I have struggled with body odor since puberty. About 8 years ago, I took propecia for hair loss for a short period of time. I had terrible side effects, one of which has been strong, potent, consistent body odor. Another was a general change and worsening of my bowel function. Both have persisted since. Is there a link between gut flora and armpit flora? In other words, would you expect to be able to successfully treat armpit odor without addressing gut flora? Also, if you would ever need US citizens for a trial, I would love to participate. Is this a possibility?
1 Answers
Hey, thanks for your question. Hormonal medication can lead to changes in (apocrine) sweat secretion and, as such, changes in bacterial community. Such medication could also have other effects, for example, in the gut. A link between gut and armpit microbiota has not been investigated in literature before. I would not really expect a link. The link here is the hormonal change in your body, which can find its effect in all body parts. With our experiments, we only target the armpit microbiome, and not the gut microbiome. In future we may need more participants, but know that research takes time. Stay tuned for more updates. Best, Chris
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