Is this normal at all!?

[LOLOLOLOLOL]

Every day I wake up, I find my belly has bloated up bigger than yesterday. It doesn't even go down! It keeps getting bigger and bigger like it's blowing up like a balloon! I went from a belly size 42 to a 60 in just 2 weeks!!! Should this happen, because it gets bigger every day, and I'm not even gaining weight!!!!!!!!!!

[anbuma]

have you been to the dr?mine is the same but not getting any answers .is your belly hard and lumpy to touch.have you lost weight elsewhere?

[Clutter]

For goodness sake! Make an appointment to see your GP before your float off into the stratosphere or explode. Something's clearly not right.

[thevogon]

do you have trouble sleeping do you wake up cream crackered and tired if you do you may have sleep apnea which gives abdominal bloat cos i got it

[Issy]

What does your doctor say?. Do you have proof to show him?

[Marylyn]

I would try switching to gluten free diet as wheat can give you a huge abdomen.you should get checked for ovarian cancer .Do you have any bowel changes?

[shaws Administrator]

No, it isn't normal. My stomach swelled before I was finally diagnosed with hypo. On sufficient medication it went. I think maybe you are not on enough meds and you should go to your GP to check you have an up-to-date blood test if you haven't had one recently.

When you have your thyroid gland blood test, do not take your medication beforehand and have it as early as possible.

Before thyroid gland blood tests were introduced, swelling was one of the main clinical symptoms of hypo.

web.archive.org/web/2010103...

[marmaris in reply to shaws]

Hello shaws this is me. Have been to doctors about it, gluten, coeliac et checked all normal. On thyroxine 100mcgs and T3 12.5. TSH

[Heloise in reply to marmaris]

Before I was diagnosed, I also had this but if it is fluid, you really should rule out the ovarian problem but also liver will cause this. In my case it was bowel related and the doctor gave me donatal which made everything relax in my gut and was a real relief. I knew with the very first pill that it was working.

[shaws Administrator in reply to marmaris]

When you give your blood test results, it is of benefit to give the ranges too, as it enables members to comment. Labs differ throughout the country so it makes it easier to know the ranges.

The question the doctor should ask is 'how do you feel', so I will ask it instead 'how do you feel'. 'Even if someone is in the 'normal range' it may not be normal for them.

[Jackie]

Hi Sorry replies are not coming up on the screen. This sounds to me like ascites, fluid,if not going down. it is not, in my opinion thyroid. Please see the GP ASAP. insist on a CA 125 test, and then proper investigations. renal, cardiac gynae ( most important). Please do not let the GP fob you off.It is not usually any use going to A and E for something like this, in spite of what is often shown on the T.V!. A and E you generally see a junior doc and then it is up to him. They are very limited in any medical experience, although usually very nice!

Best wishes,

jackie

[Hidden in reply to Jackie]

Agreed. This happened to my mother - she was fobbed off by her GP, turned out to be a variation of ovarian cancer. Don't want to scare you, but blowing up as you describe is definitely not normal and is unlikely to be directly connected to a thyroid issue. Please see a GP as soon as poss x

[tarotreader]

A friend of mine having a similar experience ,having had a stroke some years ago she takes aspirin and nothing to counteract the side effects. Scan showed up lots of tiny ulsers, her belly swelling up and hard to touch . Maybe not the same but I would be seeing a GP asap. Hope you get an answer soon .

[Jillymo]

You need to get to your Drs to get this checked out, as you say it is not going down.this is of concern.

:I have always suffered with a bloated tummy but mine was down to gluten & candida.

What your talking of is some increase in size over a short period.so get it checked ASAP.

Jillymo X

[marmaris in reply to Jillymo]

I was given a Candida pill as had researched that as a possibility, but gluten came back negative.

[tilly83]

NO this isn't normal, keep measuring your stomach daily and write it down, monitor weight, write food diary. Ditch wheat, caffeine, dairy and any fizzy drinks for a couple of weeks at least. Call your GP and take someone with you who has seen what is going on. x

[GentleOrange]

I gained a lot of weight around my stomach when I was under medicated, I ended up looking like a heavily pregnant woman. I've been on a low carb diet for nearly a month and my stomach has reduced a fair bit already, trousers that cut into me four weeks ago are now very comfortable. Please see your GP to rule out anything more sinister, but then consider a) If you need to increase your meds b) If you need to supplement c) A low carb diet. (It's not my usual cyber hangout, but Mumsnet is running a low carb 'bootcamp' with lots of support and recipes. Worth checking out.)

[Soldieress]

fast growing fibroid or cyst on the ovaries...?

[eeng]

Cysts are heavy, so is fluid - I think you would expect to be gaining weight. Bloating without weight gain is more likely to be gas, unless you are losing weight from elsewhere to compensate as anbuma said.

[anbuma]

I have just got home from seeing my gp and it s another wasted appointment.showed him a list of q's to ask him and he went on about me going on forum saying its American and I cant go on going on these internet sites.i wouldn't have to if I was given answers.i only ask people advice,.it is not American ,replies are from british people.he didnt give me answers to all my questions -said his hands are tied and its the labs that wont do T3 and T4 if TSH Is normal..told him I had lost weight on my bum and legs ,so he weighed me and said your weight has actually gone up-MY RESPONSE WAS THATS BECOS MY STOMACH HAS GOT MORE SWOLLEN AND HEAVIER.FELL ON DEAF EARS.he commented that I ahd gone to A&E and they couldn't find anything.it was on advice of others.said I have had pain in my ribs and protrusion for 3 years and noone has given me any answers and since symptoms gto worse 3 years go-fobbed off and ignored., . i asked him how come others have the same symptoms and get diagnosises and I dont.no resposne -said i have another appointment with rheumatologist.ddint ask why. and ENT after having a year of treatment from you for my nose turned round and said"it s not sinuses" and told me my nose wasn't swollen when it quite obviously is.why can the accept that my weight is all abdominal and has increased now I have lost more weight elsewhere.its only my dogs who know something is wrong.to him its all in my mind when it is not.when i said my CA125 results are/were above "normal" his response was htye have come down,but why higher in first place.??i told him i couldn't eat .felt sluggish and wanted to sleep the whole time cos so tired-said nothing.how cani be gaining weight when I don't eat anything and it is all abdominal.now definitely had enough of living.i think i don't even want to be here for my dogs.when it s too late they will be sorry.

[Carrob]

Ca 125 should not be borderline ! Please go to another doctor. That's shocking and upsetting and negligent too. Have u had any cancers before ? Hope u feel better soon

[anbuma]

there is no point in seeing other gps as they only read your notes kept by own gp.ill never feel better cos gps keep dismissing me.how come ive had symptoms for so long and no one will acknoweldge anything

[Glenys in reply to anbuma]

Hang on in there, please. I know its hard!

I should look for another surgery asap if I were you, and don't pick one until you have been able to ask each one (preferably by meeting someone) if they can guarantee that there is someone at that surgery who is open minded about T3 and antibody testing. Might be a long job though, but I think you are entitled to do this.

Its something I have been thinking of doing for a while, now finally spurred on because the last GP I saw (who was new at the practice) was very nice with me, but didn't address any of my fatigue concerns by leaving me hanging on yet again for another month "to see how you are then"!!!!

You are right, their hands are tied to a degree, and when they shout out about it themselves they get repremanded, which is a shame. I have just written to my hospital labs as when I rung them last week they told me they only did T3 test for certain consultants at the hospital, and for absolutely no GPs (if the TSH was within "range" as she put it). I have asked in the letter if they can tell me who these consultants are. I will let you know in due time how I went on. I live in Sheffield so it could help people there to know who their GP can refer them too.

I have not yet been diagnosed with thyroid, but all the symptoms are there and in the past my TSH has been up to 4 and as low as 1.8, and my T4 has been measured on 2 occasions as 12 and 11. I am also going through the menopause which complicates things, but for most of my life my basal tem has been at 36.5 consistently till recently when it is now struggling to get over 36degrees. I asked the GP if that was bad, and she aid "everything under 37 is normal".

Yes, very frustrating!

XG

[Glenys]

For some reason I cannot see the other replies here, but I would suggest a GP visit to rule out anything serious. Are you "going" to the loo regular still?

[Mrs_Somerset]

Hi there,

How are things going - have you had a chance to speak to your docs about this?

If your stomach size is increasing and staying increased every day, it was be very very unlikey that this is food related - food takes longer to add mass, and food allergies normally cause bloating - which means it goes down as well as going up.

A simple questions - if you will excuse the personal question - have you let off any gas since you first noticied the increase in your stomach?

The reason I ask is that without weight gain, it sounds like gas is trapped - (babies, food, fat, ulcers, tumors - all have mass - the larger they get, the more additional mass you would have - as you are not getting skinner elsewhere to allow for increased mass in the tummy whilst maintaining the overall mass of your body it is possibly gas which has negligable mass but large volume). and without it going down could mean an obstruction in the bowel, although even bowel obstruction usually allows the gas to go out via the throat, and a bowel obstruction would normally give you other symptoms

But do check ans see that you are not loosing weight elsewhere on your body - are your arms / legs, chest etc smaller than before the tummy started getting bigger? - if so - please let your doctor know.

The long and short of it, it could be a number of things, but a marked and permanent increase on a daily basis does not sound normal - please see your GP and make sure you leave the appointment with an action plan - if you do not feel satisfied with the results of the meeting with your GP, please do go to your local A&E.

It may be, and probably is nothing to worry about, but you really should have this diagnosed as soon as possible.

Please do let us know how you get on.

all the best

M