Bloating with ibs

[Garlic1234]

This is my stomach from bloating last week

[Bungiecat]

I know what you feel like I have clothes for at my normal shape and others for when I am too bloated to get into them.

[Hidden]

Same here and it doesn't seem to respond to treatment such as peppermint oil or any of the IBS treatments. Even if I wake up with a reasonably flat tummy soon as I eat/drink it inflates. My tummy insides feel really bruised too....really makes life miserable, do you get the bruised, heavy feeling too?

Best wishes X x

[janetmtt]

is it food intolerance do you think - have you kept food diary - what about trying probiotics or artichoke supplements (these get good reviews for IBS)

[Margie71]

What are all those markings on your stomach?

[Helenbperks]

As a registered nutritional therapist, my first question would be have you been to your GP about your bloating? If so, have you been referred to a gastroenterologist? I would consider what is called small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). This can cause bloating in the upper abdomen as well as the lower abdomen and bloating can develop as soon as you have eaten. SIBO means that gut bacteria that should be in the large instestine has migrated to the small intestine. There can be several functional reasons for this including gut motility issues and ileo-cecal valve involvement. Getting to the root cause is key!

If you are suffering from SIBO, probiotics and artichoke supplements will only exacerbate your problem as they will feed the bacteria in the small intestine. A low FODMAPS diet is your first port of call after you have seen a GP and gastroenterologist. A SIBO test should be undertaken if all other tests have been done. You should be tested for hydrogen and methane. Which ever one is dominant will depend on the treatment you have. Antibiotics are usually used in conventional medicine but as a nutritional therapist I use natural anti-microbials alongside antibiotics. SIBO can be very stubborn!

Good luck and I hope this information goes some way to help you on the right road to finding the cause of your bloating.