"Sulfur burps" are the first indication that I have a fun day ahead of me. There is excessive gas, which is all coming up, not in the form of flatulence. The burps are so foul that I can only blow them out of my face as fast as possible. I know that within 4 to 16 hours I will begin a cycle of vomiting and diarrhea. This will last about 8 hours, and will be accompanied by chills and possibly leg and foot cramps. Obviously my body is trying to clean everything out, top to bottom. The vomiting will continue, even though my stomach is empty. Once this cycle is over, the burps are gone, and I face another day of recuperation.
When this all began, 6 or 7 years ago, I had it only twice a year. The first time, the burps went on several days before my system finally purged itself. Over the years, the time between attacks has lessened, so that I may face 4 or 5 episodes a year. From December of last year into March, it hit me 5 times, but has not come back since then. Also, since the initial episode several years ago, the period of time from the beginning of the burps to the beginning of the system purge has gone from days to hours.
Anti-gas medications are useless. I don't generally take anything for the diarrhea, because the sooner the "evil spirits" are out of me, the sooner I can begin to recover. Also, I cannot associate this condition with any physical triggers, such as eating a particular food.
Naturally, no one can tell me what is going on. I have been a type I diabetic for almost 25 years. I have other, more chronic intestinal problems, particularly irritable bowel syndrome. My gastroenterologist recently diagnosed me with gastroparesis, though I think I have a mild case.
Guesses are welcome, but I'd really like to hear from someone who has had the problem and had it properly diagnosed.