Rotten Egg Burps = Projectile Vomiting

[Condor301]

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.

[Chanson170]

That's exactly what we thought my problem was. I've suffered with this for four years, and went gluten free 3 1/2 years ago, It worked for a year. But then my symptoms came back and occur just like they did before I cut gluten out. I've continued my gluten free lifestyle, but the problems persist.
About 5 months ago the problem became to sever to handle, with episodes nearly every night for a month consistently. I went to the Hospital and was referred to a GI, who thinks I may have GERD (gasto-esophogial reflux disorder). I have been without an incident in about 4 months.

[missydavis]

IM NOT ALONE!!! IV had this now for about 6 months it started happening once a month now I get it 2 or 3 times a month :( I hate being sick I would rather let someone beat me senseless than be sick, anything Ivan do to put it off an I will. Im 18 with an almost 6 month old baby, I am frightened to start Mums an Todd's with my baby incase one of these episodes starts it's completely controlling my life. I would do anything to make it go and atop for good, for a month an a bit I actually ended up being diagnosed with anorexia as I stopped eating hoping this would stop it all :/ but I started eating again for baby's sake. Now its 5 past 5 in the morning an I feel so ill I have been up all night I am completely exhausted I cannot live like this can anyone help :'(

[Lolo416]

I personally believe it only happens when I get severely backed up.  The thing that has helped me the most is keeping my system going regularly.  If you notice, the nasty burping starts off, then it leads to the runs and vomiting.  I only get rid of the nasty burping once my system has been completely cleared out.. When I can't vomit anymore and can't go to the bathroom anymore because everything is all out.  I'm not sure if it's a specific food or something that I eat that causes it to start, and it doesn't go away until it's out, or it is just constipation and once I'm cleared out, the symptoms go away.  It really is an awful thing to get.  I have not eaten eggs since I was like 8 years old because I thought that was what caused it.  I know it's not, but I still can't bring myself to eat eggs of any kind unless it's an ingredient in something like cake or used to keep ground beef together for hamburgers.

[alyssarwright17]

I am only 17 years-old and just started having this problem. I'm a teenage girl& have never had any stomach problems. It's absolutely disgusting, putrid, awful and there is nothing online to cure it. My mom said she had it for monthes. (She's 39) If there is anyway to cure this... Please please please post!

[Rene123456]

My problems started about two weeks ago i had a  and has went away just a couple of days ago, anyways , i had a cold and took some cough syrup afterwards i had went over to a friends house for a bbq we ate and when i came home i was sick i mean really sick i had the runs, i mean it was like water coming out and when i went i only went semi clear with undigested food then the rotten egg burps started, i found the only way i solved this issue was i stopped eatng and when i would eat i wouldnt eat anything but soups, what ever i had in my gut i wanted to starve now its like if see bbq or anything related to it i get sick, im kind of thinking it was either the bbq (bbq sauce) or the cough syrup, or maybe even a gut paricite ( i looked my issue up and i want to say i had a giardia bug, could have got it from un washed vegi or fruit ) this issue has all the same problems i was talking about im kinda thinking this might be your issue too. I think its worth a look up

[JRob1120]

I hope this helps!  See information below copied from the Mayo Clinic Website.

Sulfer Smelling Burps

Giardia Infection

Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staff
Some people with giardia infection never develop signs or symptoms but still carry the parasite and can spread it to others through their stool. For those who do get sick, signs and symptoms usually appear one to two weeks after exposure and may include:

Watery, sometimes foul-smelling diarrhea that may alternate with soft, greasy stools
Fatigue or malaise
Abdominal cramps and bloating
Belching gas with a bad taste
Nausea
Weight loss
Signs and symptoms of giardia infection usually last two to four weeks, but in some people they last longer or recur.

When to see a doctor
Call your doctor if you have loose stools, abdominal bloating and nausea lasting more than a week, or if you become dehydrated. Be sure to tell your doctor if you're at risk of giardia infection — that is, you have a child in child care, you've recently traveled to an area in which you know giardia infection is present, or you've swallowed water from a lake or stream.

Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staff
To help diagnose giardiasis, your doctor is likely to test a sample of your stool. For accuracy, you may be asked to submit several samples collected over a period of days. The samples are then examined in a laboratory for the presence of parasites. Stool tests may also be used to monitor the effectiveness of any treatment you receive.

Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staff
Children and adults who have giardia infection without symptoms usually don't need treatment unless they're likely to spread the parasites. Many people who do have problems often get better on their own in a few weeks.

When signs and symptoms are severe or the infection persists, doctors usually treat giardiasis with medications such as:

Metronidazole (Flagyl). Metronidazole is the most commonly used antibiotic for giardia infection. Side effects may include nausea and a metallic taste in the mouth. Don't drink alcohol while taking this medication.
Tinidazole (Tindamax). Tinidazole works as well as metronidazole and has many of the same side effects, but it can be given in a single dose.
Nitazoxanide (Alinia). Because it comes in a liquid form, nitazoxanide may be easier for children to swallow. Side effects may include nausea, flatulence, yellow eyes and brightly colored yellow urine.
There are no consistently recommended medications for giardiasis in pregnancy because of the potential for adverse drug effects to the baby. If your symptoms are mild, your doctor may recommend delaying treatment until after the first trimester. If treatment is necessary, discuss the best available treatment option with your doctor.