“I have a rare disease that makes me smell like rotting fish” (5 photos)

No matter how much Carmen Davis showers, sprays perfume, or brushes her teeth, she can't get rid of the unpleasant smell. In 2023, the 29-year-old British woman was diagnosed with trimethylaminuria.





Trimethylaminuria is a rare inherited disorder in which the body is unable to metabolize trimethylamine from food sources. The accumulation of this substance in the body causes the body to smell like rotting fish, especially after eating foods rich in choline.

Carmen says the smell appears within minutes of eating certain foods, including fish and eggs.



The woman can’t smell it, but she notices how others react. Not only is it damaging her confidence, it’s also making it difficult for her to find work. She hasn’t even been able to attend her cousin’s funeral.

The Fallowfield, Manchester, resident said: “I’ve spent my whole life being kept away from people and it’s caused huge mental health problems. I can’t get the smell of rotten fish, eggs, urine and faeces out of my system, no matter how much I wash. When I go outside, I feel guilty when I’m around someone.”





Since the birth of her son, she has been trying to cope with the difficulties and get out of the house more often: “He needs to be outside, so I have no choice.”

When people are around Carmen, they often ask, “What’s that smell?” Although she tries not to take it personally, reminding herself that it’s a natural human reaction, it’s still very difficult for her.

“My goal is to spread the word about this disease,” she says.

Trimethylaminuria can be present from birth, but usually gets worse during puberty. The condition is caused by a mutation in the FM03 gene, which helps break down trimethylamine. Without it, the compound builds up, causing an unpleasant odor.

Carmen first realized she had an odor when she was 18 and in college.

She recalls, “One guy kept telling me I smelled like poop. I thought it was weird, but he was just mean to me, so I didn’t think much of it. Then other people started telling me to take a shower. And that guy started writing mean songs about me on his YouTube channel.”



The British woman went to see a doctor, but he assumed the problem was mental health.

"The GP thought I had a condition that made me smell things that weren't there," she says. "But I asked to go to a diagnostic centre."

Davis' fears were confirmed. Unfortunately, there is no cure for the condition. The symptoms can only be alleviated by changing your diet. Even if Carmen avoids red meat, green vegetables and processed or frozen foods, the smell is still there.



“Over the years of strict dieting, I realized that the smell gets worse in the first seven days, but if you continue fasting, your body starts to smell like cinnamon,” she adds.

“Yes, it works, I don’t smell like feces or sewage, but I’ve become too thin because of the poor diet.”

“A comfortable life is out of the question. Every morning I wake up and smell this. In my youth, I was into ballet, singing and dancing. Today, I’m ready to do anything to be able to practice. Family gatherings are also prohibited. I lost a cousin and couldn’t go to his funeral. I really sit at home all the time.”

Davis found solace in forums where people with trimethylaminuria support each other.