Can probiotics cause this?

[Mei]

Hi, I'm not sure if this is the correct place to post this, but I assume IBS sufferers would have some experience with probiotics. My doctor has recommended I take some for my IBS. I've taken them for a month and around the last week of taking them, I noticed that somehow all of the odors my body produces have changed. This includes sweat as well as (TMI, sorry) farts and stool, and urine, and even my saliva has a bit of a funny smell. I know this does not seem like a serious symptom, but for some reason it really bothers me, I know that the smells mentioned above are generally not pleasant, but somehow I was used to the way my body smelled (as well as the stuff that left my body) so it's kind of a disturbing change. Do you think probiotics could have caused it? This is the only thing that changed in my diet/lifestyle/medication. The gastro-intestinal smells I kind of understand could be affected, but body odor? Do you think the gut microbiota could change the smell of someone's sweat? I don't want to bother a doctor with something that is obviously not super problematic, but I wonder if anyone else has experienced this and if I could hope that it will go away eventually? I don't intend on taking those probiotics again as they did not seem to help my IBS at all anyway, but I wonder whether odor change (if caused by the supplements) could be permanent?

[Fishmanpa]

My wife has been taking pro-biotics for many years since she experienced a change to her body's reaction to dairy, milk specifically. We switched to almond milk and her doctor recommended the same thing as yours. She didn't experience any of the issues you've mentioned. They've proven to be very beneficial and while cow's milk is still a no no, she can eat cheese and yogurt with no issue. Thing is, pro biotics alone are not the answer to digestive issues including IBS. Overall diet along with these little helpers can and do make a difference. Look into the FODMAP diet, keep a food diary and adjust accordingly and btw, it takes more than a month for your body to adjust to pro-biotics.

FMP