PerplexedPanther, this is an interesting topic. As for my response, I do think the issue should be explored by a doctor, as others have suggested. I suppose if I had this issue, I'd start with my psychiatrist and then move on to my general practitioner. There certainly could be causes of this that are totally unrelated to mental illness or its medications. The fact that your partner has had this issue almost his entire life, definitely seems to warrant a more thorough look into the matter.

I have bipolar disorder and take moodstabilizers and antipsychotics. As long as I bathe occasionally, or after sweating a lot, I think I smell OK. Neither my husband, nor anyone else has ever said I smelled, unless my self-care was very delinquent. My clothes only smell mildly IF I have worn them a number of times without washing them. I see that as normal.

I will say that odor relating to my mental illness has been noticed by my husband (beyond self care issues) ONLY when I am manic. For some reason, he says that when I am very manic that my breath becomes very foul. He's noticed this several times. We believe this has something to do with the physical changes that go on during mania. Just as some mental illness can cause gastrointestinal issues, we think that may be related to my manic breath issue. During mania, my system is in such an overdrive, that something else must be going on. During severe anxiety, I sweat more and also have gastrointestinal issues.

Another more embarrassing issue:

I believe that one of my medications (likely carbamazepine ER/Tegretol XR) affects the smell of my number 1 and number 2. There is nothing I can really do about that, particularly since it is otherwise a very good medication for me. Others here have made reference to some medications/supplements doing similar, or even affecting sweat smell. That is sort of a well-known fact. I think it may also be worth exploring if maybe particular foods might be culprits. Hormonal issue? Something else?