How IBS Medication Solved My Chronic Bad Breath Mystery.

Hello everyone,

Today, I want to share an update about my bad breath issue. The first time I noticed it was around 5 years ago, but it wasn’t too bad at the time. The smell would usually occur only after meals, and I could still work and go about my daily life without anyone noticing, except during holidays when I drank alcohol and ate unhealthy food consistently.

However, everything changed during COVID. I started working from home and didn’t move around much, except for evening gym sessions. That’s when my bad breath became severe, to the point where people began to react to it, something I had never experienced before. My life spiraled downward—I lost my social life entirely, and I felt hopeless.

Here’s what I did to address it:

• Sinus surgery
• Consulted five different dentists
• Saw an ENT doctor who diagnosed my bad breath as being caused by acid reflux. He prescribed medication that helped with reflux, but the bad breath persisted, so I sought a second opinion.
• Underwent a gastroscopy (H. pylori test #1 negative)
• Got a bad breath analysis, which confirmed it wasn’t from my teeth but from my stomach.
• Had my tonsils removed
• Did a Urea Breath Test (H. pylori test #2 still negative)
• Liver CT scan

I spent nearly all my savings trying to solve this issue.

Finally, I met my fifth gastroenterologist. This doctor asked me to stop focusing solely on bad breath and instead describe my other symptoms. I mentioned that I didn’t have daily bowel movements, often felt bloated, and had a lot of gas in my stomach.

The doctor prescribed Elthon 50mg, to be taken before meals to help improve gut motility, and Resolar 2mg to take before bed for better bowel movements. After two weeks of taking these medications, it felt like a miracle. From wearing two layers of masks and still having people smell my breath, it went to the point where it was barely noticeable unless someone got extremely close to me.

However, my bad breath still isn’t completely reliable, if I eat poorly or consume sweets continuously for a few days, it can return. But these medications have been life-changing for me. I suspect, as the first doctor mentioned, that the remaining issue might be due to a weak esophageal sphincter.