Rotten egg burps followed by illness

[Ally2469]

I would like to know what causes these rotten egg burps followed by some very nasty vomiting and diarrhea.  I always happen durning the night and lasts on 6 hrs or so.  I get this once every 2 months or so.  

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Welcome to the MedHelp forum!
There are some bacteria in the gut that produce hydrogen sulfide gas. Sometimes this gas is produced in such huge quantities that the sulfide oxidase enzyme in the wall of the gut is not able to oxidize all of it and convert it to thiosulfate. This gas has a smell of rotten eggs. You need to cut down food items that contain sulfites. Most of this gas comes from sulfites a person consumes, which is a part of all preservatives. Sulfites are present in all juices, molasses, yellow dye in ready made food stuffs, and red wine. Sulfites are present in lesser amounts in mashed potatoes made from dry powder, pickles, tinned shrimp, cookies, crackers, and readymade pie dough. If you have been taking these things in a good amount, then cut down the intake. Also take a lactobacillus preparation and yoghurt with your meals. In all probability the smell will go. Certain food items like cabbage, radish, turnip and certain meat products too cause a foul smell in stool and cutting down these food items also helps.  If it persists, then talk to your doctor. Other causes will have to be looked into such as intestinal infection, celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, short bowel syndrome, malabsorption syndromes, chronic pancreatitis or hepatitis and cystic fibrosis. You will need to consult a gastroenterologist then. Hope this helps. Take care!

[BeeFree]

Burping, vomiting, pain, bloating and diarrhea are clear signs that your body is trying to rid itself of something, usually a type of food you've eat, medication you've taken or virus you've caught. If you get similar symptoms to these every once in a while, try to track what you've eaten/taken around that time. Write it down if it helps, including everything supplement, vitamin, painkillers, liquids, etc. Keep in mind that unusual food combinations can cause upset stomachs as well so try track exactly what you ate the night you first starting feeling sick.
Typical intolerances are dairy, gluten and artificial sweeteners. If you suspect an intolerance, cut back on that type of food for a while and see if you notice improvement.
Getting bloodwork done can also help to narrow it down, but if you're pretty body-conscious, chances are you could figure out what could be causing this.

All the best.