You Asked: Why Does My Sweat Smell Like Ammonia
Maybe youve noticed it after a big run: Your sweat has a strong, cloying odor, sort of like a public restroom, perhaps. You may disregard it as an inevitable byproduct of a strenuous workout, but that ammonia smell may be a red flag your diet isnt keeping up with your energy needs.
Your body normally metabolizes carbohydrates to create the fuel it requires for exercise, says Dr. William Roberts, a professor of sports and family medicine at the University of Minnesota. But if youre exercising hard and dont have enough carbs to meet your bodys needs, your system will switch over to protein metabolism.
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When your body breaks down protein, ammonia is one of the byproducts, Roberts explains. Normally your liver would convert that ammonia into urea, a benign organic compound that your kidneys would dispel of in the form of urine. But if youre starved of carbs and turning to protein for most of your energy, your liver may not be able to handle all the ammonia your body produces. In those instances, your sweat becomes the vehicle through which your body jettisons all of the extra ammonia in your system.
You see this more in people who eat low-carb and high-protein diets, or people who are over-exercisers, like ultra marathoners, says Dr. Lewis Maharam, a New York-based physician and author of the Running Docs Guide to Healthy Running.
Correction: July 9, 2019
What Causes Uric Acid Stones
Uric acid stones form when the levels of uric acid in the urine is too high, and/or the urine is too acidic on a regular basis. High acidity in urine is linked to the following causes:
- Inherited problems in how the body processes uric acid or protein in the diet can increase the acid in urine. This can be seen in conditions such as gout, which is known for its high levels of uric acid in the blood and painful deposits of crystals in the joints.
- Uric acid can result from a diet high in purines, which are found especially in animal proteins such as beef, poultry, pork, eggs, and fish. The highest levels of purines are found in organ meats, such as liver and fish. Eating large amounts of animal proteins can cause uric acid to build up in the urine. The uric acid can settle and form a stone by itself or in combination with calcium. It is important to note that a persons diet alone is not the cause of uric acid stones. Other people might eat the same diet and not have any problems because they are not prone to developing uric acid stones.
- There is an increased risk of uric acid stones in those who are obese or diabetic.
- Patients on chemotherapy are prone to developing uric acid stones.
How Is It Taken
Allopurinol is taken as a tablet once a day. It is usually better to take it just after eating and the tablet should be swallowed with water. It is important to drink plenty of water during the day because this will help you get rid of more urate through your kidneys.
Your dose of allopurinol may change over time, depending on the amount of urate in your body. Your doctor will monitor your urate levels with blood tests every 2-4 weeks, until they are sure that the dose that youre taking is high enough to reduce the amount of urate in your body.
You may need to remain on a lower dose if you have kidney or liver problems.
Your doctor may recommend that you do not start taking allopurinol until after an attack of gout has passed to avoid triggering further attacks. If this is not possible, it may be started when your inflammation is not too bad.
Allopurinol doesnt treat the immediate pain caused by attacks of gout. But its a long-term treatment to get rid of the urate crystals which causes gout attacks.
It is likely that you will need to take allopurinol for the rest of your life to manage your urate levels. You should keep taking allopurinol even if:
- you are experiencing more gout attacks, or it doesnt seem to help the pain and inflammation at first
- you stop having gout attacks stopping your treatment can cause urate crystals to form again, which will lead to more gout attacks.
- etoricoxib
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Most Common Symptoms Of Gout You Should Never Ignore
15 Most Common Signs of Gout
Once upon a time, gout or gouty arthritis was known as the disease of kings. It was considered to be more prevalent among overweight, wealthy men who could afford to over-indulge in alcohol and fatty foods. While obesity and diet remain important risk factors for gout, your bank account or social class is no longer connected to the risk of developing this joint condition. The incidence of gout increases and become more than doubled between the 1970s and 2000s. Today, approximately four percent of U.S. adults are suffering from this.
Gout is a form of the joint condition that causes severe, sudden attacks of inflammation. It happens when there is too much accumulation of a chemical called uric acid in your blood. This causes urate crystals to build up in your joints and other body organs, leading to the telltale gout pain. Your body makes uric acid from the breakdown of purines, a natural substance found in your body as well as in some foods. While the diet itself is not associated with causing gout, certain drinks and foods may trigger its flares. People who develop gout usually have some genetic predisposition coupled with other risk factors such as obesity, diabetes, or kidney disease that cause uric acid to accumulate in the body.
Signs and Symptoms Of Gout
Kidney Failure And Liver Dysfunction
The kidneys and liver help remove toxins from our bodies. When they cannot function properly, toxins can build up in the blood and digestive tract, creating odor. Kidney disease can cause urea to make your sweat take on an ammonia smell.
If you suspect that you have a thyroid, kidney or liver condition, talk to a healthcare professional promptly.
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How Are Uric Acid Stones Diagnosed
- A healthcare provider will take down your medical history.
- A doctor will do a physical exam.
- An X-ray or other imaging tests can be used to allow for a picture of the size, number, and location of stones.
- If a stone is passed in the urine and can be retrieved, sending it to a laboratory for analysis can confirm what type of stone it is. Knowing the type of stone is helpful in the treatment and prevention. This is because each of the four major types of stones is treated differently.
- Stones may be removed from the kidney or urinary tract by the following minimally invasive surgical techniques:
- Shockwave lithotripsy involves breaking up the stone through external shock waves without entering the body.
- A tiny scope is used to enter the ureter and/or kidney through the urethra and breaking up the stone with a laser. The stone fragments can then be removed with a tiny basket.
- Larger stones in the kidney can be removed through percutaneous nephrolithotomy , which involves making a 1cm incision in the back and removing stones through a hollow, direct tract into the kidney.
Why Does My Pee Smell It Might Be Alpha Lipoic Acid
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Alpha lipoic acid, also widely known as ALA, is produced by our bodies in small amounts. This powerful and natural organic component acts as an antioxidant. In the first part of this article, we discussed the alpha lipoic acid dosage for peripheral neuropathy, its food sources, the essential role it plays for diabetic and neuropathic individuals, and its intake methods. Now, lets dig a little deeper into the topic in this installment. We know youre dying to know the answer to:
Does alpha lipoic acid make urine smell?
Hold your horses! Were getting there.
The recommended dosage of ALA is known to have extensive benefits such as revitalizing aging skin, lowering blood sugar levels, relieving diabetic nerve pain, and even reducing body weight. But as with every other over-the-counter treatment, alpha lipoic acid also comes with its reasonable share of side-effects. Along with side effects like anxious moods, headaches, and nausea, the most prominent one is abnormal urine smell.
Thats right, your pee stinks.
Recommended Reading: Gout Do’s And Don Ts
But Does Sweat Help Excrete Uric Acid
The answer is yes! We all know that gout is caused by high uric acid in the blood and the best way to flush uric acid out of your body is through urination but you can also remove uric acid through perspiration as well. They both help to eliminate toxins from your body. Do note that dehydration increases uric acid so thats why its so important for the gout sufferer to drink lots of water and stay hydrated at all times.
Did you know that sweat has 99% water and urine has 95% water? Yet urination is more efficient at excreting uric acid compared to sweating. One study did state that all they found was 6.3% of uric acid excreted from the blood from sweating which is quite minimal.
Research has also shown that people who sweat more via exercise for example may have a lower risk of developing kidney stones. You sweat out more salt instead of having it form as stone in the kidneys and since people that sweat more usually drink more water which is another way to avoid kidney stones. Remember if you suffer from gout you are at a higher risk of developing kidney stones later in life.
What Are The Symptoms Of Uric Acid Stones
All types of kidney stones produce similar symptoms, including one or more of the following:
- Pain in the lower back, sides, abdomen or groin the pain is the result of irritation or blockage inside the kidneys or urinary system
- Blood in the urine
- Urine that smells bad or is cloudy during a urinary tract infection
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What Causes Bad Smelling Urine With No Other Symptoms
Eating foods that are partially excreted through the urinary tract can change the smell of urine and cause “bad smelling urine.” Asparagus is a common culprit. Usually, foul-smelling urine is associated with infections and can happen in the absence of other symptoms. It may also present with bladder pain and possibly fever or chills. Dehydration and concentration of urine can also increase the intensity of the smell of urine.
Who Can And Cannot Take Nitrofurantoin
Nitrofurantoin can be taken by adults including pregnant and breastfeeding women.
Nitrofurantoin is not suitable for everyone. To make sure it’s safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:
- ever had an allergic reaction to nitrofurantoin or any other medicines in the past
- either of the rare inherited conditions: porphyria or glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency
- severe kidney disease
- any illness causing severe weakness
- anaemia or vitamin B deficiency
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Causes Of Smelly Urineand What To Do About It
Asparagus isn’t the only thing that can change the smell of your pee. Here are 9 causes of smelly urine.
Have you ever sat down on the toilet to relieve yourself and thought, Yuck, what’s that smell? Maybe you assumed the stench was the faint yet unpleasant odor that lingers in office bathrooms…but then you realized it wasn’t that at all. It was actually your own urine.
Yep, urine can be smellyfor a number of reasons. Many of them are harmless, but in some cases, smelly urine can be a sign that something more serious is going on. We asked a doctor to explain what causes smelly urine and what you can do about it. Hint: The five cups of coffee you had this morning aren’t doing your pee any favors.
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Treatment For Kidney Stones
Most kidney stones can be treated without surgery. Ninety per cent of stones pass by themselves within three to six weeks. In this situation, the only treatment required is pain relief. However, pain can be so severe that hospital admission and very strong pain-relieving medication may be needed. Always seek immediate medical attention if you are suffering strong pain.
Small stones in the kidney do not usually cause problems, so there is often no need to remove them. A doctor specialising in the treatment of kidney stones is the best person to advise you on treatment.
If a stone doesnt pass and blocks urine flow or causes bleeding or an infection, then it may need to be removed. New surgical techniques have reduced hospital stay time to as little as 48 hours. Treatments include:
What Are The Common Side Effects Of Alpha Lipoic Acid
Urine smell is one of the most common side effects of ALA. Nausea and skin rashes are also common side effects. However, if you experience any dizziness, extra hunger, irritability, weakness, confusion, sweating, extreme headaches, jittery feeling, or a noticeably faster heartbeat, you should immediately seek medical attention.
Good luck friends and were so happy to solve the burning question of why your pee smells! BUT REMEMBERif you also have burning with that burning question, please see your doctor right away.
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Get An Accurate Diagnosis And Treatment
While gout attack symptoms do resolve on their own, people are advised to seek medical treatment. If left untreated, gout can become chronic and cause lasting joint damage.
Diagnosis begins with a clinical exam and interview. Patients are encouraged to be honest with their health care providers about their eating, drinking, and other lifestyle habits. This honesty can be helpful both for diagnosing gout and creating a treatment plan. Diagnosis may also involve blood tests, urine tests, and medical imaging, such as x-rays and ultrasound.
See Gout Diagnosis
Treatment typically involves advice to avoid alcohol and certain foods known to trigger gout, such as foods and drink high in sugar, seafood, red meat, and organ meats.19 Medications to lower urate levels in the bloodâwhich can lead to gout attacksâare often recommended. Losing excess weight is another effective way to reduce the risk of a gout attack and chronic gout.20
See Gout Treatment
The Meaning Behind Urine Color
We hope you will find this blog as a translator helping you learn what your trip to the bathroom is trying to tell you. Each color of urine can mean multiple things so we want to make sure you do not panic. But if you are experiencing an unhealthy looking color, make an appointment with your doctor.
Our color categories are approximate. Each persons liquid waste will look slightly different than someone elses, but this guide will provide you with a good frame of reference.
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Can You Remove Gout
It should be fairly apparent why youd want to get rid of gout, but is it feasible essentially?
Sure will be, but theres not a one-size will fit all solution.
In the next section, well get going over whats worked ideal for us!
You wont want to miss out on this free video tutorial.
NOTICE: Id highly recommend going to your doctor or seeing a specialist about this situation, since we arent experts. See our medical disclaimer for more details.
We dont know what will work for you, but we know whats worked for us and others
Why The Test Is Performed
This test may be done to help determine the cause of a high uric acid level in the blood. It may also be done to monitor people with gout, and to choose the best medicine to lower the uric acid level in the blood.
Uric acid is a chemical created when the body breaks down substances called purines. Most uric acid dissolves in blood and travels to the kidneys, where it passes out in urine. If your body produces too much uric acid or does not remove enough of it, you may get sick. A high level of uric acid in the body is called hyperuricemia and it can lead to gout or kidney damage.
This test may also be done to check whether a high uric acid level in the urine is causing kidney stones.
Read Also: How To Stop A Gout Attack
How Long Will I Take It For
If you’re taking nitrofurantoin to:
- treat a urinary tract infection, then you usually need to take it for 3 to 7 days
- stop urinary tract infections coming back, you may need to take it for several months
- prevent an infection before having surgery, you’ll usually need take it on the day of the operation and for the next 3 days