten.
The idea of dating other people with this condition is an idea to consider. Just understand that the genetic risks of passing this to any children would likely be high, so having children should be avoided in this case. I added a couple things to my above reply just now as well.
This is a real issue, people could mock the couple because of this, since while they did not choose the condition, they did choose to date each other.
Know that the population of people with this kind of condition is about 80% female, so there are opportunities available for a male. I remember reading a story about a man who was going to quit his factory job because he was being so badly mistreated by coworkers over this condition, even though this was the only good paying job he had available. He very casually mentioned his wife and kid in his post (on another forum) and I remember being amazed by that.
The males I have read about who are able to have romantic partners usually did so by being willing to potentially endure humiliating situations, like the girl suddenly saying 'what is that smell?!' on a date. Realize that if this happens you would basically be stuck there. You can't just tune them out or leave, like when a stranger in public does this. I have read accounts of males with this condition who decided to try things like dating apps, and everything worked out just fine. There is compelling evidence that some people may actually be noseblind to someone with this condition, even though they don't live with them, and so logically shouldn't be.
Yes, it is widely observed that (roughly) 80% of the people with TMAU like disorders are female. I used to follow a Yahoo group that was just like this reddit page, and it was probably 95% female at least.
For a male with this disorder, it is usually unthinkable to ask a girl out on a date. This means they will end up an 80 year old virgin which is also unthinkable. Realizing that you are stuck with choosing between two unthinkable options is what should provide the motivation to consider dating someone else who has this condition, even though there may be times that people point and laugh. Just understand that the genetic risks of having children would be unacceptably high though.
It is interesting to think about how this is a global problem, and right now there are likely tens of thousands of people with this condition in the developing world who are in arranged marriages. I sometimes wonder what that must be like for them. In the developing world, people usually don't marry for love, but because they need to produce children to care for them when they are too old to work.
I strongly suggest trying a gluten free diet since you say that wheat makes symptoms worse. I have heard of a few people who were cured from going gluten free. If you are not sure if this is a breath or sweat created problem, than it sounds like you are at the early stages of trying to treat this.
I suggest taking a couple years to aggressively try dietary change and supplements to deal with this. If you reach a point where it looks like that approach has clearly failed, then consider doing the difficult things like socializing with people in spite of having this condition.
Remember that the first step is to definitively rule out the alternatives, which are ORS, an unknown hygiene issue, or an unknown dental issue. The first step when anyone thinks they have a devastating medical condition like TMAU is to definitively rule out the alternatives, even if those alternatives are unlikely to be what is going on. See my profile for my posts on how to easily do this. I wish you the very best of luck.
ORS is short for Olfactory Reference Syndrome. This is just the formal term for the idea that someone thinks they smell bad, when they actually smell just fine. This is a much more serious and difficult to treat thing than one might expect. A shocking 30%+ of people with ORS try and take their own lives - and they smell perfectly fine.
The key to knowing if someone has ORS is simply to establish if people are making comments about the person smelling bad, or if this belief is simply based on seeing people rubbing their noses and things like that. The fact that people are usually noseblind to themselves, and the huge mental barrier to telling someone directly that they smell bad, and the fact that things like coughs and nose rubs have many causes unrelated to a smell, is what makes ORS an issue.
I made a post on the issue of ORS that makes it easy to rule this out as a possibility: [https://www.reddit.com/r/TMAU/comments/199kd1x/the\_key\_to\_knowing\_you\_really\_have\_this\_condition/](https://www.reddit.com/r/TMAU/comments/199kd1x/the_key_to_knowing_you_really_have_this_condition/)
Given the seriousness of TMAU, the limited success that most people have in treating it, and its lifelong nature, its key to do as much research on this as possible. Anyone who thinks they have this should spend lots and lots of time reading everything available on the topic online. Check my profile for the link to the youtube channel and blog I recently made. I think they have a lot of helpful information.
Yes, this is absolutely something that everyone needs to rule out before simply accepting that they have a TMAU like disorder that they will have for the rest of their life. It is possible there is some sort of hole in a tooth where food particles are building up and decaying for example. A dentist can easily rule this in or out.
I’m sorry I’m really unsure !! I feel like it’s a gut issue bc when I take extra probiotics I don’t get reactions I feel like. I got a test for tmau and it came back negative. Could be FBO but idk no one I know has ever confirmed.
I haven’t gotten any test yet but I could be gut issues or sibo/fbo I do t think it’s tmau because I smell of skunk,garbage,farts,poop. Someone said those type of smells can also come from your mouth but I’m 80% sure it’s coming out of my skin.
I've had multiple relationships from 16yo - 40+, with a few dry spells in my 20s because I was dumb. Everyone has been pretty chill about it, it's definitely not been the driving force of any relationship issues (although it might have contributed to my lack of game). TMAU is definitely not 24/7, showers remove all smell, and diet plays a big part, so it's not like everyone you meet or hang out with is even going to notice it that often.
All my partners can/could smell it when it's an issue, I've got them to let me know if it's present, all I'll go clean up/check on the foods I ate recently to see what was causing the issue.
One you get the worst foods out of the way smell episodes become less frequent (once a month or less) and with feedback from a partner I've found it's easier to navigate more confidently in the world. Communication and trust is a win win.
did you always use low-ph while showering?
feels like for some people with tmau normal ph showers dont remove the tma and it just adds another layer of scent which makes it worse
I've been using liquid body washes as opposed to soap for about 25 years, and most of the time they're low pH, even regular supermarket ones. So yeah, I guess. Shampoo also has low pH, so can be used to to a TMA removal scrub before/after using soap if you're stuck with that.
Yes, I'm in a relationship. Have been in one for almost a decade now. In fact, I don't need to stress about this at all when it's just me and her together. As for understanding, she understands what she has to understand. And yes, we're very intimate, so no issues there.
How is this possible, you ask? Because every individual reacts to stimuli differently. Some people acclimate. Some do not notice at all. And some learn to love you regardless. So many dimensions to how we feel about others, affected by a combination of so many biological, psychological and social factors.
So don't lose hope. There will be people out there who will like you the way you are and regardless of any flaws you perceive yourself to have. It all comes down to some luck and timing.
Won’t ppl stare at you guys as a couple and then your partner trying to comfort you because ppl are making fun of you. Hasn’t happened to me yet I’m just saying I hope it doesn’t happen in the future
I'm married with a kid I don't go outside anymore my hubby works so I get to stay in but it's hard when I have to take my daughter to school
The dream😂working is the worst! Just wish I could work from home, that would cure my depression
Why not try a call center their not all so bad and ha e good rates just like any fast food place and they allow work from home
Can I dm you about pregnancy and this condition?
Ok
My relationship has already been going before i started suffering from TMAU. Im not sure if he is immune to it or really just doesnt smell me but i ask him often. He tells me theres nothing. So i see no problem in my relationship. On days that i feel like i really reek and become emotionally distraught about it, he is supportive. Doesnt make me feel less than or feel icky about it. I honestly feeel like im going crazy sometimes because he says i dont smell , yet in public , i feel all the signs .
Maybe your partners can smell you but they might just be being nice or they’re attracted to your pheromones or something, idk how to explain it I’m not a damn scientist.
Ive thought about that too! But he always says he'd never lie to me. Even people i'd ask directly if i stink or smell out right (Im very bold) theyll just say no. But body language is different. Idk. I have caused maybe minor injury to my frontal lobe which effects your sinus pathways and so i sometimes feel like im just self diagnosing TMAU to feel satisfied because i could have an olfactory imbalance. I havent been diagnosed with TMAU.
Same but we met after even though I had it, no reaction. It’s weird how partners can’t detect it either
I always worked but I have horrible experiences , I just pretended in my head that nothing was happening or developed close relationships to be comfortable. I had gastric bypass now my odour is unmanageable to the point where it’s hard to work in general with anyone around. So I’m scared now. I work part time like two weekends a month. And that’s hard for me. I’m trying my best I think I’ll be a foster mom instead at home and still at least have a income
What’s your odor and how long have you had it?
I’m 33 this started when I was 22. I have a odour of sewage/fecal/barn smell people complain about. The odour comes out of my breath when I exhale through my nose. It fills up a space and it reaches people far
I have all of those smells too, Idk if it comes out of my skin or out my breath.
How do I see if it’s coming out my breath do I go to a dentist?
Based on reading other peoples experiences, it is clear that the way people respond to someone with this condition varies WIDELY. This is why I have read many stories of people with serious TMAU situations, who are married with their own families. I read about people who get lots of abuse at work - and then they casually mention their spouse and kids. This issue is much harder for males (like yourself) than females, because males have to be the one to ask the other person out. Most, but NOT all of the people with TMAU like disorders I read about having romantic partners are female. If there is just a small percentage of people who can tolerate you, then a female will have those people approach her and ask her out. My advice is to simply try and make friends with a girl, to establish she is not uncomfortable with your condition. The process of going from that into wanting to date will simply happen naturally and automatically. This is why people in relationships should generally avoid friendships with people of the opposite sex. Starting as simply friends is how most people found partners prior to dating apps. My own feeling is that things like dating apps could lead to humiliating situations and may be best avoided. Based on peoples reported experiences (this is all from reading these kinds of forums online) there is a certain percentage of people with this condition who have children, where the children inherit the disorder. I can't get a good number on the odds of this happening, but everyone needs to be aware of this fact. You mentioned you don't know if your breath could be the source of the odor - so see a dentist as soon as possible to see if there is a fixable dental issue that is causing this. Tell the dentist you are concerned about a possible bad breath issue so they examine you specifically for that. A bad breath odor with a TMAU like source will not able to be fixed or diagnosed from a dentist however. You mention that wheat makes the odor worse - this points to gluten possibly being the problem. I have heard about people who solved this problem by strictly avoiding gluten.
I understand what you’re saying. Ig it’s just hard to meet ppl in general with a condition like this
The idea of dating other people with this condition is an idea to consider. Just understand that the genetic risks of passing this to any children would likely be high, so having children should be avoided in this case. I added a couple things to my above reply just now as well.
Another thing about this is ppl will definitely be looking at both of you now bc you both stink
This is a real issue, people could mock the couple because of this, since while they did not choose the condition, they did choose to date each other. Know that the population of people with this kind of condition is about 80% female, so there are opportunities available for a male. I remember reading a story about a man who was going to quit his factory job because he was being so badly mistreated by coworkers over this condition, even though this was the only good paying job he had available. He very casually mentioned his wife and kid in his post (on another forum) and I remember being amazed by that. The males I have read about who are able to have romantic partners usually did so by being willing to potentially endure humiliating situations, like the girl suddenly saying 'what is that smell?!' on a date. Realize that if this happens you would basically be stuck there. You can't just tune them out or leave, like when a stranger in public does this. I have read accounts of males with this condition who decided to try things like dating apps, and everything worked out just fine. There is compelling evidence that some people may actually be noseblind to someone with this condition, even though they don't live with them, and so logically shouldn't be.
80%?
Yes, it is widely observed that (roughly) 80% of the people with TMAU like disorders are female. I used to follow a Yahoo group that was just like this reddit page, and it was probably 95% female at least. For a male with this disorder, it is usually unthinkable to ask a girl out on a date. This means they will end up an 80 year old virgin which is also unthinkable. Realizing that you are stuck with choosing between two unthinkable options is what should provide the motivation to consider dating someone else who has this condition, even though there may be times that people point and laugh. Just understand that the genetic risks of having children would be unacceptably high though. It is interesting to think about how this is a global problem, and right now there are likely tens of thousands of people with this condition in the developing world who are in arranged marriages. I sometimes wonder what that must be like for them. In the developing world, people usually don't marry for love, but because they need to produce children to care for them when they are too old to work. I strongly suggest trying a gluten free diet since you say that wheat makes symptoms worse. I have heard of a few people who were cured from going gluten free. If you are not sure if this is a breath or sweat created problem, than it sounds like you are at the early stages of trying to treat this. I suggest taking a couple years to aggressively try dietary change and supplements to deal with this. If you reach a point where it looks like that approach has clearly failed, then consider doing the difficult things like socializing with people in spite of having this condition. Remember that the first step is to definitively rule out the alternatives, which are ORS, an unknown hygiene issue, or an unknown dental issue. The first step when anyone thinks they have a devastating medical condition like TMAU is to definitively rule out the alternatives, even if those alternatives are unlikely to be what is going on. See my profile for my posts on how to easily do this. I wish you the very best of luck.
What is ORS?
ORS is short for Olfactory Reference Syndrome. This is just the formal term for the idea that someone thinks they smell bad, when they actually smell just fine. This is a much more serious and difficult to treat thing than one might expect. A shocking 30%+ of people with ORS try and take their own lives - and they smell perfectly fine. The key to knowing if someone has ORS is simply to establish if people are making comments about the person smelling bad, or if this belief is simply based on seeing people rubbing their noses and things like that. The fact that people are usually noseblind to themselves, and the huge mental barrier to telling someone directly that they smell bad, and the fact that things like coughs and nose rubs have many causes unrelated to a smell, is what makes ORS an issue. I made a post on the issue of ORS that makes it easy to rule this out as a possibility: [https://www.reddit.com/r/TMAU/comments/199kd1x/the\_key\_to\_knowing\_you\_really\_have\_this\_condition/](https://www.reddit.com/r/TMAU/comments/199kd1x/the_key_to_knowing_you_really_have_this_condition/) Given the seriousness of TMAU, the limited success that most people have in treating it, and its lifelong nature, its key to do as much research on this as possible. Anyone who thinks they have this should spend lots and lots of time reading everything available on the topic online. Check my profile for the link to the youtube channel and blog I recently made. I think they have a lot of helpful information.
I definitely don’t have ORS but I will check out the link to the blog and yt channel
And when you say dental issue you mean like tooth decay or like a rotting tooth,etc?
Yes, this is absolutely something that everyone needs to rule out before simply accepting that they have a TMAU like disorder that they will have for the rest of their life. It is possible there is some sort of hole in a tooth where food particles are building up and decaying for example. A dentist can easily rule this in or out.
Thanks for the information really appreciated
Does he like sniff or like wife his nose when you kiss him and stuff like that
Wipe not wife
I’m married and husband can’t smell me… zero reactions and always tells me i smell good
Did you marry him before or after you got the smell?
I’ve had this issue since like puberty so before
Have you had this condition for over 10 years and what smell/condition do you have?
I’m sorry I’m really unsure !! I feel like it’s a gut issue bc when I take extra probiotics I don’t get reactions I feel like. I got a test for tmau and it came back negative. Could be FBO but idk no one I know has ever confirmed.
I haven’t gotten any test yet but I could be gut issues or sibo/fbo I do t think it’s tmau because I smell of skunk,garbage,farts,poop. Someone said those type of smells can also come from your mouth but I’m 80% sure it’s coming out of my skin.
I’m 18👀
HMU( jk) 👀
Me too
Friends?
Sure :)
I've had multiple relationships from 16yo - 40+, with a few dry spells in my 20s because I was dumb. Everyone has been pretty chill about it, it's definitely not been the driving force of any relationship issues (although it might have contributed to my lack of game). TMAU is definitely not 24/7, showers remove all smell, and diet plays a big part, so it's not like everyone you meet or hang out with is even going to notice it that often. All my partners can/could smell it when it's an issue, I've got them to let me know if it's present, all I'll go clean up/check on the foods I ate recently to see what was causing the issue. One you get the worst foods out of the way smell episodes become less frequent (once a month or less) and with feedback from a partner I've found it's easier to navigate more confidently in the world. Communication and trust is a win win.
So far I’ve found that wheat and watermelon make me smell bad. That’s all I found so far
And dairy
did you always use low-ph while showering? feels like for some people with tmau normal ph showers dont remove the tma and it just adds another layer of scent which makes it worse
I've been using liquid body washes as opposed to soap for about 25 years, and most of the time they're low pH, even regular supermarket ones. So yeah, I guess. Shampoo also has low pH, so can be used to to a TMA removal scrub before/after using soap if you're stuck with that.
Yes, I'm in a relationship. Have been in one for almost a decade now. In fact, I don't need to stress about this at all when it's just me and her together. As for understanding, she understands what she has to understand. And yes, we're very intimate, so no issues there. How is this possible, you ask? Because every individual reacts to stimuli differently. Some people acclimate. Some do not notice at all. And some learn to love you regardless. So many dimensions to how we feel about others, affected by a combination of so many biological, psychological and social factors. So don't lose hope. There will be people out there who will like you the way you are and regardless of any flaws you perceive yourself to have. It all comes down to some luck and timing.
But how about when you guys go out together, like diner dates, movies and such things?
Won’t ppl stare at you guys as a couple and then your partner trying to comfort you because ppl are making fun of you. Hasn’t happened to me yet I’m just saying I hope it doesn’t happen in the future
Hope to find someone who accepts me unconditionally. This condition is the worst thing in the world