Question:
Can anyone advise me what to do about a bad smell in the crotch?
This is real embarrasing, but we really need some advise. My husband (obese) has developed a terrible odor in his crotch. I mean, it never smelt like roses down there, from sweating I guess, but this smell now is BAAAAD. On Dr.'s advise, he started using (for 3 days now) an over-the-counter spray for jock itch but I don't think its working. I can still smell him from across the room. It's sickening and embarassing when we're in public. The problem is, he uses powder (cornstarch) everyday (after showering) because he gets a terrible, painful rash otherwise. So now he first uses the spray and then puts on the powder. I think, if what he has is some kind of yeast infection, that the powder is feeding the yeast & making things worse, so he shouldn't use the powder. But if he doesn't use the powder, he'll get the chafing problem. What should we do? Help PLEASE! I am sorry if I offended anyone. — [Anonymous] (posted on May 17, 2001)
May 17, 2001
Have your hubby try using GoldBond Medicated powder. My grandmother used
it .. It might burn a little but it is worth a shot. Also, he needs to make
sure that he is very, very dry before he puts powder on after bathing. Good
luck, I hope that this helps.
— Heather C.
May 17, 2001
Sounds fungal, I agree with Heather, Gold Bond powder works great. I
recommend that for patients with the same problem
— Margaret S.
May 17, 2001
Yikes! Good for you for being willing to ask for help with this problem.
In fact, you need to get back to the doctor. Your husband may have a yeast
or bacterial infection that requires antibiotic treatment. I had a case
once of an obese woman with severe vaginal odor, turns out she was diabetic
and had a horrific yeast infection. Now, given I know something of this
myself from being 494 pounds at one time, let me tell you what I did:
first, Dial or other antibacterial soap and water daily is a must. Drying
good, then using a dry stick anti-perspirant/deodorant in the body folds
before powdering with something like Gold Bond or Shower to Shower really
worked for me. I also now wear my panties big to tuck the cotton between my
body folds until my panniculectomy. Good Luck to you~!
— merri B.
May 17, 2001
Gold Bond medicated powder, but use a hair dryer on cool to dry the area
really well. Please make sure that you buy the medicated gold bond, it will
burn like **** for about five minutes. I think this will help.
— robbin C.
May 17, 2001
I have used summer's Eve hypo-allergenic the intimate cleanser for normal
skin this has not olny helped me and my husband but many freinds that I
have mention this porduct and have used it. BEST OF LUCK!!!!!!
— [Anonymous]
May 17, 2001
I agree with the dial soap treatment. Also, Betadine make a soap solution
that helps cut the odor. A majority of us may have received it pre-op
because it is a surgical scrub that cuts the bacteria on the skin. It comes
in a four ounce bottle that cost about $9-10 a bottle but a little goes a
long way. If he use it, advise him to put it on when he first get into the
shower, lather up and leave it on for several minutes before he wash his
crouch. But don't use it if he has an iodine allergy.
— Jan M.
May 17, 2001
Yeast. Very distinctive, but your doc can verify. Especially if you also
get little "crummies", too. Like everyone else, wash, dry
carefully, thoroughly. To whip mine into shape, I washed & dried 3X a
day for a few days and ran a line of Lotrimin anti-fungal cream. NO
POWDER, cuz it fed the yeast, even though you'd think it'd help keep you
dry. Then 2X a day once it started coming under control, then once a day
forever--til my TT. But you have tt wash 'em off, then reapply the cream.
Not just add another layer. I feel for him, cuz I felt like a smelled all
the time, not to mention the discomfort. It didn't solve the problem, but
it treated the symptom very effectively for a couple of years.
— vitalady
May 17, 2001
I too had a problem rash/odor that drove me crazy for more years than I
want to admit. Doctors told me to just loose weight. I finally saw a
physician that sent me to a dermatologist. He took a scraping and
diagnosed a yeast infection on my skin. He prescriped Nizoral/Desowen
cream and I was symptom free in 48 hours. I have been symptom free since
and that was about 8 years ago.
— Jilda H.
May 17, 2001
Yep Yeast infection.. Been there done that (major reason for the
abdominoplasty) My PCP gave me a RX for an ointment just for yeast
infections after I tried everything else .. I washed, dried, cleaned,
powdered, even alcohol until I ran screaming into the night ... The
ointment that was RX'ed helped, however, the surgery was the cure :)
— Victoria B.
May 17, 2001
I am not male, but sometimes if I'm in a big rush and forget to put on
deodorant/antipirspirant under my breast I also develop a fowl smelling
rash. The key is keeping dry. Personally I have found that Dial,
Safeguard and Antibacterial Lever 2000 (my husbands favorite) are all good
soaps to shower with. Then after drying off well(especially under folds of
skin, under breasts and in the crotch area)I use Suave*Invisible
Solid*Anti-Bacterial*Anti-Perspirant& Deodorant. I use it under my arms
, under my breasts, under my gut, and at the top of my thighs between my
legs. It keeps me feeling fresh and clean all day. And when I shower I
take extra care to wash all those same places to remove the deodorant and
leave the soap on for at least 20 seconds so the antibacterial part of the
soap can do it's job right. Hopes this helps. It sure works for me.
— [Anonymous]
May 17, 2001
Ask your doctor to prescribe Diflucan. Its a one time pill that cuts yeast
in and on the body. I take it once a week though to prevent any more
stinky yeasts from cropping up
— [Anonymous]
May 18, 2001
Be careful with any power that has cornstarch- the starch
feeds the yeast and can and will keep the infection going.
Until the dr prescribes your husband something- the soap
water and completly dry thing is your best bet- and if at
all possible to lay flat and pull up the extra hang and let
air get to the problem area if at all possible- I feel so bad I know how it
is
and I hope the best to the both of you!!!
— [Anonymous]
May 18, 2001
When I had a yeast infection in my folds, (among other parts!) I would use
Gynelotrimin. It was expensive! Then a Pharmacist suggested I buy the
generic version of a athlete's foot cream- I was truly shocked as this
rash was no where near my feet! However, he explained to me it is the SAME
EXACT THING- you can check the label's ingrediants as it is word for word.
It was the best advice I recieved and my "athlete's foot" no
matter where it popped up- disappeared fast.
It was also a lot easier to carry around anti-fungal cream, than something
that said "relieves vaginal itching"...
As someone else suggested- you really must wash this stuff off- and
thoroughly dry, and then reapply!
Maybe he also needs those new fangled undies for men that come down the leg
a bit- that would prevent chafing. I wear similar ones (cullott type) but
silky instead of slips to stop my legs from rubbing together when I wear
skirts otheriwse I would be in pain all day.... even as I get thinner, I
still need to wear it.
— Karen R.
May 19, 2001
You can go to your local pharmacy and ask for Zeasorb powder.. it is an
antifungal powder that your hubby could use .. It will help retard the
growth of yeast and also keep him from developing the chafing problem.. I
used this powder on my babies and keep some on hand for my chronic yeast
problem.. Best of luck to you ..
— Gina Landers
May 24, 2001
I, too have had these types of rashes. I have tries just about everything,
Rx Gold Bond powder, corn starch,etc. but I found TEA TREE OIL to be
benficial. Its a natural antifungel. I put some on a cotton ball and then
put onto the skin. There is also a tea tree soap. I purchase thses at a
health food sore--WILD OAT- . Good luck with your journey
— [Anonymous]
May 27, 2001
I have some problems like this and use hydrogenperoxide.
It's worth a try.
Good luck!
— Danmark
December 11, 2002
Call your doctor. You're losing time that you could be healing with the
right prescription and keeping this (yeast infection/rash) away or from
spreading.
— John P.
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