Flatulence and Bathroom Odors

Let me tell you that in my opinion, the flatulance you speak of is merely a little gift for your toubles with UC . I for one have learned to harness this awesome power for my benefit. I work in a steel mill which in itself produces some horrible smells. I can easily surpass the odors and share with others. Most of the time I am just thankfull that I can pass gas without the worries of "debris" along with it. I have 3 kids aged 10 and twins at age 7. After a visit to the restroom, I ask them,"who left a dollar next to the toilet?" That usually causes a stampede to be the first in the bathroom. I just stand back and hilarity ensues. You never seen kids run that fast holding their noses. Yes kids, Dad is rotten. Sometimes I feel bad and will actually leave a dollar on the floor by the toilet, its worth it. And last but not least, when you are driving and one happens to sneak out, lean toward the middle and ask your passenger if it smells like something is burning. Everybody instinctively will lean in and take a big whiff.   Yes, I have UC, but I try to make the best of it. Good luck.

It doesn't "bother" me. I was posing a question.

pb4 said...
If leaving the bathroom smelly bothers you, light a match first, then leave.

:)

I thought of doing that, but the possibility of taking out a city block has forced me to rethink that...could be explosive!

 

I am kind of the same way. I have a kind of funky odor when I have a BM, since getting UC. When I was flaring really bad, I passed hardly any gas. Before getting diagnosed I was pretty gassy though, especially depending on what I ate.

Alot of unpleasant gas is caused by putrefactive bacteria fermenting fiber and/or undigested food material. I good digestive enzyme will help with this somewhat. It is an unfortunate consequence of IBS/IBD problems and usually has a signature odor. Believe it or not there are actually people with full time jobs studying this... sucks for them.

I accidentally stumbled on a product called Nullo Internal Deodorant Tablets for hunters. I used to take them in hot weather when I went hunting to help "mask" my scent from the animals and noticed that it reduced the odor of my gas too. I read up on it and it seems that chlorophyll in plants is a natural deodorizer.

Now if someone could just find some way to reduce the sound...

I agree with the comment that the scented sprays only make it worse.
In our house we say, smells like someone just s**t a Christmas tree!

sicklygirl said...
hehe. [img]/community/emoticons/turn.gif[/img]

I have had terrible odors the past few weeks. No Exaggeration, it smells like a sewage plant when I get out of the toilet. The best way I can describe the odor is a mix of a sewage plant and smelly swamp-lands. It is comparable to the aftermath of my bf's grandfather who is 80. This is the kind of stink that a match or even Oust spray can't improve. Those products only make it worse. Ever smelled a garbage dump mixed with "Clean Air" scent? It's not cute... I also have gas that could scare a person out of the house.

This is exactly how I'd describe my gas. Before UC I had very little gas and it was always a sharp smell, like a cheese. After UC, it was a sewage/rotten vegetable smell. What's really terrible, is that I can't subtly pass gas while on the toilet. I alway make a huge racket, which has me trying to find out of the way washrooms. I think my gas is being produced in the wrong part of my digestive tract. I used to have gas near my bum, but now it feels as if it's coming from my belt line in the front. There's way more gas too. It's crazy.

My GI is uninterested in my observations. What's up with that? Shouldn't this info be useful? I really think I have bacteria where I shouldn't.

I'm a real spoil sport. I'm hesitant to go on any specialized diet, or eliminate ant food group that I used to be able to eat. I'm not willing to roll over and make concessions to my affliction. That's not controlling the disease but rather letting the disease control you. It's a workaround, not a fix.

I liken it to having a car that won't start in the morning. Would you ask to be transferred to the afternoon shift at work, or would you find a mechanic that could suitable fix it?

That said, I have tried pro-biotics but have not found them useful yet. Nor were enzymes or peppermint oil. Zythromax did seem useful but it was prescribed for my bronchitis not UC. I really want to try an antibiotic like Rifaximin or Neomycin, rather than a broad spectrum, but it seems that I couldn't get them in Canada, even if I could persuade my GI to prescribe them. There doesn't seem to be much research on using these meds for UC, but Dr. Pimentel is having encouraging results for IBS patients that meet a certain criteria.

My live in girl friend says that the only bad part of me entering remission is that I can fart freely again. LOL. Just glad to be able to safely fart. I don't remember ( i was sleeping ) but she claims... I farted all night last night. Guess this is a good sign for my UC..... bad for her. LOL

You guys really make me laugh. I should have a job studying odors, I would be cracking up the whole day. I can't even contain my laughter, the stupidest things get me going and I can't stop.

I seriously need to try some of these stink products. I think my odors are improving, eventually I may lose the fun of my boyfriend's reaction to the stink I left in the restroom but I agree it would be nice to be able to use a stall next to someone without all the racket. It's not very "ladylike" as my mother would say.

Let me know if you have any luck with the Poo Pourri or the Biological Odor Eliminator. It sounds like something I should carry for emergencies. I wouldn't want to leave a friends restroom stinking like a sewage treatment plant.