# rotten egg/sulphur smelling bm and gas. pretty scared and concerned.



## windemere

I work part time at an awful restaurant that does not allow us to use customer restroom..only the employee restroom ..which was out of order yesterday. I was at work from 7am-4pm yesterday and needed to have a bm around 8am but couldnt go. I held it until 5 when i got home. Sorry for tmi but when i finally went it smelled like rotten eggs and kind of acidic. I also wasnt able to eat yesterday and when i finally got home i felt so awful i didnt eat anything at all after work either. This morning i got to work at 9 and was having very acidy/sulphur smelling gas. It was embarassing but it passed. My bm yesterday wasnt diarrhea, it was formed and easy to pass but it kind of burned. The smell is what scared me. Then the gas this morning. Could holding it have caused the strange odor/burning or is it something i should consult my dr about? I really hate when new things happen. I get so scared. Luckily i found a regular job and will be done at the restaurant after this coming week so i will at least be able to go when i have to.


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## rmiller1985

Hi Windemere,

I'm not sure about the smell, although I think it's very possible that holding it all day changed something chemically, and that's the cause of the weird smell.

My main reason for posting is to suggest that you contact the local health authorities about your employer's actions. I believe that not providing a restroom for employees for that length of time is probably criminal, at least in certain environments (and I would think that a restaurant would qualify). Since you've already got a new job, you've got nothing to lose, and you may help your fellow co-workers, even if you won't be working with them for long.

That is truly shameful behavior on the part of your employer. If the employee restroom is out of order, any manager with a conscience would have lifted the ban on the customer restroom until the employee restroom was in order again.

Cheers,

Rich


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## windemere

I plan on reporting them. I just had another bm today..loose and it burned and smelled acidic again. Im really scared. Im having a panic attack now. Im going to call my dr today...although she just brushes me off most of the time now.


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## thickthighs1

Get in touch with a gastroenterologist.you sound like you have ibs....also stop eating so much processed food,it may be irritating your stomach/intestines.

This has happened to me before MANY times..I stopped eating processed foods and high fructose corn syrup and the diarrhea went away


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## rmiller1985

Hi windemere,

Don't panic. What you're describing has happened to me countless times over the years (mostly the burning, not the smell, although I've certainly had smelly gas/BM episodes in the past, often accompanied by burning). Again, I don't know if holding it in caused the issue this time, but don't fret about it either way.

I'm not sure what your diet is like, but I've been on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet for a few months and it has helped a lot.

Cheers,

Rich


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## windemere

I stopped eating gluten for 2 weeks but was advised to start eating it again for 4 weeks prior to my biopsy im having done to check for celiacs. These horrid smelling gas and stools started about a week after eating gluten again. Im considering cutting out gluten again. My stomach was feeling ok without the gluten. But i am having some acid reflux problems too at the moment and started taking zantac right before these problems. I left a message with my dr's secretary. I doubt ill get a call back :/


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## windemere

Today ive gotten even more weird symptoms. The smell went away but my stool was yellow and very soft and it still burned a bit..it was formed but fell apart in the toilet. Ive tried my dr again but the office line has been consistently busy. Im in bed crying. I dont know whats wrong with me.


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## rmiller1985

Hi windemere,

Sounds like maybe a fat malabsorption issue: http://www.medicinenet.com/stool_color_and_texture_changes/symptoms.htm. I'd be cautious about assuming anything just based on a few BMs, though, stool color can change quite a bit under normal circumstances.

There's a simple stool test for pancreatic insufficiency (which would result in fat malabsorption) called a pancreatic elastase test. Any doctor could order it.

Based on your current experience, I'd say drop your current doctor and find a gastroenterologist. Unfortunately, as a first-time patient, it'll probably be Christmas before you can get in to see him or her.  So maybe keep trying to manage your current doctor, but find a gastroenterologist and make an appointment in the meantime.

Cheers,

Rich


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## windemere

I saw that myself. I rarely google my symptoms anymore but after having 3 very yellow stools in an hour i checked out possible causes. I got an appt with my gp on monday so its a start. I have no insurance so im going to have to also talk to her about how i can go about getting state funded insurance and if its possible. Im trying to relax but im so scared. Thank you for your replies. Im feeling alone right now too. No one in my life quite understands what im dealing with.


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## windemere

I also did eat a ton of fiber yesterday...peanuts, a ton of fruit, and chicken and vegetable soup with brown rice. Im hoping maybe too much fiber made food move through me too quickly and the yellow color will go away.


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