Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

Rotten Egg Burps = Projectile Vomiting

I'm a 43 year old male with a long history of stomach issues.  I take prilosec daily and have no idea what a "normal" bowel movement resembles.  Sour stomach, cramps, reflux and soft stools are just a part of life for me and I've been able to lead a fairly normal and mobile life in spite of these issues.

Six weeks ago, I went to work and took one of my kids w/me.  He loves going to the office for some reason and he had nothing better to do on this particular summer day.  Around 10am I started noticing that I was burping quite a bit and my son pointed out that something smelled like "rotten eggs".  I agreed that something did smell putrid and that it was in fact my burps.  As the day continued, the burps became more and more frequent with individual burps lasting longer and smelling even worse (if that's possible).  Around 3pm, I told my boss I wasn't feeling well and excused myself.  I drove to the hospital and the ER was empty.  Not a person in sight!  Wow!  I told the nurse that I was in extreme abdominal discomfort, nauseous and pain radiating toward my back from my stomach region.  Well, somehow that triggered the "high risk heart alert" which got me checked in in record time, and EKG, blood work, and who knows what else.  Eventually they ruled out my heart and I continued to feel incredibly nauseous despite the three doses of anti-nausea medicine they had put in my IV.  Once it was brought under control, they did CAT scans, x-rays and sonograms of my abdominal region.  They checked everything!  They found nothing.  My appendix, galbladder, intestines and stomach appeared normal.  They gave me two bags of iv antibiotics and lots of fluids via the iv. I just figured it was viral.  The next day I checked out and went home having missed a day of work.

Three weeks later, I started tasting the rotten egg burps again and about 3 hours later, I was heaving up my guts.  I'm one of those people who really, really hates to vomit.  I mean, I just wont do it unless there is just no option.  I will feel sick longer rather than throw-up.  I'd take a beating before willfully throwing up.  Anyway, it was an unstoppable force and it just kept coming.  My wife took me back to the hospital ER where they again performed many of the same tests which all came up negative.  They gave me anti-nausea medicine which worked a bit better this time.  Again, after 24 hours, the pain and nausea were gone.

Today, September 7, 2003 I'm starting to taste the rotten egg burps.  I can't afford to miss work tomorrow but more than that, I cannot afford to spend the night and tomorrow morning going through this hellish experience again.  It's just too much.  So, here's what I've tried.  I took 40mg pantoprazole sodium (Protonix) delayed release tablet and an alka-seltzer.  These were 2 of 3 ideas I found on this site.  The 3rd idea said to eat a lime or lemon.  I have to say, the burps do feel a bit controlled but I'm not ready to claim victory yet.  I'll post tomorrow morning and let all know if this worked.  God help me if it doesn't because for sure the medical community at large is not able to.

All of these posts going back ten years and not a single person has said they have been cured yet?  Please, if you have had this problem and have been correctly diagnosed and cured, post a response and let me know.  Or, perhaps you have had this issue and know of a means of dulling the symptoms?  That would be great too.  I just can't believe that after over 40 years of never having anything like this happen, now It has happened 3 times in six weeks.  Again, I'll post if my rotten egg burps have not turned into nausea by morning.

-Condor301


This discussion is related to Sulphuric/ Eggy burps and stomach cramps.
129 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Avatar universal
I first had the dreaded rotten egg burps at age 10, always with nausea, then diarrhea and vomiting, both of which smelled just like rotten eggs, until everything was out of my system.  I would sometimes go years without them, at other times I would have them 2 or 3 times a week.  I'm now 30 and haven't had an episode in almost 5 years!

If you've gone through all the tests people have mentioned and still don't have answers, you very likely have gastroparesis or gastric emptying delay.  This is where your gut's digestion slows or even completely halts for one reason or another.  When this happens, food is just sitting in your stomach, not getting digested.  What happens to food that just sits around in warm and moist climates like your stomach?  It rots.  Rotten food makes you sick.  

There are many reasons for gastroparesis.  People with diabetes are prone to it.  In my case, gastroparesis was brought on by stress, good or bad.  The year of my marriage was horrible due to "good stress" from all the excitement!  

To avoid episodes of gastroparesis:
1.  Eat several small meals a day, instead of just 3.
2.  Always wait at least 3 hours after eating before going to bed.
3.  Avoid large portions (particularly meats!) as they are the slowest to digest.

If all of that fails, you might need an SSRI. That is ultimately what helped me and I'll never be off them again.  SSRIs can work on your gut the same way they work on your brain.  You don't have to "feel" anxious to have an anxious GI tract!

I hope I've helped someone =)

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Part of what causes this illness for me are NSAIDS, that means no ibuprophen. I have been tested for all the parasite and came up clean. Basically I think for me it is a mix of gastritis and IBS. I have GERD and bile reflux. If I dont take my protonix I am certain to get the deaded sulpher bug. Stress excasserbates it too. Spicy food. Basically anything that could possibly inflame my stomach lining. Sometimes it delayed gastric emptying but always always it is gastritis with IBS. It might be different for others but there is no doubt the stomach lining becomes inflammed. I am careful to chew very well. Not too much fiber if I am going to be active or hard to digest foods. Probiotics can help but wont keep it away all the time.  So to sum up, for me it is slow digestion, inflammed stomach lining, bile reflux, IBS, and stress.
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
OMG I'm so happy to see others have this issue. I have been going through this for a year now, and it pops it's disgusting head up, just about every month. I am literally, tired of throwing up. To the point where after an episode, I need to sleep a full day to recover.
We'll, two months went by with no problem, but here I am, on my way to work, and the dreaded burps start.
If anyone has had this experience, has found a remedy, or medical solution, please post!!!!
Avatar universal
I am going through this as we speak. But I get water like bowel movements. I feel like I am going to throw up but it never comes just dry heaving.  I am so exhausted from running to the bathroom and from being sick.  
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
I am now 14 into this horrible sickness.  I am now projectile vomiting.  The pain in my stomach is unbelievable.  I feel like death warmed over.  Does anyone have any suggestions for me
Avatar universal
I go threw this for years I puck up all this rotten undigested food after the nasty burbs start but now its happing all the time use to be a few months in between now it happens several times a week pretty much when ever I eat I hate it if anyone knows how to help this plz tell us
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
My girl friend is going through the exact same thing we are sitting in the ER right now it seems like anytime she eats any solid foods thats when she gets real sick, if she on clear liquids for a day or 2 she gets better and thinks its ok to eat because she is starved then it starts all over again. When she starts burping like that we know vomiting is next. She lost 20 pounds this past week. She been like this a month now. Doctors cant find nothing.
Helpful - 0
15002563 tn?1437839442
I am not a Doc so I can't diagnose but when you said, "it goes away after I vomit", that made me remember something in my past. I described that exact comment to my gastro years ago. And they found out I was having Gall Bladder attacks. I had the test for it and I was full of stones, packed! It may not be this, but it can't hurt to have it checked out? Just a thought. I so hope you get better soon ;)
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Gastroenterology Community

Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
Learn which OTC medications can help relieve your digestive troubles.
Is a gluten-free diet right for you?
Discover common causes of and remedies for heartburn.
This common yet mysterious bowel condition plagues millions of Americans
Don't get burned again. Banish nighttime heartburn with these quick tips
Get answers to your top questions about this pervasive digestive problem