My belly button stinks...

Hello Friends~ I know this is gross, but my first thought was to ask my weight loss surgery friends what this is, since I am sure it has SOMETHING to do with my surgery. A couple of days ago I noticed a strange (toe jam like) smell coming from my belly button. Upon further investigation of the area...... I noticed it is also moist and red, tender and somehow irritated? I have never had any problem like this before, but I haven't really SEEN my belly button in about 10 years either, so I am guessing the 2 are somehow related. Any help, or suggestions on how to treat it would be appreciated. My husband suggests dabbing a cotton ball in there with alchol on it, but that is his answer for everything! For those of you that will insist on telling me to "call my doctor", don't worry, I will. And YES, I know that my friends on here aren't doctors, but I want to hear what they have to say anyway! So, love to you all.... Michelle Brennan "stinkin' in Brick"

Hey Michelle: That happens to me from time to time. I think it happens when you don't dry that area well enough after a shower. Try a little Gold Bond Medicated power, and be extra careful to dry that area after a shower. Sometimes I use to q-tip to get it dry. Hope that helps!!

hi michelle glad to see u again, sorry you are having an issue i would use a q-tip and clean it out with witch hazel or just soap and water. then put on bacitracin or something like that, it should do the trick hugs, jacki

Hi Michelle Cissy here, and I am a nurse. You have three or four symptoms of an infection. I hope you spoke with your doc and he gave you instructions. In the future when ever you see any part of your body exhibiting any of those signs, you'll know you have an infection. Always wash with soap and water, rinse well , pat dry well, and put some antibiotic ointment on there, and cover with a dry dressing (2x2 or 4x4 gauze). two or three times a day depending how bad it is. In your case now, your doc may also or instead treat you with oral antibiotics as well . Let us know how you are .......feel better Cissy

Hi Michelle, Robin here, also a nurse. I agree with Cici about a possible infection. It sounds like a fungus to me. I'd absolutely check with your doc in the morning. Same thing happened to me around 6-8 months post-op. Or is that TMI? RobinNJ

Elisa, Cissy, Robin and Jacki~ Thank you all for responding to my question. I have not called the doctor because the problem is fixing itself. What great news! My belly button has dried up, the redness is barely noticable and there is no smell. I am so thankful it's gone! Robin-my surgery was 18 weeks ago, and what is TMI? I thought that meant "too much information"? At least that's what my kids tell me.... lol... Michelle Brennan

hey michelle call your PCP!!! document that!! that is skin breakdown and will help you get plastic surgery!! no kidding that is what our PCP tells ross -- document EVERYTHING so that your plastic surgery becomes a medical necessity -- good luck to ya

Hey Michelle... greetings from the great white North : P Actually 60 miles from Canada doncha know.... As for your question...I have some info that may or may not help you... that may *may* qualify for TMI but it definitely is a possible issue. When I was 600 plus pounds, I suffered from skin related YEAST infections. Yes, even in the belly button. I tried alcohol, and other issue solvents to treat it... finally what I used is the same thing (various times) that you ladies use for yeast infection generally... either vagisil or Monistat 7.. with the Monistat 7 being the best solution. My doctor told me its normal for super obese people to have crevaces and areas and I just never gave it a lot of thought. As I got slimmer, I found it was ** self correcting**.. ie less crevaces, less moisture... less infection. Now I do not stugggle at all with it, but I work to try harder to keep ** de ol body dry* .. so to speak. Keep the area dry, I applied monistat topically (vs internally doncha know).. and Gold Bond medicated or simple dry powder helped me... and I grin at the idea that I probably know more than most GUYS should know about yeast infections (yea... happy joy).. but oh well. Such is the life of a former obese person. Its good to see you.. post and tell me how the meetings are going sometimes if you get a chance for those ex officio NJ gents and gals like me stuck in other altered states... literally geographically : ) Hugs to all Timmy Ray

Every morning I take a hair dryer, on cool setting, and blow dry my body! all the cracks and crevices this works so well for me so things stay dry, not moist, at all times. No rashes yet, thank goodness! in the summer time, I was getting a rash under my breasts, and kept putting Gold Bond... then my dr. said don't put powder, it traps the moisture in... I stopped using it, and would just blow dry after a shower, and voila! Feel better!

The blow-drying is a great idea. I'll have to try it! I tend to get irritated under my belly, breasts and sometimes more intimate places, not so much when I shower but if I start to get sweaty during the day. I was using powder, but it was just incredibly messy, so instead I've started using Soothing Care Powder Gel, and that works a lot better since it's very light. I don't use it every day; just when it's hot and I can tell irritation is starting.