The participant who replied first reported having the exact problem since childhood. It would occur after drinking anything (water, soda), so the suspicion was raised that the problem might be related to drinking fluids and digestion. This participant noted that he/she has the same problem in his/her forties. Another participant who joined the discussion suspected that fluid may be the cause.
Has your daughter been drinking a lot of fluids over the course of time when this was happening?
However, the discussion starter didn't reply to this question, but others who joined later tried to identify the possible cause. Many reported the "sloshing" sounds right after eating, which indeed may suggest a problem with digestion. Others said that they hear sloshing sounds when moving. One participant described the sound as grumbling in his stomach. Beside the watery sounds, some reported stomach aches. Another common symptom was getting full very quickly, as well as loss of appetite. Several participants noted that they don't have daily bowel movements. Others mentioned that they sometimes felt hungry even after eating.
Other symptoms noted were uncomfortable feeling in the stomach, bloating, stomach cramps, gas, etc. A lot of participants said that this problem is irritating and embarrassing especially in public.
One participant reported that his doctor said that the problem is caused by drinking too much (water, soda, juice) while digesting the food. Several other members noted the connection between drinking fluids and digestion. This is most likely the cause.
This is very normal when you drink much your stomach is like a bag so when its full of liquid so when you jump the water goes all around the stomach. That's why you hear that sound for.
Some participants, however, said they got a medical diagnosis that could be a cause behind the strange stomach sounds.
The conditions named responsible for sloshing stomach sounds were a leaky gut and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Leaky gut had one participant more sensitives to food making her/him more irritable when consuming certain foods. There was also another medical condition that was mentioned in this discussion more than once.
I am not sure whether or not your daughter has received a diagnosis since your post two months ago, but I thought it might be helpful to let you know that I have struggled with very similar symptoms for a few years now, and was recently diagnosed with gastroparesis, which causes delayed emptying of stomach contents.
Many participants mentioned that they or they loved ones who have this problem were diagnosed with gastroparesis, a condition in which the stomach cannot empty itself of food in a normal way, usually caused by damage to the vagus nerve, which regulates the digestive system.
What do experts say?
Abdominal (bowel) sounds refer to noises made within the small and large intestines that typically occurs during digestion. They can be described as hollow sounds that may resemble the sounds of water moving through pipes, or often as splashing or sloshing sounds, whenever the stomach is filled partly with liquid and partly with gas that both make these sounds by striking the abdominal wall. This sound is often audible at a short distance.
The abdominal sounds we hear are most likely related to the movement of food, liquids, digestive juices, and air through our intestines. Most of the sounds we hear in our bowels are most often a normal occurrence after digestion. Abdominal sounds alone are not usually a cause for concern. However, frequent, unusually loud sounds, the lack of abdominal sounds or abdominal sounds with accompanying symptoms may indicate an underlying condition within the digestive system.
Symptoms
These symptoms may include:
- excess gas
- heartburn that doesn’t respond to over-the-counter treatments
- feelings of fullness
- fever
- nausea
- vomiting
- frequent diarrhea
- constipation
- bloody stools
- unintentional and sudden weight loss
Another name for this 'sloshing sound' phenomenon in medicine is a 'succussion splash.' Anyone can experience it after drinking a glass of water on an empty stomach, and moving the stomach in and out quickly, preferably in a quiet room. You will certainly hear the fluid in the stomach sloshing around, even without a stethoscope.
If the stomach gets very distended, as in gastroparesis, a condition where the stomach doesn’t empty normally, the succussion splash, i.e. sploshing sounds can be abnormally prolonged.
Could gastroparesis be a cause of sloshing sounds in the abdomen?Many in the discussion mentioned that they or their loved ones have been diagnosed with gastroparesis and that it was a most likely cause of sloshing, watery sounds in their stomach. Gastroparesis is a medical condition that affects the normal spontaneous movement of the muscles (motility) in the stomach, thus the movement of food from the stomach to the small intestine. As a result of this, the stomach doesn't empty properly.
Sloshing abdominal sound alone is not a sign of gastroparesis. However, it can be one of the symptoms. The symptoms of gastroparesis may include:
- heartburn or reflux disease (GERD)
- nausea
- vomiting of undigested food
- feeling full quickly when eating
- stomach bloating
- stomach pain
- reduced appetite
- weight loss
- poor blood sugar control
Gastroparesis is not only an uncomfortable medical condition, but it can also cause a variety of complications, some of which can be life-threatening, such as undigested food that hardens and remains in your stomach as a solid mass called bezoar that can prevent food from entering the small intestine.
Treatment of gastroparesis
Treatment often involves treating the underlying cause of gastroparesis. Medical treatments may include medications that help the stomach to empty, such as anti-nausea medications or drugs to increase stomach muscle contractions, or surgery.
People diagnosed with gastroparesis should also make changes to their diet, by choosing foods that are easier to digest, as well as their eating habits.
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Discussion highlights
What symptoms have been reported?
- Its an uncomfy, bloaty feeling and i want it gone.
- As I type right now, its as if I have 5 gallons of liquid in my stomach and Ive barely drank anything.
- I realized when eating things with "high fructose corn syrup" or casein products it would kill my stomach or Id fee sick, bloat get gassy etc.
- Well, tonight, she was jumping up and down and she said said, "Hey mom, listen to this!" And when she jumps, her stomach sounds like there is water sloshing around inside her abdomen like water in a bathtub.
- My stomach makes that noise as well, I don't think you have anything to worry about.
- For several months she has complained of stomach aches right after she eats and "sloshing".
- I can hear watery, slouchy sounds.
- I sometimes get bloated with stomach cramps.
- Id love to agree w/you, but I have this issue often, and it happens usually when I drink very little.
- I am 14 and i had belly pain since i was out of the womb and i recent Got dianosed with a rare kind Of ulcer and my stomach Is doing the same Thing And i also HAve depression But I would Take Your child To the doctor ABout it.
- Okay, my daughter is 9 years old and has been complaining of stomach pain for over a year now.
- It kept doing this for over an hour.
- I could even here it when she was playing across the room.
- She was dancing around and I could here her stomach noises over the TV.
- My stomach is also hurting and I've had bad chest pains.
- She gets full very quickly and says it feels there is sloshing in her stomach.
- She does not have daily bowel movements.
- When she gets stomach aches says it feels like someone is punching her.
- Hey I am 13 and I have just experienced this tonight before this happended to me I was experiencing stomach/muscle spasms everytime I sat or lay down at least it was most likely this but im not sure i am in no pain and feel perfectly fine but the though of the muscle spasm and how they felt made me feel sick I am really skinny as skinny as a twig and I have lost my aptteite some people think I have abs but really u r just seeing my bones wht should I do do u have any suggestions?
- My stomach feels hollow or like its caving in on itself.
- My stomach will grumble and such, and sometimes I feel hungry even after eating.
- I can move my stomach and vibrate it to and forth and you can also hear the sound of water floating due to vibration very clearly.
- When i move i hear my stomach and i guess gut or intestines sloshing around something and it makes me feel uncomfortable.
- It also makes me not want to eat and my appetite disappears and i can have as little a bowl of soup a day and still be really full.
- I have not seen a doctor about it because ar first I thought i was just a little sick but it comes on and off and it's now been about 2 months.
- I do cross country and almost every day while I'm running I can hear the sloshing sound in my stomach but only when I'm running slow.
- When I speed up it usually stops.
- Same with me, however it us kind of worrying because sometimes when I touch my stomach I will feel water moving around, and it feels like it is outside of my stomach too.
- It is irritating and embarasing especially in public.
- The noise I get seems to be more on my left side of the stomach and especially When I take deep breath I can even see the stomach moving and making loud noises.
- I'm really skinny you can practically see my bones and I always hear this weird gurgling sound.
- I will say that I have an abnormal amount of gas, and also that I am NOT constipated.
- I have regular bowel movements and still the sloshing continues.
- Hey so my belly is sloshing as well but i have kept drinking lots of water so maby its just that im just wondering if its bad or not.
- When I drink half a bottle of water or a whole bottle of water I get the stomach sloshing thing.
- Its happened ever since I was a toddler and I think it's normal, unless it happens everyday.
- Well, this can happen if you swallow air, becaus, sound is air vibrating through the air, to get te sounds in our ears, if you dont swallow air you get the effect less.
- so in your stomach, there must be some gas of kind of, and that makes the vibration go through the air there, if that dosent work, idk
- Im 13 and i can go a while without earing or drinking and it still makes this sound.
- I can be laying in bed and all i have to do it shift my weight and it makes this sound.
- I inoy get stomach pains if i do it to much and i always jsut thought it was just slot of extra blood
- Hi hear water in my stomache but i do not have stomache pains at all.
- i dont think pains is the problem
- I don't drink a lot of liquid but sometimes it stores up and sounds like Sloshing.
- My son 13, has nausea almost every other day and he has started experiencing these sounds.
- I have the same thing and it hurts and if I push my stomach out and in and it makes the noise it feels better
- When I move my belly up and down, it does sound like water sloshing around.
- Hey,I'm 14 I have experienced muscles past and pain in the stomach causing me to feel sick im also very skinny my advice to you is to definitely go to the doctors or hospital .
- I stopped eating and lost my apetite and then being anorexic.
- This is happening to me for about 1 year, give or take and it's causing me very much difficulty in breathing.
- Same way to me I’m 16 and I can here like water in my stomach so weird never had that till couple days
- My stomach dose that too, I will hardly drink anything and if I take a deep breath you can hear water in there.
- Like alot ,more than I have drank.
- Hello, I am now 35 years old but I have been battling chronic pain in my entire body.
- Hi I am 15, I’ve had weird noises coming from my stomach for as long as I can remember.
- It only happens when I like move about and it sounds like a bath full of water that is being sloshed about, if that makes sense.
- I get this noise all the time, when I’ve just had a drink or when I’ve not had a drink in a while so I’m sure it isn’t to do with that.
- I turned to my side and my stomach just made noises,and as I kept switching side to side it sounded like my stomach was ggon, like It was made of water.
- This happens to me all the time when I drink lots of water or a drink .I feel weight and when I jump i beast the water.
Possible reasons for sloshing sounds in stomach
- yea that happens to me also however my doc says that its from drinking to much as your digesting.
- Doctor told me I likely have a leaky gut.
- I also have a sensitive stomach / ibs.
- Went to the doctor a while back and they said I have gastropariosis .
- Leaky gut has me more sensitives to food and I'm more irritable when comsuming certain foods.
- I am not sure whether or not your daughter has received a diagnosis since your post two months ago, but I thought it might be helpful to let you know that I have struggled with very similar symptoms for a few years now, and was recently diagnosed with gastroparesis, which causes delayed emptying of stomach contents.
- Thought it was just from me drinking a lot of liquids everyday
- I have gastroparesis.
- She may have a condition called gastroparesis.
- Don't mean to worry you but yes it could be gastroparesis or another condition with gut/stomach/intestinal motility issues.
- My son is 2and has pseudo obstruction and very likely gastroparesis and this happens to him
- Stomachs obviously have liquid in them, and if you drink a lot of water you are going to hear it sloshing.
- Hey so my belly is sloshing as well but i have kept drinking lots of water so maby its just that im just wondering if its bad or not.
- When I drink half a bottle of water or a whole bottle of water I get the stomach sloshing thing.
- so in your stomach, there must be some gas of kind of, and that makes the vibration go through the air there, if that dosent work, idk
What diagnosis has been made?
- I am 14 and i had belly pain since i was out of the womb and i recent Got dianosed with a rare kind Of ulcer and my stomach Is doing the same Thing And i also HAve depression But I would Take Your child To the doctor ABout it.
- yea that happens to me also however my doc says that its from drinking to much as your digesting.
- Doctor told me I likely have a leaky gut.
- I also have a sensitive stomach / ibs.
- Went to the doctor a while back and they said I have gastropariosis .
- Her doctors have all said it is stress and anxiety, etc.
- She has celiac.
- I am gluten-intolerant, but have not tested positive for celiac disease, thus far.
- I have gastroparesis.
- I have Diverticulosis as well and because of low fluid intake am constipated frequently.
- Daughter's gastro wants her to get colonoscopy/endoscopy.
- I am not sure whether or not your daughter has received a diagnosis since your post two months ago, but I thought it might be helpful to let you know that I have struggled with very similar symptoms for a few years now, and was recently diagnosed with gastroparesis, which causes delayed emptying of stomach contents.
- I have it and just recently realized that was the cause.
- Was thinking the same my son has CIPO and probably gastroparesis
- My son is 2and has pseudo obstruction and very likely gastroparesis and this happens to him
- By the time I was 24 it was so far gone I had to have 2.5 feet if my intestines removed.
- A colonoscopy didn't show it but a laparoscopy did.
- Hi there, I want to say I am sorry to hear that your 9 year old daughter is going through this, I did see your post a year ago, but was not able to comment, I hope you have found a cure I would love to know, well to start with I have been suffering from this unknown condition for about 20 years now I have been to the best gastric doctors but have had no success I am dabbling in a theory that it's a small intestinal bacteria overgrowth ,SIBO, and I am treating myself with iodine after many researching on the internet, results are that I feel different but I am still waiting for the cure apparently it can take a long time.
- Anyway, my GI doctor actually found out that my colon had stopped working a long time ago and I was not able to go to the bathroom for an average of 16 days.
- well according to my blood work anyway.
- I have been diagnosed with several autoimmune illnesses but I was also diagnosed with Gastroparesis 3 years ago but my doctor told me that with gastroparesis, it always comes with a “Big Boy” illness, like Diabetes or Lupus or maybe even Rheumatoid Arthritis but I haven’t been diagnosed with any of them;
In conclusion
A watery, sloshing sound in the stomach is normal and usually nothing to worry about. It may occur if we drank too much fluid or if we drink while eating. However, sometimes this sound may indicate a medical condition, such as gastoparesis. You should visit your doctor if the sound worries you or if it's accompanied by other symptoms, such as abdominal pain.