Sweet Breath

[prinsessa]

I know this might sound strange, but my son has sweet smelling breath a lot. My DD has it sometimes too, but usually only when she is sick. I tried to research what could cause it, but the only thing I could find was diabetes. I really don't think he has that since he doesn't have any other symptoms. I'm going to make an appointment for him, but I just wanted to know if anyone else heard of this. Could this be because he isn't absorbing enough nutrients? Thanks

[jenvan]

I was going to mention Diabetes...that's the only thing I know of....

[Smunkeemom]

I am going to have to go with diabetes too, you should have them do a glucose test (they aren't that bad, drink some stuff check blood sugar, wait an hour, check blood sugar, eat lunch, check blood sugar)

I read somewhere that celiac disease and type 1 diabetes are related or something like that, like if you have celiac you are more likely to get diabetes or something......

[penguin]

I've had the sweet breath thing before and I went running to the health center the second it opened to do a fasting blood sugar test done, my blood sugar was a little low, if anything, but still normal.

The APN I saw there (smart woman, I miss her) said it was likely due to changing my toothpaste and/or using listerine or other antibacterials because it screws up your mouth chemistry.

I'm also hypoglycemic, so that may have had something to do with it. They said I didn't have the type that causes diabetes, though.

Best I could come up with

[mommida]

I've had sweet smelling breath since I was a kid. Diabetes is always a concern. There is a link with diabetes and Celiac. A diabetic will have the opposite sour breath too, when the insulin level goes too high. If the breath ever starts to smell like acetone (like nail salon products) get to the emergency room!!! That is a symptom of (for the like of me I can't remember the right word or how to spell it ketosis I think) and diabetic coma soon follows if the person is not treated.

Keep an eye on the urine too. How much, how often, is it foamy, or odd odor too.

How much thirst the person has? Do they fall asleep after meals?

Every Celiac should be aware of symptoms for diabetes.

Laura

[elye]

Been type one diabetic for thirty-three years, and known celiac for six months. Yes, the two absolutely do go together, being autoimmune diseases, and hypothyroidism is very commonly a third member of this club. Dangerously high blood sugars cause ketones to form in the blood, and the condition is known as ketoacidosis. It is causes breath to smell sweet, not sour (think of all the uncontrolled sugar in the body, and it's no surprise). The best way I can describe it is overripe apples. The urine takes on a sweet smell, too, as it becomes full of sugar!

I keep my blood sugar levels in tight control, but when I have the odd high reading, my breath does smell sweet, apparently, and I have a yucky taste in mouth. But so far, getting glutened hasn't done this to me...

[debmidge]

Years ago when I was doing Atkins, he mentions in his books that the diabetic "sweet breath" could happen when you ( a non diabetic) limit your carbs because when you limit your carbs you are in effect altering your blood sugar artifically and that kind of "sweet breath" is an indication of ketosis - he calls it Benign Dietary Ketosis; now I don't know if when you deliberately eat less carbs and go into ketosis if that is good or bad for you but I do know that you'll lose weight when you are in ketosis. I would imagine that if you not digesting your food properly and not absorbing them perhaps you would go into ketosis without knowing it.....

I know I was in ketosis when I was doing this diet & my husband noticed my "sweet breath" during that time period.

My next question then would if the blood tests for diabetes is normal, perhaps your children aren't eating enough carbs (sugars and starches) ? It's only a shot in the dark for an explanation.

[elye]

You can test for ketones in your urine, as I'm sure all those who have been on Atkins know. I think he requires everyone to buy the ketone-testing strips and dip them in their urine, to determine if they are in ketoacidosis (the desired condition for Atkins). This is why I have always had such a problem with the Atkins diet, at least the first two weeks of it when you are not to be injesting ANY carbs. This is NOT a healthy condition to be in--people can die from ketoacidosis, and it's very ####### your vital organs, particularly your kidneys. "Benign dietary ketosis", huh? Benign, my bum.

It might be an idea to pick up some of these ketone strips from the drugstore and test your son's urine. That way you'll know right away if he's being so affected.

[prinsessa]

Thanks for everyone's replies. He doesn't have any of the other symptoms of diabetes (like more thirst or more urine), so I don't really think he has that. I'm going to mention it to the doctor though. I am getting tested for Celiac and I'm going to have the kids tested too. I'm going to buy some of the strips and test him myself. Since he isn't potty trained (and won't pee on command) should I just stick one in his diaper? He loves fruit and eats tons of it so I know not having enough carbs isn't a problem. He also loves bread and crackers. My DD only has the sweet breath smell when she is sick (and probably not eating so well). I have noticed it on my DS much more often though. I haven't smelled it in a couple of weeks, but I have been sick and can't smell anything . If I mention it to anyone else, they think I am strange. I think sometimes mom's notice things in their kids that no one else does.