Sulphuric/ Eggy burps and stomach cramps

[Nesea2]

Hello!
I have had an extensive workup for stomach pain 2 months ago.  Had my gallbladder removed in 1999.  My pancreas/stomach CT scan was negative. Gastric emptying scan showed slightly slow motility. Upper GI showed some "narrowing" of the pylorus, but no other pathology.  I have been on prilosec BID for 3 years, for GERD, and lipitor for cholesterol. However, I get bouts of severe stomach distress that presents as eggy, foul-tasting burping, then stomach cramping, bloating and nausea.  It is pretty debilitating for a whole day, and makes me feel horrible. Bentyl doesn't help much, nor does Gaviscon. Does anyone have an idea what is causing this?? Is it the pylorus, or lactose intolerance...something totally different that my doctor and I are missing?  I'd appreciate some input on this, as I actually am missing work because of it.  Thanks so much!    Kim

[HFHSm.D.-Gastro-rf]

Dear Nesea2,
From time to time everyone will have the problem of abdominal discomfort with foul tasing burping.  Because of the intermittent nature of the symptom, I have attributed the problem to a viral problem ( although I admit that there is no evidence to support this conclusion).  The possibility that the problem is the result of food that was recently eaten must also be considered.  Esophageal reflux is another possibility.  I doubt that the symptoms are related to your pylorus or lactose intolerance.

[mike j]

HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT LOOKING IN ANOTHER DIRECTION?
THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL FEMALES IN MY FAMILY (FEMALES ONLY),THAT HAVE HAD THOSE NASTY SMELLING BURBS. GOOD LUCK FINDING OUT SOMETHING.

[Brian (aka writer)]

Hi Nesea:

I have the same problem with those foul, egg tasting and smelling belches.  I don't notice cramping with it, but I do have a low grade of nausea and bloating.  

I currently am taking Zantac 75 mgs, once a day at bedtime for GERD.  It sometimes works and sometimes doesn't.  I recently switched doctors and am awaiting an appointment until my records are trasnfered.

I've been treated on and off for GERD for the past few years with either Zantac or Prilosec.  I also recently discovered that my liver functions are elevated.  We think the cause is that I've tried a number of different anti-depressant medications during the last four or five years.  I don't drink, and a viral profile came back negative for hepatitis.

I somehow wonder if all these things are connected, but I just don't know enough about it.  

I haven't had an upper GI or any ultrasounds, so I guess that is the next step.  Meantime, I've read about helicobacter bacteria and it causing similar symptoms.

Anyway, just thought I would let you know that I have similar symtpoms re: that awful belching (probably between 5-10 a month).  If you find anything out about your situation, please post here as I would be interested in reading.

Thanks, and good luck.

Brian (aka writer)

[lyn]

What are non-specific nodes in the lower bowels causing severe cramping in the stomach, neausea?

[Susan]

My family had a stomach bug about 3 weeks ago and me and my husband also had those eggy burps, they were awful! Last night, I started having the eggy burps again but with no other symptoms other than that. I felt fine everywhere except for the horrid tasting and smelling burps. I was getting really concerned about it and have fretted about it all night wondering what is wrong with me since I have never had gastric problems in my life, not even heartburn. If anyone would care to email me about this, I would really appreciate it it. My email address is [email protected]

[Dee]

I don't think there is a doctor out there that knows what goes on with your body after gall bladder surgery.  Look at all the people with the same symptons and no answers.  I am at my doctors office all the time trying to find an answer.  All test show nothing is wrong.  Sure nothing is wrong , that is why I am there.  I am single and since my surgery in April of 1998, my life has change for the worse.  I can't even date any more.  The stomach pain , the burps, the diarhea, all make for a  lovely date.  I have decided I will spend the rest of my life by myself, unless some brillant doctor can come up with an answer to the question "Why did gall bladder surgery ruin my life?" I look at the doctors in all the forums I have went to and they all say the same thing .....NOTHING !  They won't admit they don't know what the problem is or what to do for it.  I am sick of doctors and I am sick of test. If nothing is wrong, then why is my life ruined from gall bladder surgery?  And if it not from the surgery , why are we all experiencing the same thing?  And then they say it is from something else...please .  I am sick of my medicine cabinet looking like my grandmothers.

[Jill]

I, also, have had eggy-bad tasting and smelling burps.  Followed by severe vomiting.  Until all of the 'eggy' stuff is all out of my stomach.  I will throw up for about 3 to 4 hours -- 7 to 10 times -- I, also, have diareha until this whole bout is gone.  I do not eat because I am so queasy, usually until the next day.  I am usually bedridden.  I start out by drinking warm chicken broth.  No milk products for a couple of days following.  Why is my body getting rid of this 'extra sulphur'?  Is it caused by my gallbladder?  Do I need to clense my gallbladder? I will drink natural applejuice when I am feeling better..I have a 'concocktion' to use with this too.  Is it from an ulcer?  What causes the smell?  Someone has mentioned something about their liver...clense the liver? I will start using Nutri Biotic drops for this. I have had this several times now and I do not want to go through it again.  I am glad to see that other people have had the same ( I'm not really GLAD )thing. I do try to take ginger root pills when I feel I am all done vomiting...it settles my stomach.  I then take alot of acidophilus pills to get some good bacteria back in there.  If any one can answer any of my questions or has any information please feel free to type me @ rex.***@**** Thank you!!!!

[patricia]

I too have those foul smelling "eggy"  burps.  Iusually describe them more like sawdust.  Just by the process of elimination, I have decided that at those time, my stomach stops working and does not process the food.  These episodes usually conclude with nausea and vomiting.  I am already on prilosec and have before been on propulsid.  I can not seem to find the foods that trigger this response.  Is anyone having any luck.

[vickie]

I have been suffering from the same problem for about 2 1/2 months now. Mine starts out with that awful burping (which is truly like rotten eggs). Then I have diarreah then vomitting. I usually have them both at the same time! My doc ran a bunch of tests, ultrasound, Upper GI, blood tests and they all came back negative. He put me on Prilosec and wants to say that that has "cured" me. But as I told him, I haven't eaten enough in weeks for me to be able to say that the pills are working. He wants me to slowly add food back into my diet. I've been living on Bagels & crackers and water. This past weekend, I did eat different foods. And on Tuesday morning, I was sick as a dog. This is my fourth bout of this in 2 months. I can't believe no one can tell me what's wrong. It's hideous. I lose at least one day of work because of it and sometimes 2 days. I have to stay in bed. Any movement at all makes me nauseous. I am relieved however to find that others are having the same symptoms. At least I don't feel crazy on top of being sick.

If anyone has any information at all, please e-mail me at ***@****

Thanks. And I hope we all feel better soon.

[Michelle]

To Dee in response to Feb,15 the posting. I, like you have gotten to the point of doubting doctors and medication. I am a massage therapist and have over the last year researched and had very effective results with homeopathic remedies, and alternative forms of healthcare (i.e. nutritional counseling,theraputic bodywork, etc) It sounds as though you are extremely discouraged about your condition, now I'm in no way a doctor, but I highly recommend seeking the advice of alternative health practitioners in conjunction with your regular doctor. In my experience when a health problem gets to the point of damaging your outlook about life (in your case,dating) it's an opportunity to look inside yourself and see if there aren't other issues tied to the physical problem. I do know in chinese medicine the gallbladder, liver, etc. are all correspondent with emotional aspects,maybe you should try to find a health practioner that works with more than just the physical. I wish you the best of luck and health! Take care.

[Michelle]

To Dee (again), in response to Feb. 15th posting. Hi! It's me again, I'm sorry I keep writing specifically to you, but something about your posting really struck me. Over the years I have come to recognize when someone is ready to make the step into alternative medicine. Now, I don't know your health background, or if you are even open to alternative healthcare,but it sounds like you might be at that place in your life where you'll try anything. A book that might help you and anyone interesting in getting to the bottom of physical(and emotional)symptoms is "Staying Healthy with the Seasons" by Elson M. Haas, M.D. I think in our fast paced world of five minute doctor visits, we tend to forget that we have control over our own bodies and health. What I mean by that is that we kind of get conditioned to take what the doctors say as the ONLY way, and realistically it's not. Maybe start with a liver, gallbladder(even if you had it removed the energy can still be present) cleanse, from there I would seek out a qualified doctor who combines both eastern and western philosophies. There are some excellent yoga postures that can internal massage areas of distress. More than anything make a decision to take your health back. The liver and gallbladder energies are the strongest from 11pm-3am, if you can,maybe take note of symptoms you are having and how they correspond to those times, are they better of worse?
I have no idea where you are located but there are associations set up to regulate and give information to consumers about qualifed physicians. Please email me at ***@**** if I can be of any help. Take Care

[HeatherB]

I have been suffering from the same problem for almost 3 years now. I thought I was the only one until I found this place. Along with the nasty burps, I also get severe cramping, diarrea, nausea and finally vomiting. This lasts for about 12 or so hours and always starts with the egg-burps. I had my gall bladder removed last month and the problem has become worse since then. Has anyone noticed certain foods "triggering" this? I can't eat eggs by themselves but I can eat something that uses egg in the recipie. (i.e. cake, pasta, mayonaise, etc) I can't eat seafood in any form but not sure of anything else.

[Lynn]

My husband has had the "egg burps" mentioned by everyone here for many years.  As someone else said, it also seems as if his stomach has "shut down" as a digestive organ. Instead, it seems to just secrete acid, which in turn makes vomit, burp, and have horrible smelling diarrhea. This is my first time here, but as I read, nobody seems to really have an answer as to the cause of this condition.  Does anyone know?  My husband is always worried
about cancer of some kind. Has anyone been found to have stomach cancer, as a reason for these symptoms?  He can only eat plain meat that is not greasy, and mashed potatoes with nothing on them. Is there a remedy?

[Michelle]

i have suffered from these burps and stomache discomfort for many years. Recently I was diagnosed as having h pylori and have been treated, although the burping is still occuring. I also gain weight very easily.

[HeatherB]

Since last posting, I have had bloodwork done which showed nothing wrong and a G.I. series that showed nothing as well. I have been put on Librax 4 times per day and percocets for the pain. I am now seeing another specialist who believes I have colitis, crohn's disease or IBS [irritable bowel syndrome]. I am scheduled for a colonoscopy (sp?) on 3/29 and hope to get some answers at that point. Please feel free to write me if you have the same problem or if you know what the problem is. It is now occurring at least twice a week and I feel that I can't take much more of this. pinkfloyd_4ever***@****

[Jessica St-Jacques]

This is the second time this week that I have had these horrible tasting egg-burps.  I notice that many people here have had their gall bladder removed in the past.  I haven't.  I still have mine.  Yesterday, I had honey-nut cheerios for breakfast at 10:00am.  I didn't eat all day because we were going for a big meal at a Sugar Shack.  At about 5:00pm, a half hour before we ate, I started to have the egg-burps again.  My stomach was empty!  What causes this?  I'm so sick of it.  I feel awful, I can't go out, I'm bed-ridden, I have diarreah, vomitting, it's just horrible.  I can't even tolerate my own self.  The smell and taste is putrid.  Where is this sulpher coming from?  Do I have bad bacteria?  Please.... I need answers.

***@****

[patricia]

I have been having the same episodes, eggy burps followed by three to five hours of vomitting and diarrhea.  Mine seems to come at the same time every night, from about 3:00am until 10-11:00am, at which point I am absolutely drained and dehydrated.  I have had every barium and ultrasound test that they can run.  I have been told I could have sludge in my gallbladder, not big enought to show up as stones in an ultrasound but enough to cause disruption in my digestive process.  The bile apparently is what causes those foul burps.  Haven't had an episode for four months...keeping my fingers crossed!!

[lisa]

Have any of you tried Alka-Selzer or Bromo-selzer?  I know this sounds simplistic...but I've had these same symptoms along with debilitating projectile vomiting.  (It's HORRIBLE)  Anyway...first rotton eggy burp I have.  I hit the Alka-Selzer and within a couple of hours...I feel much better.

I hope this helps.  It's a shame to replace an engine when all you needed was a new spark plug.  ;-)

[jody]

OH MAN!!!

What a 'relief' it is to find others suffering from this horrible 'mystery ailment'.
I call my bouts:  "The Hard-boiled Egg-Yolk Attacks". They are absolutely HORRIBLE!!! I bloat so badly that I cannot even wear clothes because the pressure of the weight of any fabric on my belly is too much to bear. I am in pain, and in bed, for an entire day and NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING, works to relieve the viscous pain except a hot-water bottle, but ONLY as long as the bottle is resting on my poor, enlarged and hugely bloated belly.

The 'egg-burping' is a vile, nonstop violation to my system and my sanity; the rotten egg taste of sulfur is beyond nauseating. Food never affects this condition, or brings it about. It just happens.... but always after tremendous stress. That's the connection. I do not handle stress well at all. I used to think the attacks were unpredictable occurrences. Then I realized that they would occur hours, or within days, after an especially trying event or period in my life. I seem to hold on; 'stomach it all', and then fall apart exhausted when it's over, or when my body just can't take it anymore.

I am a 34 year old woman with gallbladder and all other parts intact and functioning, who has been suffering from this, on and off, for over ten years now, though it is becoming more frequent as life becomes more involved. When I get an attack, the egg-burping starts first, with, or followed immediately by, the massive bloating and then the upper stomach pain starts. The abdominal cramping and an urgent feeling of a need to **** comes next. This is unbearable because I am usually constipated, which makes the back pain that accompanies these attacks, much, much worse. I am eventually doubled over in pain and unable to walk; just lying in bed moaning and praying I find a comfortable position for a while. It is literally disabling.

If I am fortunate enough to pass gas, there is mild and momentary relief as the gas makes it's way outof my body, but only then. No pain medicines, over-the-counter gas/acid reducers or laxatives relieve the pressure at all. I have tried nearly EVERYTHING and usually throw it all up anyway. Even an enema does nothing. I would LOVE to go to the hospital when I get like this just to be given morphine intravenously, or something to knock me out until it all passes. I just want the poison to come out...... out of my *** or my mouth, or both...I don't care which, I just want it OUT!  

I often throw up slick yellow bile, and in November, during my last attack, blood came out, too!  My upper belly swelled, of course, and I was in agonizing pain for about 18 hours. It passed, as usual, so I did not alert my doctor, even though the blood was NOT usual at all. That had never happened before.

I did tell my doc about the incident in January of this year, while visiting him to go over the results of routine bloodwork I'd had done. He was quite concerned about the blood, as one would expect a good doctor to be. My tests had showed low iron, as well as poor iron saturation, (binding capacity was fine), and low thyroid. It was not anemia, but an inability to absorb the iron, suggesting possible internal blood loss. My physician wondered if I was suffering from a bleeding ulcer. Since my urine test had been normal, he gave me a packet of Hemawipes. I took three consecutive (daily) stool samples and all tested normal. No blood in stool.

I returned for a follow-up (fasting) blood test a little over a month later which indicated that my thyroid was now within healthy, functioning range due to taking Levoxyl, which my doctor had started me on at the previous visit. Good. However, my iron level and saturation percentage were even lower than before! They had decreased dramatically (and rapidly).

The normal range for iron in blood is 25-170 mcg/DL. Mine had gone from 49 in late January, to 36 as of early March. Still within normal range, but at the low end and dropping.

The normal range for percentage of iron saturation is 12-57.
Mine had gone from 13 to 11 .

In late January my urea nitrogen (BUN) was 11. Between 7-25 mg/DL is normal so it was not noted. By early March it had gone down to 6.

Within two months, my iron level dropped 30%, and my iron saturation dropped by more than 15%, so SOMETHING is going on somewhere. My doctor wanted me to see a gastro-intestinologist and get 'scoped', but I do not have medical coverage or the money to pay for these tests, so he kindly put me on Aciphex for three weeks...

As it happened, that very day, a 'Hard-boiled Egg-Yolk Attack' just happened to be coming on during my visit. What a 'blessing'. The Doc pushed and pressed on my body and told me that my intestines were freaking out! I agreed and assured him that within hours I would be bedridden, unable to walk, and peuking up stomach acid, and there was nothing that would stop it. It was destined.
He immediately put me on 20mg of ACIPHEX (rabeprazole sodium) and had me take a dose then and there. I shook my head and said: "It's not gonna work! Nothing stops this!"  But I'll be damned if it didn't work perfectly! The attack subsided and I took that stuff religiously and daily for three weeks and I have been fine since.....until tonight.

The last three weeks have been hell; a nonstop series of hard and unrelenting stresses (a cancer scare with Mom for one thing, a heart condition with dad, among other 'biggies') and I actually requested tranquilizers to help me handle it all. Well, maybe they made my head calmer and clearer, but my body wasn't fooled one bit! I awoke this evening from a much needed nap with another bout of this dastardly Hard-Boiled Egg-Yolk-Attack. Of course, it is now two in the morning, as is always the case. These attacks never happen during the day and/or when my doctor is available. They happen on weekends, or Wednesdays after doctor's hours, or late at night on Tuesdays!  LOL! They ALWAYS comes on at night and then ruin the entire next day!

So here I am, bent over the keyboard, holding my gut, burping up the vile, offensive taste of sulfur, and surfing the net for some relief. Suddenly; a miracle..... I am astounded and grateful to find this site. It's like an oasis in the middle of a vast gastrointestinal disorder desert! I am now devouring the information on it, hoping for some answers, and hoping maybe even to help someone as well!

So far, Aciphex was the best thing I've found for these attacks. It is a prescription drug and well worth a try if nothing else has worked for you thus far. Here's a link to some info on it:   Aciphex, A New Proton Pump Inhibitor

I just took my "break glass in case of emergency" dose of Aciphex; immediately upon tasting the horrid, rancid sulfuric acid. The magic pill came out of a sample bottle my good Doc compassionately supplied me with, just in case an attack happens at odd hours. So far, nothing, but it's early yet. We'll see.

In the meantime, I will peruse this site and go back and forth to the bathroom in hopes than something will expel itself. I have been trying to poop with no success. The pain is increasing and I dread the next 15 or so hours. I'll be up all night, waterbottle in one hand, TV remote in the other --if I can even bear to watch television. My tomorrow is ruined. I was to attend and work a lovely and exciting art & craft fair in Hoboken and was really looking forward to it. Now I get to enjoy the sickening taste of rotten eggs, over and over again...

Again, I have no medical insurance and am already thousands of dollars in debt from this nasty condition, but money means nothing when you're miserable and in pain, so I will take whatever tests are required of me. Stick a tube up my ***, or down my throat. I don't care. Just get this to STOP! This is seriously the worst pain I have ever experienced. Excruciating!  

One more thing..... Oddly, the more I go through this (and as I said, I have been having these attacks on and off for over ten years), the more I am beginning to think/realize/ suspect that good old-fashioned living is the way to go. Eat pure food, drink pure water, breathe pure air, etc. It is ridiculous to suffer this way and there MUST be a cure! What doctors are giving us, and doing to us, as Band-Aids aren't working...

Any suggestions or commiserations are appreciated.
My e-mail is  ***@****
Thanks!

JODY

[jody]

OH MAN!!!

What a 'relief' it is to find others suffering from this horrible 'mystery ailment'.
I call my bouts:  "The Hard-boiled Egg-Yolk Attacks". They are absolutely HORRIBLE!!! I bloat so badly that I cannot even wear clothes because the pressure of the weight of any fabric on my belly is too much to bear. I am in pain, and in bed, for an entire day and NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING, works to relieve the viscous pain except a hot-water bottle, but ONLY as long as the bottle is resting on my poor, enlarged and hugely bloated belly.

The 'egg-burping' is a vile, nonstop violation to my system and my sanity; the rotten egg taste of sulfur is beyond nauseating. Food never affects this condition, or brings it about. It just happens.... but always after tremendous stress. That's the connection. I do not handle stress well at all. I used to think the attacks were unpredictable occurrences. Then I realized that they would occur hours, or within days, after an especially trying event or period in my life. I seem to hold on; 'stomach it all', and then fall apart exhausted when it's over, or when my body just can't take it anymore.

I am a 34 year old woman with gallbladder and all other parts intact and functioning, who has been suffering from this, on and off, for over ten years now, though it is becoming more frequent as life becomes more involved. When I get an attack, the egg-burping starts first, with, or followed immediately by, the massive bloating and then the upper stomach pain starts. The abdominal cramping and an urgent feeling of a need to **** comes next. This is unbearable because I am usually constipated, which makes the back pain that accompanies these attacks, much, much worse. I am eventually doubled over in pain and unable to walk; just lying in bed moaning and praying I find a comfortable position for a while. It is literally disabling.

If I am fortunate enough to pass gas, there is mild and momentary relief as the gas makes it's way outof my body, but only then. No pain medicines, over-the-counter gas/acid reducers or laxatives relieve the pressure at all. I have tried nearly EVERYTHING and usually throw it all up anyway. Even an enema does nothing. I would LOVE to go to the hospital when I get like this just to be given morphine intravenously, or something to knock me out until it all passes. I just want the poison to come out...... out of my *** or my mouth, or both...I don't care which, I just want it OUT!  

I often throw up slick yellow bile, and in November, during my last attack, blood came out, too!  My upper belly swelled, of course, and I was in agonizing pain for about 18 hours. It passed, as usual, so I did not alert my doctor, even though the blood was NOT usual at all. That had never happened before.

I did tell my doc about the incident in January of this year, while visiting him to go over the results of routine bloodwork I'd had done. He was quite concerned about the blood, as one would expect a good doctor to be. My tests had showed low iron, as well as poor iron saturation, (binding capacity was fine), and low thyroid. It was not anemia, but an inability to absorb the iron, suggesting possible internal blood loss. My physician wondered if I was suffering from a bleeding ulcer. Since my urine test had been normal, he gave me a packet of Hemawipes. I took three consecutive (daily) stool samples and all tested normal. No blood in stool.

I returned for a follow-up (fasting) blood test a little over a month later which indicated that my thyroid was now within healthy, functioning range due to taking Levoxyl, which my doctor had started me on at the previous visit. Good. However, my iron level and saturation percentage were even lower than before! They had decreased dramatically (and rapidly).

The normal range for iron in blood is 25-170 mcg/DL. Mine had gone from 49 in late January, to 36 as of early March. Still within normal range, but at the low end and dropping.

The normal range for percentage of iron saturation is 12-57.
Mine had gone from 13 to 11 .

In late January my urea nitrogen (BUN) was 11. Between 7-25 mg/DL is normal so it was not noted. By early March it had gone down to 6.

Within two months, my iron level dropped 30%, and my iron saturation dropped by more than 15%, so SOMETHING is going on somewhere. My doctor wanted me to see a gastro-intestinologist and get 'scoped', but I do not have medical coverage or the money to pay for these tests, so he kindly put me on Aciphex for three weeks...

As it happened, that very day, a 'Hard-boiled Egg-Yolk Attack' just happened to be coming on during my visit. What a 'blessing'. The Doc pushed and pressed on my body and told me that my intestines were freaking out! I agreed and assured him that within hours I would be bedridden, unable to walk, and peuking up stomach acid, and there was nothing that would stop it. It was destined.
He immediately put me on 20mg of ACIPHEX (rabeprazole sodium) and had me take a dose then and there. I shook my head and said: "It's not gonna work! Nothing stops this!"  But I'll be damned if it didn't work perfectly! The attack subsided and I took that stuff religiously and daily for three weeks and I have been fine since.....until tonight.

The last three weeks have been hell; a nonstop series of hard and unrelenting stresses (a cancer scare with Mom for one thing, a heart condition with dad, among other 'biggies') and I actually requested tranquilizers to help me handle it all. Well, maybe they made my head calmer and clearer, but my body wasn't fooled one bit! I awoke this evening from a much needed nap with another bout of this dastardly Hard-Boiled Egg-Yolk-Attack. Of course, it is now two in the morning, as is always the case. These attacks never happen during the day and/or when my doctor is available. They happen on weekends, or Wednesdays after doctor's hours, or late at night on Tuesdays!  LOL! They ALWAYS comes on at night and then ruin the entire next day!

So here I am, bent over the keyboard, holding my gut, burping up the vile, offensive taste of sulfur, and surfing the net for some relief. Suddenly; a miracle..... I am astounded and grateful to find this site. It's like an oasis in the middle of a vast gastrointestinal disorder desert! I am now devouring the information on it, hoping for some answers, and hoping maybe even to help someone as well!

So far, Aciphex was the best thing I've found for these attacks. It is a prescription drug and well worth a try if nothing else has worked for you thus far. Here's a link to some info on it:   Aciphex, A New Proton Pump Inhibitor

I just took my "break glass in case of emergency" dose of Aciphex; immediately upon tasting the horrid, rancid sulfuric acid. The magic pill came out of a sample bottle my good Doc compassionately supplied me with, just in case an attack happens at odd hours. So far, nothing, but it's early yet. We'll see.

In the meantime, I will peruse this site and go back and forth to the bathroom in hopes than something will expel itself. I have been trying to poop with no success. The pain is increasing and I dread the next 15 or so hours. I'll be up all night, waterbottle in one hand, TV remote in the other --if I can even bear to watch television. My tomorrow is ruined. I was to attend and work a lovely and exciting art & craft fair in Hoboken and was really looking forward to it. Now I get to enjoy the sickening taste of rotten eggs, over and over again...

Again, I have no medical insurance and am already thousands of dollars in debt from this nasty condition, but money means nothing when you're miserable and in pain, so I will take whatever tests are required of me. Stick a tube up my ***, or down my throat. I don't care. Just get this to STOP! This is seriously the worst pain I have ever experienced. Excruciating!  

One more thing..... Oddly, the more I go through this (and as I said, I have been having these attacks on and off for over ten years), the more I am beginning to think/realize/ suspect that good old-fashioned living is the way to go. Eat pure food, drink pure water, breathe pure air, etc. It is ridiculous to suffer this way and there MUST be a cure! What doctors are giving us, and doing to us, as Band-Aids aren't working...

Any suggestions or commiserations are appreciated.
My e-mail is  ***@****
Thanks!

JODY

[[email protected]]

My gallbladder was removed last July(1999)with no problems at all.Now one year later I'm having all kinds of gastro problems.
Is this common for one year later?Today is May 17....I feel
naseau,stomach problems and some pain under the right rib.I have alot of gas like belching ever 10 min or so....anyone out there
have any solutions

[jeane]

About 4 months ago, I had a cup of Swiss Miss chocolate hot drink and within 10 minutes had nausea and severe stomach cramps. After vomiting I felt much better. Obviously, I have stayed away from Swiss Miss.
   Lately, however, on occasion, after eating something fried (pancakes, for instance) I again have the cramping, naseua and vomiting. I'm hoping it's not something horrible like colon cancer. My friend, Amy suggested Irritable Bowl Syndrome as the culprit.
   Are there foods to stay away from? and are there any items that will relieve the pain when the cramping starts?
   Thanks for any info.
P.S. I'll be making a Dr's appt this week to see if he can enlighten me.

[Karen]

Ok, has anyone else tried ACIPHEX and found any relief?  Surely someone in the world has found a solution to this problem which appears to have very common symptoms.

Someone has suggested it may be Giardia.  Has anyone checked into this possibility?  I have looked into the available research, but I don't see any mention of "recurring" episodes with intermittent relief, rather only the possibility of a persistent chronic condition.

And, can anyone recall their first time with this condition?  Is their any commonality?  My first incident was when traveling abroad in a 3rd world country (about 15 years ago), and it has recurred every year since, perhaps a couple times each year.

Anyone else?

[Jody; an Update (Part One)]

Hello All!

At last, an update from a post of Sunday, May 07, 2000. This will be followed by two more. If you have not read my post of 5/7/00, I suggest doing so and then returning to this one. My previous post explains the symptoms I experience, in detail, and may be a helpful way to compare your own, especially if you have no idea what this is and what is happening to you!!!

I am getting closer to an answer, based on my experiences of the passed month, and it is best to read my 'whole story' so you understand what I am referring to in this series of posts and why.

When we last left off, I was at the onset of on of my horrible "Hard-Boiled-Egg Attacks". I'd said they were becoming more and more frequent as life gets more involved, and signed off saying that "I am beginning to think/realize/suspect that good old-fashioned living is the way to go." I am now even more convinced. Let me tell you what happened that evening...

I had taken a dose of Aciphex 20mg that night, immediately upon tasting the horrid, rancid sulfuric acid. (Now, this IS NOT 'acid reflux'. This is a serious attack of excessive acid overproduction, and it is not gallbladder related either. More on that later....)

So, I took 20mg of ACIPHEX (rabeprazole sodium). Later, after getting no relief, I took a second dose; knowing one can take as much as 40mg per dosage. The Aciphex did nothing.
I guess it was too far into the attack by then, because it had worked once before at the onset of an attack, but that night, my stomach ballooned to the size of a pregnant woman and I now have stretchmarks on my belly for the first time in my life!!!

There I was, bent over the keyboard, holding my gut, bloated and burping up the vile, offensive taste of sulfur, and surfing the net for some relief. And then, suddenly; what seemed a miracle: I was astounded and grateful to find this site, and posts about this very odd condition! As I'd said then, it was like an oasis in the middle of a vast gastrointestinal disorder desert! I was devouring the information on it, hoping for some answers... I read every post from those of you also suffering of the hellish egg-burps and the related symptoms, yet, no one else had any answers either. All sufferers, like myself, were concerned, in pain, and questioning what the hell was going on. No one had found any treatments or even a diagnosis.

I was up all night looking for, praying for, and waiting for relief, lying with a hot waterbottle on my tummy. The water was taken, at boiling point, from a tea kettle and I scalded my skin using the hot-waterbottle, but the burn on the outside was preferable to the unbearable pain on the inside. Why didn't I just go to the hospital??? Again, I have no medical insurance, and am already thousands of dollars in debt from this nasty condition.

I finally made myself vomit. It was TOO MUCH pain. Pain. Not nausea. But I had to get that hydrochloric/suphuric acid out of my stomach. It felt like my stomach was going to pop! Well, out came the slick, smelly yellow acid, and with it, the most AMAZING thing:
one small tip of asparagus. No other food at all.

Now, I am not allergic to asparagus. Infact, I had not even eaten it that night! I had eaten it THREE DAYS BEFORE!!! Everything else I'd eaten since had passed right through...
At last! A clue! I must have had a blockage! Maybe my stomach was overproducing acid to break up this lodged piece of food??? Maybe I am prone to blockages? Immediately, all pain and symptoms subsided. I went to sleep, and slept until 2:00pm that afternoon. Then, I woke up and went back to my doctor.

My suspicion, after MUCH research, is that a valve, called the pylorus, which leads from the stomach to the intestine, may be damaged. It could be ulcerated, cancer-ridden, out-of alignment..... among other possibilities. And it may not be the valve at all that is the problem. But I do think it this valve that is weak or something. My doc thinks I am onto something and is very impressed. This is not common, he tells me, but very, very possible.

Perhaps this valve stays open at times, allowing undigested food to go through? Maybe the body then reacts violently when the undigested food gets into the intestines, Or, perhaps,  at times, something like an asparagus tip gets caught in the valve as it quickly, tightly closes in response to stress, just as if a fist suddenly closed around it. Then it would make sense that my stomach would go CRAZY making an abundance of hydrochloric acid trying to unclog the clog.

You see, the pyloric valve us a like a thick, metal gate that closes shut, keeping food 'closed off' from the rest of the digestive world. The food you eat stays in your stomach and cannot pass through that gate until your stomach acid has broken it all down and liquefied it. It's like putting food in a blender or a food processor and hitting 'liquefy'. The churned up food and drink in your tummy is now one big bunch of digestive soup that doctors refer to as 'chime'. Once the 'chime' is ready, the pyloric valve opens and let's it down into your intestine, where the intestine ***** all the nutrients out of it.
But what if the valve opens up too early?

I am reminded of the scene in the movie "Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory" where Gene Wilder, who plays Mr. Wonka the Chocolatier, is walking down the stairway that leads into The Great Candy Room, with all his guests following right behind him. He's singing them a song about his philosophies, and all the people; both kids and parents, are anxious to get beyond him, to the bottom of the stairs and into this great room of candy. But Wonka  keeps slashing his cane back and forth and blocking them. He won't let them through until he is good and ready, and finished with his song. And when he is, he spreads his arms, smiles, bows gracefully, and allows them access. HE is like the pyloric valve. That valve won't open until the food (guests) is properly prepared and good and ready for the intestine (Great Candy Room). That valve stays closed and tight like a cervix keeps a baby in a womb until the baby is ready to enter the birth canal. Unless there is a problem......

Oddly, my dog had gotten quite bloated one evening and suddenly looked pregnant. I've seen her pregnant, and this is exactly how she looked. She started burping up belches that smelled EXACTLY like the rotten egg burps I experience. She'd had bad diarrhea for two days, so I'd been feeding her rice, small pieces of bread, and chicken broth. When she burped up that foul smell, I was in shock! Maybe I have a bacteria??? Maybe she caught it?
A friend suggested my pooch was simply being sympathetic to me and imitating my symptoms. I said "Balderdash! She's sick!"  After 48 hours, my pup began shaking, so I rushed her to the 24-hour veterinary hospital. I was speeding to get there and almost missed the exit, so I took a quick, sharp turn off the highway and this sudden movement made my dog throw up all over the place!

WOW! All the rice and bread she had eaten for the passed two days came up, along with something else..... (No! Not asparagus! LOL!) Upon inspection of her vomit, I found a mass of medical cotton. I use sterile cotton, which comes in a roll, to give facial treatments. She'd swallowed the size of a small fist's worth, it turns out! Yup, she actually ate of my cotton pads, and the cotton blocked food from getting into her intestines, so, like a juicer, only liquid dripped through it, which explains the horrid, watery poop that had been bursting and spraying out of her butt those passed two days. The cotton she'd gobbled down days earlier had acted like a coffee filter and collected all her food. The diarrhea was the 'juice' that was able to soak through it.

The vomit itself, interestingly, had the stench of rotten eggs ..... the very same smell I burp up when I get my attacks. And, just as with my attacks, my pup immediately lost her bloated belly and became more chipper after the cotton was dislodged --- kinda like my asparagus tip experience. What an odd blessing. Now I knew for certain that I am having some kind of obstruction problem as well. That was an amazing connection to make.

(X-rays at the animal hospital immediately afterward showed all was clear and I am happy to report that she is fine. ) Now, why did she even eat the cotton??? Well, she's a dog!
She has been getting over her 'heat' and has had an intense hunger. This was when she decided to feast on my cotton supply. I'd prepared facial cotton pads to use on my clients one afternoon for the next. I left the first set out on the work table. Then I had a Hard-Boiled-Egg-Attack, and canceled my appointments. The cotton remained downstairs in my Studio, (where my dog is NOT allowed, but takes adventures anyway when she can sneak them in). The neat little wet pads smelled like my hands, and my pup, who has been known to eat sponges, Body-Buffs, wash-rags, and even panty-liners, devoured them to protect me. If it smells like me, she tries to 'eat the evidence' so that I won't be discovered by predators. Fascinating, but a real pain in the butt --- pun intended!

So I told all this to my doctor and insisted that he "Pull all the stops. Do every test in the book! I don't care about the money!"  Just to be sure, he did a fairly expensive blood test for the detection of an intestinal bacteria called Helicobacter pylori. It came back negative. That test also ruled out three types of ulcers; peptic, gastric and duodenal, but there are other kinds of ulcers I could be suffering from and which could cause blockages, so off I was sent for an Upper GI, which is an X-ray of the digestive system.

The Upper GI revealed I have a hiatal hernia, which is when your intestine busts through your stomach wall. This is a result of violently throwing up. How nice!  I also have a 'pouch' on my small intestine that looks like a pizza crust bubble, simply from a lack of fiber and poor nutrition (and probably caused from the vomiting). These are results, or damage, from whatever the cause of my digestive troubles are, and will heal in time, so my doctor is now sending me off to have an endoscopy!

The 'scope' is a very interesting procedure. You are on a table and your blood pressure, pulse, and the oxygen level in your blood is monitored. You are tranquilized so that you don't care if they say:  "We are going to cut off your head now".  You feel so good and relaxed that you will smile and agree to it. <wink!>  A mouthpiece is put in your mouth to keep it open. Then they stick an 'endoscope'; a long tube, down your throat, through your esophagus, and right into your stomach and then, on it goes into the intestine. Then they pump air into your butt to blow and swell everything up so that they can see it all better. OH MY! The endoscope has a camera and a clamp on it, and the clamp can literally snip samples of it your stomach or your intestine to examine, test and biopsy.

I want this done. It will cost three grand, and again, I have no insurance, but a funeral will cost my family more! I obviously need something fixed, so I'm on a mission! My story continues, as I tell you all about discoveries I've made, and what happened when I went to see a gastroenterologist about getting and endoscopy. Read on!


See my next post for more on this 'saga', which includes:

1)  information I discovered on the link between LOW IRON ABSORPTION, SOFT DRINKS & RAGE SYNDROME,

2)  my personal experiences with STRESS & TRANQUILIZERS,

3) a connection made with ALKALINE FOODS and warding off 'EGGY attacks',

4) 'Lymphatic Drainage' exercises to get things flowing!

5) 'What Happened When I Went to a Gastroenterologist'        
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That post will then be followed, at a later date, by another regarding emotions, stress, and 'balancing your life'. Emotions definitely play a part in this, and after reading all of my info, research and accounts, I would love to hear from each of you and learn whether or not you are living your life in a similar manner, or experiencing similar imbalances.