Maternity trousers are the way forward?!

[Kirst625]

Hey, hope everyone is keeping ok. To update from my first 'frustrared and confused' post - my doc is still trying to help me move forward with a gynae follow up (was due end of Feb and have now been told it will be June at the earliest!) and has since had test results back that shows moderate inflammation in my bowel, so is wondering about IBD instead / as well. She has referred me to gastroenterology, I'm ending up going private for initial consultation the week after next as it's going to be at least a 2/3 month wait for this too if I don't pay. (quick question, has anyone else had inflammation detected and it be found to be linked to endo and not IBD?). Got a hen do coming up that I'm dreading a bit as going away / eating out has always been difficult in the last few years. Can't not go as I'm bridesmaid, would be letting bride and my other friends down and have paid for it. But I'm worried, as today after eating lunch out I'm once again like a balloon 6 hours on and in lots of pain despite medication. So! Trying to think of a plan to help! And have ordered some maternity trousers online! It won't stop it or the majority of the pain but it's got to be a help to not be cut in half by my normally well fitting trousers when I go up 3 sizes after eating, right?! X

[Hidden]

Do you notice bloating after certain foods? Since cutting out wheat I've noticed it's gone down a lot and when I don't eat wheat and dairy, it's pretty much flat all day! Might be worth making a note of what you're eating/how fast you're eating it as these are all things your doctor will probably tell you to do anyway so it's better to do them now rather than being told this at another appointment and waiting 3 more months to have another one, if that makes sense!

I'm also being tested for IBD and have a huge fear of eating out, mostly because I think I've been intolerant to gluten for a long time and eating has always caused me pain, but since I eat more carefully (albeit boring foods) I've found the stomach ache after eating to be non existent! x

[Kirst625 in reply to Hidden]

Please see below x

[Abigail16]

Hey. Not sure if you may already know this but I’ve been told that endo is an inflammatory disease and I know many people with endo especially on/in the bowel have ibs/d. It could maybe be that you have endo in your bowel or on it and that could be what’s causing your ibd? I don’t know though it’s just what I thought reading your post. Also I’ve recently been diagnosed and like Kate said in her comment it may be worth cutting out gluten, once I was diagnosed an endo nurse contacted me and said even though I don’t have an intolerance/allergy to gluten it’s worth trying the gluten free diet because of the inflammation side of things. Gluten is in a lot of foods more than you realise until you cut it out and apparently it expands in your stomach. The nurse said that she thinks it could be my bowel causing my bloating. Could be worth a try, just in case you do try it she said give it at least 6 weeks before you decide if it’s working or not, hope this helps x

[Kirst625 in reply to Abigail16]

Please see below x

[Vixylix]

I was ‘diagnosed’ with IBS a long time ago, and endometriosis more recently and suffer a lot from bowel problems, inflammation and bloating. I find avoiding heavy carb foods such a bread, pasta, rice minimises it somewhat. The best thing for me to avoid bloating is to eat small meals more regularly, one large meal and I’ll balloon up. Hope you manage to enjoy the hen do - just look after yourself, if you need to go take a rest do so, your friends will understand x

[Kirst625 in reply to Vixylix]

Please see below x

[Kirst625]

Aw, thanks for taking time to reply all X I did wonder if the symptoms and inflammation could be signs of Endo on the bowel. I've had 'IBS' for 18 years but the symptoms have worsened over the last few years and I've got new ones such as occasional bleeding and jelly like discharge. I have wondered about gluten but when I tracked it it was random, sometimes it affects me and sometimes it doesn't. Even to the extent of having the same tea on two consecutive days and one day bring fine and the next day being badly affected. I've wondered about dairy too recently, but again it seems random. Sometimes I can eat lots of cheese (and crackers) and be fine, then this week I ate a small chunk as I was prepping tea and within half an hour I was like a balloon and in pain. I wonder if the randomness is linked to cycle maybe? Good shout Kate to write down what I've tracked mentally, thanks for that. Can I ask if you've been diagnosed with Endo as well as IBD bring looked at?

Thanks Vixylix, I'm sure they will be understanding X it's just difficult as I don't want to spoil things or seem like a shingle bag. It's not easy though is it. At Christmas I was so bad after our meal out that I could barely walk with the pain and was holding my big pregnant belly to help. Hard not to feel like a drama queen at times.

Also get knackered quickly and am iften done in early on a night time, what fun I have become 😆 I'm hoping my maternity pants are a hit!

Thanks all for the tips X

[Kirst625]

Just to explain the Endo gynae related symptoms have only started in the last 12 months (extremely painful periods, painful ovulation, black blood at start of periods and heavy clotting).

[Kirst625]

And sorry for the awful predictive text on my reply, I think most of it is obvious, apart from 'shingle bag'...whinge bag is what I meant 😂

[123happym]

Hi I have ibs, endo and adenomyosis. Was diagnosed with the ibs and endo c.15 years ago. Have found that exercise and avoiding white bread,pasta helps. Eating out if drinking alcohol would always make my bloating/pain worse.

Now I am peri menopausal (46) my hormones have whacked out and endo/adenomyosis pains are worse- I have found early stage maternity wear soooo comfortable as not pressing on abdomen.