Yeah, everything you’ve described hits home for me too. I see a lot of people here mentioning they noticed this shift ever since COVID hit. For my part, about a year ago, I grabbed a breakfast burger at a fast-food joint in Chicago. Right from the first bite, I had this nagging feeling the egg was off—like it might have gone bad. But honestly, I’ve never actually eaten a rotten egg before, so I figured, maybe I’m just being paranoid, and I finished the whole thing. Well, that was the beginning of my nightmare with these odors. First, it was through my bowel movements—this stench of rotten eggs and sulfur. Then, about a month later, the same smell started coming from my armpits. More recently, it shows up occasionally in my mouth or just when I breathe out. It hasn't stopped. Honestly, it would be incredible if someone—as one user suggested—who doesn't suffer from these smells could just sniff our sweat and tell us straight up if we actually stink. Because for me, even my girlfriend has pointed it out during a kiss. It's absolutely revolting.
I caught COVID once, maybe twice, but this whole mess started months after that burger incident. So, I’m really not convinced it’s a lingering effect of the virus. While I had COVID, yeah, my sense of taste and smell went haywire, but that eventually stabilized. But nowadays, if someone at work is eating lunch—doesn't matter if it's stew or whatever—I'm hit with that same foul odor. It’s a shame we don't have a doctor or some kind of expert weighing in on this thread, because we’re all reporting basically the same symptoms, yet there's zero solution in sight.
I went to a private clinic for a breath test for *Helicobacter pylori* and it came back clean; I don't have that. Recently, I had a physical and provided stool samples, but during the wrap-up, the doctor told me that if this smell is bothering me, I should probably undergo a bacterial stool analysis. I mean, seriously? Why are we even handing over stool samples during a routine physical if that's the case? What, does someone have a hobby of collecting crap? Sorry, but I said what I said. So, I'm still stuck with this smell following me around. I'm considering going back to a private lab for that specific testing. I just don't know what the move is. I deal with enough health issues as it is, so "great," just one more thing to add to the pile. And frankly, the doctors have been driving me up the wall. Doesn't matter if it's private practice or not. I've dealt with erectile dysfunction my entire life; I'm in my 40s now, and I've been through every major, famous, and obscure urology clinic in the country, and it's still the same. No help, because nobody seems to have an answer. I've also had a hernia near my navel for about a year and a half. A year ago, during a physical, the ultrasound tech tells me, "That's not a hernia, just some fatty tissue; if it doesn't bother you, don't worry about it." Then, a week later, I go to the Saint Catherine clinic, lift my shirt, and they say, "Yes, that's definitely a hernia, you need surgery." Then, during a follow-up with the same group (still haven't fixed it), they tell me, "Actually, sir, that's not a hernia; if I were you, I wouldn't go under the knife, they're just trying to take your money." So, I'm still sitting here with it because I have no idea what to do. On top of all that, my snoring is so loud my girlfriend has been sleeping in the guest room for years. We live like an old married couple. I go in for a checkup, and *pffft* $167 (just like everything else mentioned here) and nothing. They just tell me, "Your levels are within the normal range," and send me on my way. And I'm still snoring like a freight train. That's the state of American medicine for you. I have plenty of medical records that show exactly who said what regarding everything I'm struggling with, but I'm not interested in suing anyone; I just want some actual help, and I'm not getting any. Not to ramble too much (haha), but that's my situation.
