Rotten egg burps, followed by vomiting/diarrhea

[headphone]

Hi everyone,
I'm a young teen and this is my first post. I made an account here for mainly one reason.

About five years ago, I started getting sick at school, usually on mornings. They were usually vomiting, then afterward, diarrhea. Normally I get them once or twice every year.

I'd always thought that it was due to something I ate.

But as I grew older, I noticed that before I vomit, I get burps that taste like rotten eggs. The past few years, they usually happened in the middle of the night to morning. I would wake up with a cold feeling in the upper part of my stomach, below my rib cages. It feels as if it's being pushed together.

I'd then get up thinking that it's a regular stomachache, however I'll feel bloated, and full of gas. About an hour or so, I'll start vomiting non-stop. To stop it, I have to hold my breath and cover the smell because the rotten egg smell induces my vomiting. The smell will slowly go away afterward. Sometimes, following the vomiting is diarrhea.

A few weeks ago, I woke up feeling bad. I burped, rotten eggs smell. I was scared of it. The last time I had it was around 10 months before. (The previous times, whenever I feel the burps, I would stay in the bathroom for a few hours until I finish vomiting) I sat motionless for a while, nothing happened except for the feeling of being bloated. I got up and drank some water. Walked a little more and had to vomit. It might be because of the rotten egg smell.

That last time though, I feel as if I didn't get everything out, but ignored it shortly after because I felt fine then.

But this morning, I woke up with the exact same pains. Refusing to sit by the bathroom waiting to throw up, I surfed the web hoping to get my mind off it. I drank around two cups of warm water. I felt bloated in the upper part of my stomach. All of a sudden there are little sounds from my stomach and I believe whatever's inside had moved to my intestines. Shortly after, I had diarrhea.

When my stomach is finally empty I felt better. But after eating congee and some biscuits, I burp and the rotten egg smell is still there. Now I wonder if the bacteria stays in my stomach until I fill it up with food, then vomit them back out along with the bacteria. Also, this is the first time I've had 2 .. episodes within a month.

I've read some posts about rotten egg burps, most of them suggest throwing up to solve it. I didn't vomit this time, but had diarrhea instead. Does this mean the 'virus' is going to come back soon?

I really want to solve this, instead of waiting for the next time. When I get into college and get a job, it'll be even more annoying .. I don't want rotten egg burps on an examination date!

Also, once I DO get the burps, what do you suggest I do? Is it possible that the 'virus' goes out through stool instead of throwing up?

Thanks.

And are there food suggested for issues like these? I'm going on a 2-day trip tomorrow and surely it'll be annoying if I get sick.

[LynnSnow]

I'm not an expert on these things, but I've been having gastro problems for the past six months and I have found some things like what you're describing.

Another question on this site that seems to have a very similar story to you was thought to be lactose intolerance. You can grow into this; you don't have to be born with it.

A similar story on another site ended up being gallstones blocking a bile duct.

Whatever you have, it sounds like an issue with your bile. Talk to your doctor about your symptoms. They should be able to help.

[headphone]

I'm starting to wonder if it has to do with habits?

Eating too much in little time... lack of exercise? Will environment be a cause?

[hbp702]

Doesn't sound like lactose, or diet, or exercise to me.

Sounds like GIARDIA.

Or possibly H-pylori bacterial infection/ulcer.

Go to a GI doctor.

[bfontaine]

hey i am having the exact same thing even right now ,,,i wake up starting with theese awefull burps and then the bloating and then the diarrea (diarrhea) and then sometimes the vomiting im 33 and have been getting theese episodes fpr my whole life and i dont know ...it never lasts longer than 24hrs  its real weird if you need to share info let me know we can figure this thing out together,,,,***@****    brian

[cwalburg]

Sometimes I find that taking kaopectate will help the stomach burps, and prevent the diarreah before it starts. I to have had this issue on and off since I was young.

[Noburps]

I FEEL FOR YOU ALL!!
I too have this ailment. In fact, dealing with it right now (guess thats  why I am on here looking for ideas too).
I have had this off and on for about 5 years  now (I am currently 40).
I have had this weekly now for 6 weeks straight. The only times I didnt get this, is when I barely ate. I find, when I eat a lot of fatty foods, pizzas, burgers, etc more than 2-3 days straight, thats when I get a bout of the God awful burps. Makes me nauseaus. Then I know- its a matter of time when I start vomitting. Usually it happens to me at night time. Then the diarhea (diarrhea) begins. It "goes away" about 10 hous later- no burps, no diarhea (diarrhea), etc. And I eat a normal meal. Then a week later, after a few days of heavy meals, I get sick again.

I saw my Dr, and he said it was probably a virus and to come back if continues. Which I will this week (9/28/09-10/2/09). The next step is to provide some stool samples to check on which kind of bacteria is causing this digestive disruption. Then the Dr will know what to describe. The Dr also said it could be a galbladder issue, even though I have NO pains at all. That my galbladder could just be weak. And removing it may or may not fix my issue.

In the mean time- best thing to do is to lay down and relax. Do you notice how you dont get the burps when laying? Of course, eventually you have to get up for the diarhea (diarrhea), but at least you can find some time to avoid the symptoms. I will post on here after my DR visit.

[lanelletools]

Seems like the time of year for this.  I'm surfing and experiencing the same fun as you all!  I have had my blood tested and find that my amylase and lypase are often elevated with these attacks (over a 5 year period of them)  I am a transplant patient so I'm treated carefully.  I find that drinking some ginger syrup in tonic water often helps to settle my stomach and at times even avoids the whole drama.  If you're getting dehydrated however going to the ER would be a good idea.  They have IV's, pain killers and anti-diaherrea and vomiting drugs that will help you when the going is too rough to bear.  For now I'll mix my ginger cocktail and take a hot bath and hope for a miracle.  Best of luck all!

[Noburps]

I think I BEAT THIS. I went to GNC and bought this- and it has worked for the past week thus far!!  

http://www.gnc.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3539844

Infusing the good bacteria and removing the bad bacteria from my digestive tract has worked thus far. I will post again with an update.