Sweating and odour

[Rebecca85]

Rather a random question I'm afraid!

I always sweat a lot. But when I am ill, my underarms produce an unusual odour. The best I can describe it is a solventy smell, like some marker pens, or if any of you have any experience with 'room aromas' it's almost exactly the same as that. I don't notice the smell when I am healthy.

The reason I'm posting this in the IBD section is because I hadn't actually noticed the smell in a while... I think since my Crohn's has been under control. Until yesterday that is (I'm currently sick with a flu type bug).

Does anyone have any experience with anything similar? Or have any idea what it could be? I haven't specifically mentioned it to my doctors, but I have visited before with a fever and was producing the smell, and the doctor didn't say anything about it. (I am aware that diabetics can sometimes produce an odour, but I have been checked several times).

 

[Astra]

Hiya Rebecca
Is the smell more like ammonia?
I found this for you, hope it helps

The human body relies on a balanced intake of carbohydrates, proteins and fats to function properly. If the scales shift too far off the mark in a particular dietary direction, signs of improper nutrition can crop up -- and sweat that smells like ammonia is one of those. Luckily, if exercise leaves you smelling somewhere between industrial strength cleaner and fresh cat urine, there's a pretty easy fix.

A high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet is generally what leads to sweat stinking of ammonia. Basically, it works like this. When someone with this sort of diet begins to exercise, his or her body is quickly forced to turn to proteins for the necessary energy. To do this, amino acids are broken down into various components, parts of which are converted into glucose. Other elements that come out of the process are waste products, and if the body can't handle everything being sent its way, the leftovers are excreted out through the skin. Ammonia is one form that ready-to-go waste can take.

Typically, ammonia (very bad in large amounts) would be converted into urea (less bad in large amounts) and safely expelled through urine. Too much ammonia, and the body falls back on its old detoxifying fail-safe: sweat. And stinky sweat at that. Otherwise, an overload of ammonia can impair neurological functions and cause muscle fatigue.

 

[JMC]

This sounds like ketosis which, for example, is also suffered by people following the Atkins diet when they stop eating carbohydrate.

"Also, when the body is in ketosis, subjects often smell of acetone. Some find the smell offensive as acetone is the same chemical responsible for the smell in paint thinner and nail polish remover."

 

[Rebecca85]

Not sure what ammonia smells like actually, but it could be acetone that I'm thinking of. But why would it happen only when I'm sick? Especially since I favour high carb foods and don't exercise when I'm ill.

 

[Rebecca85]

Never mind, I browsed wiki and found that 10-15% of people go into ketosis when stressed or ill. Guess I'm one of the 'lucky' ones!