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Rotten egg burps, followed by vomiting/diarrhea

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.

96 Responses
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Avatar universal
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.
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Avatar universal
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?
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Avatar universal
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.

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Avatar universal
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 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
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Avatar universal
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.
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Avatar universal
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 begins. It "goes away" about 10 hous later- no burps, no diarhea, 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, but at least you can find some time to avoid the symptoms. I will post on here after my DR visit.
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Avatar universal
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!
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Avatar universal
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.
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Avatar universal
as of right now im going thru the same thing - this is a first time for me. two days ago i vomitted prefusely for about 12 hours. yesterday i felt ok, and then today i woke up with these awful sulfur burps ; not to mention farts as well ... its disgusting. diarrhea began too and i seem like im on the toilet almost every fifteen minutes ; someone please help me as to what you think this could be!! <3 thanks.
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Avatar universal
I have this problem too. It started my second year in college. It then went away for about four years and it just came back recently.

I found that most of my problems streams from a blockage in intestinal. My bowl movement are kind of irregular. You may want to rule this out before trying anything else or going to the doctor. Laxatives works, but the quicker way is to give yourself an enema. It will clean you out and if it was a blockage, you will feel better almost immediately. It should also get rid of the rotten egg burps since it is caused by too much acid mixed with food that has rotten at the bottom of you stomach.

If you want to take the laxatives, you have to neutralize the acid in your stomach, otherwise you will get sicker. Making yourself throw up as soon as possible helps. Baking soda does the job too. There is some medicines you can also buy that will neutralize the acid and will give you time for the laxative to work. If you do take a laxative, take it for three days before stopping to make sure you are clean out.

This works for me anyway, so I just wanted to throw this out here. Good luck and I feel all of your pain and it is nice to know that I was not the only one who had this problem and I was not just crazy.
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Avatar universal
I have experience of this - and solved it.

I traveled in India for 6 months about 5 years ago. During the six months I inevitably got 'Delly Belly'. Vomiting and diarrhea which usually followed a day of sulphur and eggy burps. The strange thing was that it was cyclical, occurring every month or so.

On my return to the UK, although I was drinking quality water and eating well it continued every couple of months.

I visited the doctor and was told I had Gastro Interitis I was prescribed a 3 week course of antibiotics and it never happened again.

It seems that the doctor was correct but I believe it could have also been Giardia as this 'bug' has a life cycle and seems to correspond. This is also easily treated with metronidazole, tinidazole or nitazoxanide.

I believe its viral. It could easily be that you peeps have picked something up along the way and its just recurring.
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Avatar universal
I'm experiencing this right now. So frustrating!! I have bowel problems as well as acid reflux and I was just assuming it was that. I have not been throwing up or having diarrhea, but I've only had the 'rotten egg burps' for about a day and a half now. I'm sure hoping I don't have some sort of virus, but I have also been (accidentally) off my meds for almost 24 hours now. ***Try taking an acid reducer like Zantac (even prescription strength) would be my tip...it usually seems to help when I get this sort of thing. GOOD LUCK ALL!!
Thanks,
Melanie
age 21
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Avatar universal
I have had these nasty, rotten egg burps for two nights now.  Last night I awoke at five a.m. to vicious gas and explosive diarhhea.  I have had to change undies several times since.

I have had rotten egg burps and farts since I was a kid.  I don't know why but they just go away on their own and I don't worry about them.  

To help pass the time until they do go away, each time I burp, I blow it in my husband's face.  When I need to mix things up a little, I blow it in the dog's face.  
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Avatar universal
I have been having these same bouts of rotten egg burps, immediately followed by severe diarhea and vomiting. I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE!! They started for me about a year and a half ago. Ill wake up in the middle of the night (usually the early hours of the morning) with these horrible stomach cramps, and as soon as i sit up i have to run to the washroom with either the top or bottom half of me wanting to evacuate. It lasts about a day or two, then im fine for a while. I've gone about 3 months since the last bout of it. I thought it was a form of food poisoning. My husband has also had it twice, and now that i have read a bit about it, it has been since we moved into our current home, which our water supply is from a shallow dug well. We dont drink the water, but i do use it for boiling pastas and cooking. The water has been tested several times also, and has come up clean. Do they normally test for things like that?
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Avatar universal
I have had the same exact thing since I was about 13 - I will be 30 this summer... I wake up with these horrible tasting/smelling "rotten egg burps", they last for a day, then are followed by diarrhea and sometimes vomiting. I am having it again right now. The only thing that has ever helped is taking Papaya Enzymes. I have tried MANY things to get rid of this. My doctor suggested that it sounds like my body is not digesting the food for some reason, so he said to try some Papaya Enzymes to help the digestion process. This DOES help. The only thing is, I want to know: WHAT IN THE WORLD IS CAUSING THIS? I mean, it's obviously not normal. And for me to have it for 16+ years, says to me that it's not going away on it's own. I HATE it. It's not life threatening that I know if, but it's definitely debilitating, and painful. I'm just so sick of it. I think it's time for me to demand a visit with a gastroenterologist. If I find anything out, I promise to post it.
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1710626 tn?1308197354
I feel the same way too in days! Until now, I always wake up in wee hours just to burp with disgusting rotting eggs! my stomach sounds like a drum! full of air! 1week almost 2, i am having this feeling sick and wasted, specially in the morning! non stop lbm and now vomiting! haaaaayy...
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Avatar universal
I am currently experiencing symptoms like there yeaterday i woke up with eggy burps and had them all through school which was embarrasing as people i sat next to were wondering how they could smell egg :( then today i woke up with a very very gassy belly and have had dihorrea all day even now bring half 10 at night i am still hearing alot of gas inside my belly and it is very ubcomfortable :( i have felt very very tired and slept most of the day as well as passing gas and leaking .. Does anyone know how long this will last and any cures? I think i have experiences this a year ago but other than that nothing i am aware of :(
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Avatar universal
I have had this thing ( whatever it may be ) since I was about 13 and I am 22 now. I used to have it really bad during high school and would wake up at 2am and had to sleep in the bathroom because I would have vomitting and diarrhea. I would always be able to tell because I would get these egg burps but so far nothing makes it go away.. I too throw up only because of the smell grosses me out but in the last 4 years or so I havent thrown up from it. I think if I can just keep myself from throwing up it goes into my intestines and just pass it but it takes about 2 days. I usually use a hot water botter or soak in the bath for a few hours( yes hours ) and I wont burp and wont feel sick so I really dont have a remedy. just wait it out. I drink cokes because it makes the smell of the eggs go away for a short period of time and pretzels or a plain bagel help. O and I cant drink water when I have the "bug" because it makes me sick. Hope we find an actual cure soon because I now know I am not the only one with this and hope that maybe a scientist is researching a quick and instant cure!!!
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Avatar universal
I also have the same exact problem only more orten. I did go to a gastro and had several tests. Nothing was found...I was checked for infections such as Pylori. The last Dr told me "sometimes we just have to deal with the body God gave us." Can you believe that cop out??? I am so sick of this, I know as well as everyone on this post that there is something truely wrong with us. I miss work, Now my son is getting married, I am so afraid I will have a flare up the day of the wedding. Does anyone get really hot and sweat during these episodes? I used to get really cold at first then sweat. I have had this 4 times in 5 wks now. Nothing seems to help and I can't come up with a cause or type of food that might bring it on. HELP!!!!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I also have the same exact problem only more orten. I did go to a gastro and had several tests. Nothing was found...I was checked for infections such as Pylori. The last Dr told me "sometimes we just have to deal with the body God gave us." Can you believe that cop out??? I am so sick of this, I know as well as everyone on this post that there is something truely wrong with us. I miss work, Now my son is getting married, I am so afraid I will have a flare up the day of the wedding. Does anyone get really hot and sweat during these episodes? I used to get really cold at first then sweat. I have had this 4 times in 5 wks now. Nothing seems to help and I can't come up with a cause or type of food that might bring it on. HELP!!!!
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Avatar universal
I just got over my 2nd time of sulpher and phosphate allergy. I get the egg foul burps. That alone wants you to throw up. It goes from the burps to diarrea and throwing up. It is so miserable. I start thinking about what I've ate, reading ingredients,and everytime i find sulpher or some kind of phosphate in it. As long as i stay away from everything with that in it I'm good. So check out labels. Once your body purges everything then i'm fine again. But it takes hours to get everything out.
Hope this helps
juju
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Avatar universal
i am 44 yrs old and had this when i was about 11 yrs old.I had it really bad back then eggy burps first then stomach bloating which got so painful i thought i was going to burst then vomitting and diarrea, it seems to have got better the older i am. My nan and mum also suffered from this in there earlier years and theirs got better as they got older.My daughter as also had bouts of it and my grandaughter has also had it a couple of times and she was only a year old .A midwife told me it sounds like Hiatus Hernia ,but a consultant told me it was ibs,with ibs this is not one of the symptoms(eggy burps)but it is with Hiatus Hernia.The midwife told me this 17yrs ago when one of my children was born with reflux condition when i explained to her my problem she said it was much the same as reflux where the acid is coming back up its as if you havent got a lid on propely.I wounder if the older you get the more matue your stomach gets maybe thats what it is an imature stomach.good luck everybody it does get better and less xx
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Avatar universal
I am 27, and every now and then will get the egg burps, fortunately I have not had the problem with diareha or vomiting. I just get these nasty tasting and smelly burps. What can I do to stop them?
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Avatar universal
My son had this. I thought it was just really frequent stomach upsets until I found out his friend's mother had exactly the same symptoms. Stools showed a parasite - D Fragilis I think.  GP prescribed antiobiotics. Friend's mother cured after 2 courses. We only took one . Seemed ok but am going to go back for another course as it appears to be back.

Be aware that half the doctors think the parasite is not harmful as it is present in healthy people too. This attitude seems illogical to me as an overabundance of anything can be harmful.

We went to a specialist. He wanted to do an operation. When I asked him what he was looking for he said things that didnt make sense. None of the symptoms matched. He said the medicine wouldnt work.

It did.

It did for my son and it did for his friend's mother. If only I had gone to my gp earlier. Yay for my GP  Dr Ha Tran - Centre Rd East Bentleigh.

Check this website out.
http://www.badbugs.org/Dientamoeba_fragilis/treatment.htm
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