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CARMEN DAVIES, 29, FROM FALLOWFIELD, HAS A RARE CONDITION THAT'S FORCED HER TO 'LIVE LIFE AWAY FROM PEOPLE' 09:01, 30 May 2025Updated 09:28, 30 May 2025 A Manchester mum has

spoken out about a rare disorder that makes her smell like rotting fish. Carmen Davies, 29, was diagnosed with trimethylaminuria (TMAU), also known as fishy odour syndrome, in June 2023. It

means Carmen emits a strong scent affecting her breath, sweat and urine due to the genetic disorder. Her body is unable to break down certain foods, including fish and eggs, resulting in a

pungent smell within minutes of eating them. Despite not being able to detect the odour herself, Carmen, of Fallowfield, is acutely aware of others' reactions when she passes by.

Despite daily showers, brushing her teeth and using perfume, she can't mask the smell and often chooses to stay at home to avoid subjecting others to it. The condition has had

significant impacts on her life, preventing her from finding employment and even leading her to miss her cousin's funeral in 2023. Carmen says she tries not to take it personally when

people comment on the smell, but it's a constant struggle. She said: "I live my life having to stay away from people, and that's led to massive mental health issues. Article

continues below "Smelling like rotten fish, rotten eggs, urine and faeces is horrendous - it doesn't matter how much I wash. "I go out wanting to be cautious about other

people and feeling guilty about myself standing next to someone. "I have a beautiful baby boy though and any issues from my condition have to be overcome. "He needs to be outside -

so with having a child, I've had no other option to try and take myself out of my comfort zone at times. "It's a natural human reaction to go 'oh, what is that

smell?' so I try not to take it personally, but it is really hard. My aim is to try and explain it to other people. "It really has altered my way of life in every single way."

The condition is caused by a mutation in the FM03 gene, which helps break down trimethylamine. Without it, the compound builds up, causing a fish-like odour. Carmen first realised she had

started to smell when she was at college - with reports suggesting the disorder may become worse during puberty. She said: "It all started when I was about 18. There was this one boy

that told everybody that I smelled like poo - I thought it was strange, and just being malicious to me. "So I didn't take any notice of it, but then I started hearing indirect

comments about me from other people - that I needed to have a bath and have a wash. "This guy then started to make songs about me on his YouTube channel - he'd nickname me

'poo-dle'. " Carmen eventually sought medical advice, though she claims she was initially told it was a mental health-related issue. According to Metabolic Support UK, only

around 100 people in the UK have been identified with the condition, and it may be under-diagnosed and misdiagnosed. Carmen said: "They believed I had a condition where I could smell

smells that weren't there - but I shower every morning and keep clean so I went back to the doctors and said I was sure something was wrong. "I asked to be referred to a TMAU

specialist centre - I was told it was really rare and that it was all in my head. "I wouldn't leave it and kept going back to doctors as I couldn't do anything without people

commenting about how I smelt. "I eventually had an official diagnosis from my doctor in 2023. "You can only manage your symptoms by food - I have to avoid red meat, anything

processed or frozen, green vegetables - you'll always have an odour. "Over the years I've found that fasting makes you smell worse in the first seven days but if you continue

your fast then your TMAU tends to smell like cinnamon. "It was working in the sense that I didn't smell like faeces and sewage, but I became too thin from not eating enough."

Carmen struggles daily with her condition and avoids family and social gatherings. She said: "I don't have any quality of life - I have to wake up and have this smell every day.

"I did ballet, singing, and dancing when I was younger, and I'd do anything to be able to do that again. "Family gatherings are off bounds. "I lost my cousin, and I

couldn't go to his funeral because of it - I really do sit in my house all the time. "I did meet someone on a TMAU forum online, and we completely understood each other - it's

so hard to explain to other people, and I wish the world could be kinder about things." Article continues below _JOIN THE MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS WHATSAPP GROUP HERE_