Question:
We have sweet smelling breath - anyone know why?

I have searched the library to no avail. My hubby has sweet smelling breath and I have the same sort of "sweet" smelling urine. Sometimes my gas even smells "sweet". This is not a good sweet - it make me want to throw up. Even our bedding takes on this strange odor. I thought it might be ketosis - but everything I've read about that is "bad breath". Is it just MY sense of smell? Things really taste different to me - is it just me? We both had Lap RNY on 2/20/03. Would love to get feedback.    — jnc (posted on April 14, 2003)

April 13, 2003
I don't know about a particularly "sweet" odor, but I do know that diabetics tend to have a "fruity" odor. It's not a pleasant odor either. You might want to get your blood sugars checked just in case. I'm diabetic and I can tell when my sugars are getting a little out of whack when the smell hits. Then I have to adjust my diet a little - sometimes adding a little carb, sometimes taking a little away - then the sugar levels get back in line. I'm thinking it has something to do with my body adjusting to the new weight and size.
   — Vicki H.

April 13, 2003
My late mother, who was a diabetic, used to complain of a sweet taste or fruity tast a lot and when she prespired, this also came out her skin pores. You might want to check glucose levels.
   — Delores S.

April 13, 2003
Chemicals that the body makes when there is not enough insulin in the blood and it must break down fat for its energy. Ketone bodies can poison and even kill body cells. When the body does not have the help of insulin, the ketones build up in the blood and then "spill" over into the urine so that the body can get rid of them. The body can also rid itself of one type of ketone, called acetone, through the lungs. This gives the breath a fruity odor. Ketones that build up in the body for a long time lead to serious illness and coma.
   — DrQ

April 13, 2003
Yikes I cut and pasted the comments below from a medical dictionary while ketosis in diabetics is bad for those people that are losing weight it's a sign of burning fat for fuel.
   — DrQ

April 14, 2003
You are in ketoacidosis - and are spilling protein in your urine. This is normal because of the high protein diet you are on. As long as you are not a diabetic - this shouldn't be a problem. Always check with your PCP if you continue to be worried about this process. He/she can further explain the physiological rationale behind this. You want to be in ketoacidosis - it's what causes the rapid weight loss early on post-op. Your urine will also take on a strong pungent smell as well.
   — Debra L. H.

April 16, 2003
My husbad is diabetic and occasionally gets that 'sweet' breath. It's usually that his blood sugar is off. It can indicate ketosis too but I agree you should have your blood sugars checked.
   — LisaTaz