Can you "smell" a flare up coming on?

I know everyone here is pretty good about descriptions, so I don't feel awkward about posting this lol.

The past few weeks, I've been having more solid BMs and got out of the flare up that started around September. For the first time in what seemed like forever, my BMs had a normal smell to them. After having that flare up smell to them that lingered, it was nice to have them smelling normal again.

I've been on lialda after having asacol not working anymore, and I'm taking the maximum dose of lialda. The daily fevers have stopped, my appetite normalized, and I feel pretty normal again. However, I noticed that my BMs are starting to be looser, and then in my most recent one, I noticed the smell that was around during my flare ups is back again, along with basically liquid stool. No blood or mucus. No fevers or anything. I will keep a close watch though. So my question is, can you smell a flare up coming on based off the odor of BMs?

I don't know if this means anything, but what really helped me with frequency, urgency, having a normal smell and solidifying my BMs again was a round of antibiotics I took when I had pneumonia about two weeks ago. I seem to react positively to most antibiotics, and I'm not quite sure if why or if that means anything. Before I was diagnosed with UC, I took a round of flagyl which completely normalized my bowels and my BMs during the course, but the bleeding returned soon after.

My GI offered to refer me to Mayo Clinic (there's one in my city, how lucky) for a second opinion. I know it's probably wishful thinking, but I was thinking of perhaps being tested for c diff and other bacterial infections. I've come to terms with having UC for the most part, but some of my experiences still leave me with a lingering "what if?". I figure it might be good to put those ideas to rest.

I think most people know their own bodies pretty well so I wouldn't dare tell you that you were wrong. Did you do anything other than Lialda to reach remission (I realize that you said antibiotics might have helped)? From your description I sincerely doubt you have C-Diff, although it is remotely possible you caught it at the very, very beginning before the real symptoms start to show up. The antibiotics you took for the pneumonia could very well be a factor, especially if it is a different one than in the past. Are you taking any probiotics? If it was me I would take mega doses of something ASAP.

I thought this only me. Glad to see i am not alone on this. I always know when i am going to flare by the smell

Most of the smell of bowel movements is bacteria. I find I actually lose the usual stool smell when flaring. Gas does not smell either. After taking probiotics I get a slight mikly smell than gradually get back the more "bad fart" kind of stool smell.

I speculate that odor coming and/or going as flares start may be individually related to exactly how you gut microbes get dysregulated. I think it is good to know and pay attention to your body. If my farts and stool ever trun back towards oderless, I am going to up meds right away.

This research would seem to confirm that you can "smell" IBD iopscience.iop.org/1752-7163/8/2/026001/article "The use of a gas chromatograph coupled to a metal oxide sensor for rapid assessment of stool samples from irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease patient"

i actually have stronger smelling gas now that i feel good! i was never able to fart when flaring without crapping myself. my morning poop doesn't smell that bad though- at least to me. if i eat something that bothers me and i get diarrhea, then it stinks.

my first symptom is always blood.

sorry to intrude inthread. I waneed to see if it possible to talk back channel with jano437. have question. thanks, kari

I'm flaring for over a year, I almost was in remission a few times. But for the last 3 months my meds haven't worked as well as before. They only kept me from getting worse...

And yes I smell very bad when I have BM's. When I'll see my GI in January I'm going to ask for a stool test (I never had one before) because the smell makes me think that this time something else is going on.