IBS?

[Emd1004]

Hi looking for advice,I am a 44 year old female and I am experiencing severe bloating every day with or without eating.i wake up just fine but my painful bloating increases through the day to where I end up bloated up to my breasts and look at least 6 or 7 months pregnant.i am a small person so it looks even more noticeable,Just really at a loss of what is causing this issue.

[b1b1b1]

It could be IBS, but you should see a gastroenterologist as he/she is the only one who can diagnose it.

[Emd1004 in reply to b1b1b1]

I'm having to wait on a referral to see someone about it.Just uncomfortable and frustrated waiting

[b1b1b1 in reply to Emd1004]

I guess you are in the UK. The nice part about that is you don't have to pay anything, but the waiting must be terrible, especially for people who are worried. In the US you can get appts. fast, often next day, and if you have good insurance or Medicare, the cost is minimal. I hope you get your referral soon. Also, in the US no referrals are needed. I guess there are plusses and minuses to both systems.

[Emd1004 in reply to b1b1b1]

Hi I am actually in the US.The healthcare provider I use Iare some the best around but sometimes they are booked weeks out for a specialist.It's a hospital based provider network so they get referrals from all over.Hate waiting but will be in good hands when I do get in

[b1b1b1 in reply to Emd1004]

I understand. I also use a hospital based specialist if it is something I am more concerned about and the waits for them can be long.

[marthaalice]

Try drinking peppermint tea. Try a yakault every day. It may be food from the day before that is causing it so try cutting out bread for a while. It’s very much trial and error but little things do help. I go through phases where I am constantly bloated and it is awful. There are lots of posts on here about bloating. Read through them. Something may help while you are waiting.

[Fruitandnutcase]

Try keeping a food diary showing your symptoms and what and how much you’ve eaten including snacks. See if you can relate your bloating / other symptoms to that.

[Pennylewis]

It does sound like IBS. many people on this website have similar symptoms. We all have different triggers. You should read some of the other posts online. Its a process of elimination with food. See your doctor to get help too. Good luck!!

[Hidden]

Hi there,

I used to have this happen every day so I can sympathise! It makes you feel so unfeminine, doesn't it, as well as being really uncomfortable.

I have now fully recovered from IBS. There are two alleys I would look down:

The first is Candida. This article tells you all about the main candida symptoms. getting rid of candida certainly improved my digestion: sickofibs.com/ibs-symptoms/...

The second is to consider what is behind this reaction. This article about pain was also relevant for my daily bloating, especially if the source of stress has become a trigger: sickofibs.com/ibs-triggers/...

Hope this helps you move forward,

Alison

[Emd1004 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks!i will check into the possibility of Candida because I developed an unpleasant case of oral thrush out of nowhere several months ago so that could be a possibility

[one-n-den]

Sorry to hear about your problem - all of the previous replies are good advice. I would only add that you might try looking at the FODMAP diet - it’s not a diet in the traditional sense, but a way of categorising different foods as to whether or not they are likely to cause bloating.

If you Google FODMAP, you will get plenty of hits to articles about the diet and lists of foods which are high and low FODMAP. I Have on of the several FODMAP apps on my phone and find it really useful in deciding what to eat and what to buy.

You’ll probably find a few foods which are exceptions to the rule, ie should cause problems but don’t, or shouldn’t cause problems, but do!

However, I’d say the lists are 90% accurate for me, at least. ‘Bad’ foods for example, include onions, garlic, broccoli, and most beans - how does that fit with your experience?

Apples are ‘high’ FODMAP and were another surprise no-no for me. I’d been religiously drinking apple juice every morning after reading that it was a good idea after gall-bladder surgery. As soon as I stopped, things improved greatly.

Hope that helps!

[Emd1004 in reply to one-n-den]

Thanks for the advice,I will definitely check out the FODMAP especially since onion,garlic and beans are included in mr favorite foods .So I could be sabotaging myself every day.

[Neil119]

I feel for you IBS & colonic irrigation daily for 3 years - not a nice life - male 75 years

[Linley]

Yes, it could be IBS and all your friends on this site have given good suggestions but I would also suggest you get a gynaecologist to have a look at you if IBS is ruled out and the bloating continues.

[Emd1004 in reply to Linley]

Yes that is my plan,I would like to rule out any gastrointestinal problems first.My grandfather had all 5 of his sisters pass away from ovarian cancer and I am aware that you can get bloating and abdominal issues with that too.So I am hoping to get in with the specialist within the next 2 weeks to see what they think is going on

[Linley in reply to Emd1004]

Good Luck Emd1004-let us know how you get on

[keithfre]

Definitely try the FODMAP exclusion diet and then 'challenge' the various possible trigger foods. Wheat and onions are apparently the most commonly reported. I recommend reading Patsy Catsos's IBS Free At Last and Peter Whorwell's Take Control of your IBS.

[Karley]

I wonder if you have bacteria overgrowth in your intestines? Maybe consult with a naturopath, get a SIBO (small intestine bacteria overgrowth) test done, and look into probiotics

[Emd1004 in reply to Karley]

Good idea,I've not considered that before,thanks

[Kdw1]

Sounds like ibs that's the way mine started and constipated more regularly than usual it's awful.