bloating and much bigger belly

[transplantwarrier]

9 months into transplant and I still go through phases of bloating and my belly appearing much larger

Does anyone else get this?

[Tahmed251]

I have this problem and my doctor said I get constipated and need to have more fiber in my diet.

[Eyak1971]

I also take a fiber supplement and a probiotic at times to compensate for the medication I take. But please check with your doctor.

[RonZone in reply to Eyak1971]

What fiber supplement do you take?

[Eyak1971]

I take fiber capsules - walgreens.

[TmWeed]

How is your magnesium level? Mine is always just below range so I take magnesium supplements every day and have found that mag oxide also keeps me pretty regular.

[klipodeu]

Yep, I get this also.If you're taking taking Prednisone, bloating is a side effect.

[BlurpleIsBest]

Sorry to hear about your bloating discomfort. I had similar-sounding gastrointestinal issues starting post-transplant and still have them almost ten years later. Probably not what you want to hear! I was eventually diagnosed with IBS. Symptoms include mainly bloating after most meals, abdominal pain/cramping, occasional bouts of diarrhea. I asked my transplant team for help on this and essentially got non-responses: "that sometimes happens." Eventually I went asked my primary care physician to refer me to a gastrointestinal doc who diagnosed me and gave me resources and things to try. There is lots of info online about IBS. My symptoms come and go, so I'll have a rougher several days and then a few good days and then a round of rougher days. Random stuff that worked for me: She recommended taking two IBGard peppermint pills before eating when you're having a flare-up. The peppermint acts to reduce muscle activity if you have cramping and calms things for bloating too. Eating small amounts during meals will help prevent bloating and gas buildup. She also advised eating small amounts throughout the day instead of three larger meals. GasX works for me (not everyone apparently). Sometimes fasting (like skipping two of three meals in a day) will re-set things. Taking psyllium husk powder dissolved in water or in caplet form helps a lot (give your system about a week to get used to it). Stress is definitely a factor in exacerbating bloating and stuff. I'm also convinced that my gut microbes simply don't always agree with my appetite/things I eat and also hate being constantly bombarded with immunosuppressants.

I'll also mention that I did not really have IBS symptoms during the 15 years of my first transplant (diarrhea sometimes but not these constant IBS symptoms). Same medications but I was on higher doses after the second transplant (it was after my second transplant when my IBS symptoms started).