Continuous Stomach Gurgling And Strong Odor In Urine. Anything Serious?

Posted on Wed, 6 Nov 2013

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Wed, 6 Nov 2013 Answered on

Fri, 29 Nov 2013 Last reviewed on

Question : I am trying to find out if there could be a serious health issue. There is continous stomach gurgling (day & night), a strong odor in my urine. I am a 52 yr old male, I usually eat alot of salad only and drink tons of coffee..I know, not good, but could it be a serious issue?

Answered by Dr. Namala Bharadwaj (1 hour later)

Brief Answer: gurgling be normal phenomenon, coffee 4 to 6 cups Detailed Answer: Hello dear . Thanks for your query at XXXXXXX I understand your concern. The continuous gurgling sound is normal physiological phenomenon in which gastrointestinal system will push contents from one segment to next in series of muscle contractions and this will happen in day and night. These can be considered normal if you do not have any associated gastrointestinal symptoms. Strong odor in urine can be due to infection, complete urine examination will help in diagnosis. Salad will not produce much health side effects. Coffee usually recommended at 4 - 6 cups per day. If consumption more than that can produce some adverse effects like gastric reflux, and cardiovascular effects when taken for longer durations. Hope I answered your query. Any further information you can ask me in follow up query. Regards.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj

Follow up: Dr. Namala Bharadwaj (32 hours later)

Dr. Namala Bharadwaj- thank you for your time & expertise. I just have a few more questions...How long could the gurgling take to stop? ..it has been over 3 weeks...could this be the norm for forever or will it go away on it's own? Would you advise me taking any extra Probiotics or Oil of Oregano to kill the bacteria if any exist? It is possible that the 2 conditions are related (strong urine odor & gurgling) and that I somehow contracted EColi poisoning through the salad or that there is any chance of it being Colon cancer or Colon issues that can lead to Cancer? My Dad got Colon Cancer when he was around my age & I am worried. I had a screening about 5 years ago. Thank you for your followup

Answered by Dr. Namala Bharadwaj (16 hours later)

Brief Answer: It is normal phenomenon, can use probiotics. Detailed Answer: Hello dear. Gurgling is normal, it will be there forever because its normal phenomenon of the human body. Do not worry about it much unless you have any associated symptoms like diarrhea or pain. Probiotics can be taken there is no harm in taking them, they will only help in growth of normal gastrointestinal organisms. Strong odor in urine can be due to infection probably due to e.coli . Two conditions might not related to each other i.e urine odor and gurgling. Infection with E.coli will not lead to development of the colon cancer. Your on follow up for colon cancer screening that is very good thing for early identification of the disease. Regularly follow the screening for colon cancer as prescribed by your physician for early recognition. Hope I answered your query. Regards.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D