Anybody else experience this? (warning ~ kinda gross!)

Hi all.  I am having the most terrible time with my belly button.  It oozes really gross smelling stuff all the time. (Sorry to be so graphic!)  I had my surgeon look at it at my last check up and he said it appears to be some time of bacterial infection and advised me to treat it with Vagisil or Monostat cream.  I do that and it will clear up for a while but then comes back again.  It doesn't hurt or anything like that but smells and looks gross.  It does itch sometimes. He said it could be that my loose stomach skin is irritating it and causing the bacteria to form inside the belly button and he documented it in case I decide on plastic surgery later.  I make sure I clean that area very throughly every day in the shower but from what I gather he is saying, when skin is rubbing against skin, sweating occurs and bacteria thrives in that kind of environment.  I don't know.  I just know that it is really gross!!  Has anybody else experienced anything like this or am I just weird????    

Not weird, it still happens to me. Only mine sometimes get red and sore. I have treated it w/ the same thing. My doctor did call me in some powder that seems to help better. I think the it's called Nystop, it's the generic for something...sorry bad memory but it works great and it's all I use now.  Good Luck!

I saw Dr. Oz on Oprah once, and someone in the audience asked this very question.  ( I remember because I also have this problem, and I have not had any WLS that it might be related to.)   Dr. Oz said that it was most likely from a little cyst that has formed under the skin on the inside of the bellybutton and is oozing.  He said it would be a very simple thing to correct and told the lady to have her doctor check it out.   Now, that doesn't explain why your doctor didn't mention that, but I thought I'd just throw it out there, for what it's worth....   I always put Desitin Creamy on the skin in all my  folds and crevices to protect my skin from  sweat in warm weather, and I just rub a thin layer of it in my bellybutton too.  That does a fairly good job of treating it until my next shower.       -Cathy W.

Thats not weird...  I still get it after 5 years...  I thought it was just me - lol!  I found that if I use rubbing alcohol when it first begins that it clears up quicker.  I haven't thought about bringing it to my WLS attention so it could be documented for future plastic surgery, I'll have to do that...  Thanks for the idea.   Have a great week! Sheryl

I also get it, have been for years.  I found that if I lay down and pour peroxide in it and let it buble out it clears up in a couple of days and I don't have any problems.  I have found most of the time when it happens I have a small piece of lent or hair in it an it was bothering it, just cleaned it out with a q-tip and peroxide.  Good luck! Lisa

It sounds like a yeast infection (from the description of the smell and look of it) which explains why it responds positively to Monistat.  Yeast loves warm and moist areas like belly buttons.    Yeast can come back but will be less likely if you continue to use the Monistat cream twice a day for at least a week.  Make sure to dry it and clean it with a q-tip before you use the cream. 

I had the same issue before having my hanging skin removed, the best thing I found was Nystatin , it is a power that the doctor prescribed for me, it really work well. good luck

That is the name brand for my "nystop" but I love it! It for sure works for me each and every time. :-)

Somebody above brought up the Oprah episode with DrOz... I have the same issue and I perked up to hear somebody ask a question about it. Mine has happened as far back as I can remember... it never really oozes out but I can feel like it needs cleaning and when I do the qtip will be very smelly after I take it out... my xbf use to be able to tell when I cleaned it because he could smell it! (niceeee!). Sometimes it will get red and irritated but always goes away on its own.  A year ago I had a CT scan done (for other reasons) and it was noted I had a small bellybutton hernia? Not sure if that would be related... never thought to ask! Only thing I can tell you is just dont use babypower because it holds bacteria against the skin - keep the area as dry as possible and if you are planning on trying to have your insurance cover a panni get the issue documented!

Hey Jenn,      FYI - I have an umbilical hernia and when I told my doctor about my issue she said that is the cause of my irritation and "aroma." LOL We gotta keep them crevices clean! (xbf could tell? Yikes! LMAO) xoxo