
To this day, there is no cure for fish odor syndrome or trimethylaminuria, and only palliative care exists that mainly involves:
Removing and preventing bad odors
Diet modification that includes avoidance of choline-rich foods such as:
- Eggs
- Liver
- Peas
- Soybeans
- Sea fish
- Vitamin B12 supplements
- Treatment with antibiotics and probiotics
- Activated charcoal to remove an excess of trimethylamine
Moreover, behavioral counseling may also prove beneficial in treating depression, anxiety, and other psychological disorders associated with fish odor syndrome.
What is fish odor syndrome?
Fish odor syndrome or trimethylaminuria is a condition characterized by a fishy body odor that is released in the sweat, urine, breath and reproductive fluids due to excessive excretion of trimethylamine. People with this condition cannot break down trimethylamine, a chemical found in certain foods. Excess trimethylamine is the cause of the fishy odor or rotten fish odor.
What are the signs and symptoms of fish odor syndrome?
Besides the fishy odor, patients may also experience the following symptoms:
- Anemia
- Depression
- Hypertension
- Neutropenia (low blood neutrophil count)
- Recurrent pneumonia
- Splenomegaly (an increased spleen size)
- Tachycardia (an increased heart rate)
- High urine trimethylamine level
- Low self-esteem
- Anxiety
- Social isolation
The aforementioned symptoms may not be experienced by all and vary from person to person.
The fishy odor may get worse with increased sweating, exercising, and emotional stress. In women, the symptoms may worsen during
The odor may vary from person to person and can interfere with daily aspects of life, leading to social or psychological problems.

QUESTION
What percentage of the human body is water? See AnswerWhat causes fish odor syndrome?
Fish odor syndrome is caused by a deficiency in FMO3 genes. Under normal conditions, the trimethylamine precursors (choline) obtained from the food is reduced to trimethylamine by colonic bacteria. This trimethylamine then diffuses through the cell membranes to reach the liver, and the FMO3 in the liver oxidizes trimethylamine into odorless trimethylamine-N-oxide; however, people having fish odor syndrome fail to metabolize trimethylamine due to lack of FMO3 genes, leading to the buildup of trimethylamine.
How do people inherit fish odor syndrome?
People inherit fish odor syndrome by an autosomal recessive pattern, which means both the copies of the gene obtained from parents have mutations. Both the parents may each carry one copy of mutated genes (carriers), although they do not show any signs or symptoms. In some conditions, the carriers may exhibit mild or occasional symptoms. When two carriers of an autosomal recessive condition have children, there is a 25% chance to have a child with fish odor syndrome.
How to diagnose fish odor syndrome?
Fish odor syndrome is usually diagnosed based on the symptoms, a clinical examination, and a test to measure the level of trimethylamine in the urine. Genetic testing can help to diagnose fish odor syndrome.
Latest Health and Living News
Daily Health News
Health Solutions From Our Sponsors
https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/6447/trimethylaminuria#:~:text=Treatment%20for%20trimethylaminuria%20is%20focused,extra%20trimethylamine%20from%20the%20body.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3848652/
Top Is There A Cure for Fish Odor Syndrome? Related Articles
Anemia: Common Causes, Symptoms, Types, and Treatment
Anemia is a disease marked by low numbers of red blood cells. Low iron deficiency or underlying disease, like cancer, may be to blame. Treatment can resolve anemia.Anemia: Symptoms, Treatment and Causes
Anemia is the condition of having less than the normal number of red blood cells or less than the normal quantity of hemoglobin in the blood. The oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood is, therefore, decreased. There are several types of anemia such as iron deficiency anemia (the most common type), sickle cell anemia, vitamin B12 anemia, pernicious anemia, and aplastic anemia. Symptoms of anemia may include fatigue, malaise, hair loss, palpitations, menstruation, and medications. Treatment for anemia includes treating the underlying cause for the condition. Iron supplements, vitamin B12 injections, and certain medications may also be necessary.Pernicious Anemia
Pernicious anemia is a blood disorder in which the body does not make enough red blood cells due to a lack of vitamin B12 in the blood. Pernicious anemia can develop from a lack of a protein that helps the body absorb vitamin B12, not getting enough B12 in the diet, and certain intestinal conditions that interfere with the absorption of vitamin B12 such as Crohn's disease, celiac sprue, or ulcerative colitis. There is no cure for pernicious anemia, thus treatment is life-long.Pernicious Anemia Picture
Pernicious anemia is a disease where large, immature, nucleated cells (megaloblasts, which are forerunners of red blood cells) circulate in the blood, and do not function as blood cells; it is a disease caused by impaired uptake of vitamin B-12 due to the lack of intrinsic factor (IF) in the gastric mucosa. It was termed "pernicious" because before it was learned that vitamin B-12 could treat the anemia, most people that developed the disease died from it.Sickle Cell Disease (Anemia)
Sickle cell anemia (sickle cell disease), a blood disease which shortens life expectancy, is caused by an inherited abnormal hemoglobin.
Symptoms of sickle cell anemia may include bacterial infections, painful swelling of the hands and feet, fever, leg ulcers, fatigue, anemia, eye damage, and lung and heart injury.
Treatment for sickle cell anemia aims to manage and prevent the worst manifestations of the disease and focuses on therapies that block red blood cells from stacking together, which can lead to tissue and organ damage and pain.How Do You Fix Anemia?
Anemia describes a condition in which you have a low red blood cell count and low hemoglobin levels. This is a serious condition as red blood cells and hemoglobin carry oxygen to all your cells, allowing them to burn energy. If you’re anemic, you’ll likely feel fatigued and short of breath, lacking physical stamina. You may have heart problems and appear pale. Anemia is often a symptom of some other disease or condition, so treatment varies widely depending on the root cause.