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What Causes Very Bad Body Odor?

Posted on Tue, 28 Oct 2014

Question: My husband is 73. Last year he started having the most awful body odor (unlike any he has ever had) when he works outdoors & sweats. He gets yearly checkup and does not have any known problems (other than some heart issues and sleep apnea). He is not diabetic. His current meds are Amlodipine, Montelukast, Atorvastatin, and Zolpidem. Could this awful odor be a symptom of something much worse and if so, what are the possibilities?

Answered by Dr. Rakesh Madhyastha (3 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Body odor

Detailed Answer:
Hello

Thanks for the query

Body odor is genetic and most often not a systemic problem. It is a local issue like infection over the skin with bacteria or fungus that might change the body odor. Since you have not mentioned any skin lesion, I will assume that there is no active skin lesion over the body.
Here is how you should go about it

1. Thyroid profile has to be done, as most often change in the body odor is attributed to thyroid disorders
2. Shower twice a day
3. Drink plenty of water atleast 2-3 litres per day
4. Loose weight. Gain in weight leads to increase in sweating and more body odor
5. Wear loose cotton clothes
6. Use a deodorant twice daily
7. Avoid garlic, garlic is known to change the odor of the sweat

I have gone through the side effect profile of the medicines he is on, none of them can cause body odor. However please get back to me as to why he is on Montelukast.

I hope I was of help

Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Rakesh Madhyastha (12 hours later)

Montelukast, I think, is a sleeping pill. He has had a difficult time sleeping since going on the machine for sleep apnea and doctor prescribed this. Presently, he is experiencing pain across his shoulders and down his arms and into his hands. Hands are difficult to gripe He does have some arthritis in his hands but never this kind of severity. He has seen a PA and she put him on predisone and a muscle relaxer. He finished the predisone but still has a few of the muscle relaxers. Since he has had the extreme body odor for much longer I assume the two are not related. If you have any suggestions for the shoulder, etc. pain please let me know.

Answered by Dr. Rakesh Madhyastha (41 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Cervical spondylosis

Detailed Answer:
Hello

Thanks for getting back

Montelukast is an anti histaminic and most often given for chest allergies. If he has had wheeze in the past it might have been prescribed
Pain across shoulders into the arms and hands is very typical of cervical spondylosis, I strongly recommend that he gets a CT spine done to rule it out. It is easily treatable with physiotherapy and sometimes requires surgical correction.

Body odor is not related to this issue. Please follow the suggestions given by me in the earlier post to take care of the body odor

Regards

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar