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Mysterious body odor after surgery easy to treat

Dear Dr. Roach: I have a problem that you might not have heard about. I had shoulder surgery on my left shoulder two years ago and developed strong body odor on that side. A year later, I had surgery on my right shoulder and developed body odor on that side. I never had strong body odor before. I did an online search for this problem and found out that it’s not that uncommon. One article suggested not to use bar soap but to use shampoo instead. I tried this, and now I’m body odor free. What do you think about this? — B.C.

Answer: I have two thoughts about this, but I’m not sure either of them is right. The first is that after surgery, you are likely in a sling or, at the very least, less able to move your shoulder. You also may be bandaged. I suspect that has changed the bacteria that live on your skin, which is what causes body odor (sweat itself has an inoffensive odor in absence of bacteria).

The second possibility is that you may have had a nerve block at the time of the surgery. This can change the way you sweat, which in turn can lead to changes in your body’s normal flora (meaning the bacteria and yeast that live on healthy skin).

In either event, the goal is to get rid of the bad bacteria. Soap and shampoo have different abilities to kill bacteria. I sometimes recommend a topical antibacterial, chlorhexidine (sold as Hibiclens and other brands), which is very effective at reducing bacteria counts.

Readers: The booklet on sodium, potassium chloride and bicarbonate explain the functions of these body chemicals and how low or high readings are corrected. To obtain a copy, write:

Dr. Roach

Book No. 202

628 Virginia Drive

Orlando, FL 32803

Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6 Can. with the recipientás printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery.

Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible.

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