What kind of doctor treats trimethylaminuria?
A primary care physician (PCP) or specialist may offer treatment options to manage symptoms during the diagnostic process.
What age does trimethylaminuria occur?
The first symptoms appeared after the age of 16 in all but one adult (at the age of 9 years) and during the first year of life in both children. Both children are suspected of having TMAU by their parents, who had noticed an unpleasant body odor soon after birth.
Can other people smell trimethylaminuria?
Yes, just like typical body odor or sweat, people with TMAU may notice how they smell. But like typical body odor or sweat, some people with TMAU may be accustomed to the smell and less likely to react to it than those around them.
Why can't my body break down trimethylamine?
Usually, an enzyme breaks down trimethylamine as part of the digestion process. Some people have a mutation in the gene that controls this enzyme, which prevents it from breaking down certain chemicals properly. As a result, trimethylamine builds up in the body.
Is trimethylaminuria serious?
The excess trimethylamine builds up and is the source of the odor. There are no other physical symptoms from Trimethylaminuria, but people with this condition may experience serious psychological and social distress. Trimethylaminuria is due to a FMO3 gene that is not working correctly.
What does TMAU smell like?
Trimethylamine has been described as smelling like rotting fish, rotting eggs, garbage, or urine. As this compound builds up in the body, it causes affected people to give off a strong odor in their sweat, urine, and breath. The intensity of the odor may vary over time.
What foods are high in trimethylamine?
TMAO (or trimethylamine N-oxide) is a metabolite produced by gut bacteria. Briefly, nutrients such as phosphatidylcholine (also known as lecithin), choline, and L-carnitine are abundant in animal-derived products such as red meat, egg yolk and full-fat dairy products.
At what age does body odor change?
Kids start to have body odor around the time puberty starts and hormones change. Usually, this happens when females are 8–13 years old, and males are 9–14. But it can also be normal to start puberty earlier or later. Bathing every day, especially after a lot of sweating or in hot weather, can help with body odor.
How many people suffer from TMAU?
TMAU is classified as a rare disease, meaning that it affects fewer than 200,000 people in the United States.
Can you develop body odor as you get older?
Experts know that body odor changes with age. However, the evaluators did not rate the old people's odor as unpleasant. They did find the odor of middle-aged men particularly unpleasant. "The worst-smellers are middle-aged men," Lundstrom says.
How is TMAU diagnosed?
TMAU is diagnosed using a biochemical laboratory test that measures the amount of trimethylamine in a patient’s urine after they drink juice containing added choline.
What is a TMAU?
What Is TMAU? Trimethylaminuria ( TMAU ), sometimes known as “Fish-Odor Syndrome,” is a genetically transmitted metabolic disorder. The main symptom of TMAU is a foul-smelling body odor. The odor can smell like fish in some patients and like garbage in others. Some people with TMAU have a strong odor all the time.
What percentage of FMO3 mutations have fishy odor?
Depending on the type of mutation in the FMO3 gene, the amount of unmetabolized trimethylamine (and related odor) varies from person to person. Only about 10 to 15 percent of patients with TMAU have an odor that can be characterized as “fishy.”.
How many people are affected by TMAU?
TMAU is classified as a rare disease, meaning that it affects fewer than 200,000 people in the United States. Learn how to raise TMAU awareness and advocate for research on TMAU, increased access to TMAU testing, and other issues by exploring information on the National Organization for Rare Disorders website.
Is there a cure for TMAU?
Currently there is no cure for TMAU, but treatment options, including avoidance of choline-containing foods, may help reduce odor production for those afflicted with the disorder. Choline is an essential nutrient that is needed by your body for many functions related to life.
Can TMAU cause a strong smell?
Some people with TMAU have a strong odor all the time. However, others can have a more moderate smell that is not always present, which can make TMAU hard to diagnose. People with TMAU are unable to completely break down trimethylamine (TMA), a chemical found naturally in many foods, especially those containing the essential nutrient choline.
What to do if you have TMAU?
Coffee and beer have been reported to increase the odor issues of those with TMAU. Wash with soaps that are low in acidity. Find soaps for the body that are have pH level of between 5.5-6.5 which should help to break down or wash away trimethylamine on the body's surface.
What to take for TMAU?
Take supplements. There has been mixed success at reducing TMAU symptoms by taking vitamin B2, zinc, kelp pills, or copper chlorophyllin.
How to detox trimethylamine?
Take probiotics. Changing your gut culture to have healthy and beneficial bacteria is seen as a good way to improve the digestive enzymes and be able to detoxify trimethylamine in the system.
Is the content of this article intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, examination, diagnosis, or treatment?
The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, examination, diagnosis, or treatment. You should always contact your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional before starting, changing, or stopping any kind of health treatment.
i found out today i didn't have tmau
been trying to figure out all these years why co workers been sniffing their fingers or making comments among themselves while being in groups.
Cured Story: Diet and Exercises
So I came across some old posts in the leaky gas subreddit. And there were a few people who were formally diagnosed with having pelvic floor issues, and that being their source of the smell. Literally in anxious situations gas would slip out and they couldn't smell what ppl were reacting to.
How do you guys handle hotels
I hate staying at hotels because I feel like other rooms can def smell me, but I am in a situation right now where I have to while I find a place to live. How do you guys deal with hotels.
Holy crap
I smell so bad apparently that cars driving behind me can smell me. I am driving cross country and I swear cars behind make like a gagging face and wipe at their nose and immediately move to the other lane.
Anyone here using a Ozone Generator in their home? Has anyone noticed a reduction of the odor in the room, after you have left it running for a bit?
Anyone here using a Ozone Generator in their home? Has anyone noticed a reduction of the odor in the room, after you have left it running for a bit?
What is TMAU in medical terms?
PHILADELPHIA (February 14, 2017) – Just before Rare Disease Day 2017, a study from the Monell Center and collaborating institutions provides new insight into the causes of trimethylaminura ( TMAU ), a genetically-transmitted metabolic disorder that leads to accumulation of a chemical that smells like rotting fish.
What is the gene that causes TMAU?
Although TMAU has been attributed solely to mutations in a single gene called FMO3, the new study combined sensory and genetic approaches to identify additional genes that may contribute to TMAU. The findings indicate that genetic testing to identify mutations in the FMO3 gene may not be sufficient to identify the underlying cause of all cases ...
How many people are affected by TMAU?
TMAU is classified as a “rare disease,” meaning that it affects less than 200,000 people in the United States. However, its actual incidence remains uncertain, due in part to inconclusive diagnostic techniques.
Is TMAU odor free?
TMAU’s odor symptoms may occur in irregular and seemingly unpredictable intervals. This makes the disease difficult to diagnose, as patients can appear to be odor-free when they consult a health professional. This was evidenced in the current study.
Does TMA cause fish odor?
The TMA, along with its associated unpleasant odor, then accumulates and is excreted from the body in urine, sweat, saliva, and breath. However, some people who report having the fish odor symptoms of TMAU do not have severely disruptive mutations in the FMO3 gene.
How to control acute TMA?
You're out for breakfast with friends and want an omelette, but would prefer not to smell later on in the day as you have important plans. Taking chlorophyll tablets/activated charcoal tablet (one or the other will work, but both in accordance may work better) WITH your meal, will improve symptoms. Use this sparingly, however. And if you do use it often, give yourself a brief detox, at least.
How to reduce acute TMA?
Solution: Remove ALL fish/seafood (this includes kelp/seaweed) from your diet, if you intend to be in public within the next 24 hours, as they increase ACUTE (immediate) levels of TMA. No other food needs to be eliminated to reduce acute production, although limiting the quantity of certain high choline foods, as well as those listed above may be useful. Should you consume any of those foods in high doses (e.g. 6+ eggs), ensure it is not within 24 hours of a time you intend to be in public. (i.e. eat a TMA/TMA precursor containing meal by 8 PM Friday, at the latest, if you know you have a date at 8 PM on Saturday.
Why does body wash make TMAU odour?
The reason TMAU results in body odour is excess TMA that cannot be converted to odourless TMAO gets excreted, primarily through sweat glands. This means you must wash away/remove TMA from the skin. TMA has very high pH. The problem is most body washes also have a high pH (as higher pH's cut through grease, dirt and skin oils better). In order to optimally break down/remove TMA from the skin, you should add a low pH body wash to your arsenal. This does NOT mean ditch the high pH body washes because, as previously mentioned, they do a great job of removing other, non-TMAU-related odour-causing compounds from the skin. But finishing a shower with a low pH body wash to both wash away TMA as well as lower pH of the skin to reduce the ability of TMA to form on it will be extremely beneficial. Any body-wash that says "pH skin-balanced" will work fine. You can Google/Amazon search for low pH body washes. Some are great and extremely low in pH, but most will just destroy your pockets. You're better off going with affordable body washes that are pH skin balanced, as they're still on the acidic side and will get the job done. Nivea & Sanex are probably the easiest ones to get your hands on.
Can you eat red meat if you have TMA?
Eggs, dairy and chicken have no effect on the long-term production. Research also shows that vegetarian meat products, such as Beyond Meat Burgers, also do not increase TMA/TMAO, so those can act as an alternative, if you're missing red meat. Also, the alteration of your microbiome isn't a short-term process. This doesn't mean you can never eat red meat again. As a matter of fact, eating red meat will result in no increase in TMA/TMAO levels if your gut isn't adapted to it. Having red meat once a month or so will be completely fine. Just don't do it consistently or you will begin to produce more TMA producing bacteria.
