30 yr old male, UK - chronic bad breath ruining my life

Hello,

So basically I feel as though I have really really pungent bad breath. I'm 30 years of age, and frankly this is embarrassing. Now, I don't have a great history of dental hygiene etc, ate and drank a lot of sugary products. Had a few fillings, and one root canal, which eventually crumbled away, then had a crown, and now the crown fell out. I have a few issues in the mouth, which complicates issues. Anyways so that's the dental side of it.

Now, I get terrible acid reflux, even with limiting sugar. I used to have a problem with alcohol and there was a few years I drank to excess. Life was rough etc. I get heartburn very often, almost daily, and it feels like there is a fireball in my Adam's apple almost.

I get really really bad breath (esp in the morning), and I had noted a metallic/weird taste in my mouth for about 2 years, and it feels like it comes from the back of the throat/stomach (potentially). I brush my tongue, and teeth, twice a day. I try to brush the tongue as far back as I can, but this presents discomfort and I gag which sometimes brings acid up and I feel really nauseous. More often than not I have a white coating on my tongue, though it never seems to be excessive. I had considered oral thrush, I have actually been taking some Dakartin Oral Gel to help this, but I actually don't think its this.

In 2018, I was quite unwell, I had nearly a month off work, due to an respiratory tract infection (in which I took a lot of antibiotics). Doctor told me it was bronchitis or mild pneumonia. I was actually given some inhalers the first time around - as I was asked about asthma. I took them as suggested, didn't clear up, I then had to go back, on some antibiotics. Still didn't clear up, so again on some more stronger ones. So I had two courses of antibiotics, and it did take some time for me to feel better again, but the heartburn never went. I can't ever recall if I had the bad breath issue at this point though.

Around this time, I was having a lot of pain in my flanks, rib cage, but mainly on my sides. It was horrendous, and I presented to A&E on two occasions. I had a urine test, to rule out kidney stones, which it wasn't. I was having dreadful heartburn, pain in my sides, it was horrible. Then the pneumonia, fever, and everything else.

My gut has always been sensitive and I get stomach ache a lot, and other things, despite my poor dental health, I do believe this problem is gut related.

The bad breath thing has ruined my life significantly, I don't go out much at all. Curtains are closed, windows shut. I lost my job due to the mental health issues brought on by the perceived bad breath. I couldn't concentrate on my job, which meant not meeting targets.

I was once on a tram, a lady was sat behind me, and all of a sudden they sort of pretended to start talking on the phone: "Oh tell him he needs to go to the dentist, that is horrendous, no really darling he needs to go". That was very cripplingly embarrassing to me, on the daily morning commute outside a city on a tram, full of commuters so so embarrassing. People would sigh pull faces, and nobody wants to be around you..

I have noted my friends cover their noses and mouths a lot, but have never ever told me my breath is bad. I get an equally dismissive attitude from my GP. The dentist tells me it isn't originating from the teeth. I am at my wits end.

Already have mental health issues and this is causing them to be much much worse. My quality of life is really really gone down hill.

I have tried probiotics like those actimel gut yoghurts you buy. I've tried probiotic pills from Holland & Barrats. I have tried anti-septic mouth washes.

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