This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-51006604
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Fish smell syndrome TMAU 'like living with a death sentence' | Fish smell syndrome TMAU 'like living with a death sentence' |
| (about 8 hours later) | |
| A woman who has a syndrome that causes her to smell of rotten fish said it is like "living with a death sentence". | |
| Paula Thomas, 45, from Bristol, has Trimethylaminuria (TMAU), which prevents the body from breaking down materials found in certain foods. | Paula Thomas, 45, from Bristol, has Trimethylaminuria (TMAU), which prevents the body from breaking down materials found in certain foods. |
| Mrs Thomas said she missed school plays to avoid being in crowded places, had been made to get off buses, and felt racially abused because of her smell. | Mrs Thomas said she missed school plays to avoid being in crowded places, had been made to get off buses, and felt racially abused because of her smell. |
| There is no cure for TMAU but avoiding certain foods may lessen the symptoms. | There is no cure for TMAU but avoiding certain foods may lessen the symptoms. |
| Paula said the smell was with her every day but on some days or for part of a day the odour could be less intense. | Paula said the smell was with her every day but on some days or for part of a day the odour could be less intense. |
| "It's like living with a death sentence - I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy, it's that bad," she said. | "It's like living with a death sentence - I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy, it's that bad," she said. |
| "The discrimination, the harassment, the anxiety and the smell itself is just horrible. | "The discrimination, the harassment, the anxiety and the smell itself is just horrible. |
| "When I'm on a bus I hear comments like 'oh that smells like a toilet' and 'gutter' and every odour name in the book, I've heard it all," she said. | "When I'm on a bus I hear comments like 'oh that smells like a toilet' and 'gutter' and every odour name in the book, I've heard it all," she said. |
| 'Feel so isolated' | 'Feel so isolated' |
| Mrs Thomas said some of the abuse felt racist. | Mrs Thomas said some of the abuse felt racist. |
| She said she has been called "filthy Jamaican" and, after she ignored nasty comments and banging on the window of her flat, someone left a bunch of bananas on the bin outside her door. | She said she has been called "filthy Jamaican" and, after she ignored nasty comments and banging on the window of her flat, someone left a bunch of bananas on the bin outside her door. |
| "They couldn't get my attention with the verbal abuse so whoever it was did that," said Mrs Thomas. | "They couldn't get my attention with the verbal abuse so whoever it was did that," said Mrs Thomas. |
| The incident was reported to the police. | The incident was reported to the police. |
| "I came home to find someone cleaning my door and windows. When I asked what was happening they said it was to get rid of 'that awful odour'," said Mrs Thomas. | "I came home to find someone cleaning my door and windows. When I asked what was happening they said it was to get rid of 'that awful odour'," said Mrs Thomas. |
| "It's not nice waking up in the morning with this condition. | "It's not nice waking up in the morning with this condition. |
| "I didn't get to go to my little girl's nativity play even though I wanted so much because I was really anxious about being in a crowded place," she said. | "I didn't get to go to my little girl's nativity play even though I wanted so much because I was really anxious about being in a crowded place," she said. |
| "I've lived half of my life clean, smelling nice and then one day you wake up stinking and you don't know the cause. | "I've lived half of my life clean, smelling nice and then one day you wake up stinking and you don't know the cause. |
| "I feel so isolated, it's horrible." | "I feel so isolated, it's horrible." |
| 'Every day is a nightmare' | 'Every day is a nightmare' |
| The NHS says Trimethylaminuria is caused by faulty genes that a person inherits from their parents, but this is not always the case. | The NHS says Trimethylaminuria is caused by faulty genes that a person inherits from their parents, but this is not always the case. |
| Mrs Thomas was sent to see a specialist at the London Metabolic Clinic in 2011. | Mrs Thomas was sent to see a specialist at the London Metabolic Clinic in 2011. |
| "I was so optimistic - I thought I'd go back to normal life but I was told there's no cure so I was devastated," she said. | "I was so optimistic - I thought I'd go back to normal life but I was told there's no cure so I was devastated," she said. |
| She would like the syndrome to be acknowledged as a disability as she has not been able to work or hold a job down because of the odour which was "beyond my control". | She would like the syndrome to be acknowledged as a disability as she has not been able to work or hold a job down because of the odour which was "beyond my control". |
| "You never know when or how but you know it's coming," she said. | "You never know when or how but you know it's coming," she said. |
| "Everyday is a nightmare for me." | "Everyday is a nightmare for me." |
| For some people with TMAU diets avoiding foods that contain choline, like salt water fish, egg yolk, peas, liver, kidney, and legumes, can have a degree of success in controlling the odour. | For some people with TMAU diets avoiding foods that contain choline, like salt water fish, egg yolk, peas, liver, kidney, and legumes, can have a degree of success in controlling the odour. |