Chronic Abdominal Bloating and Pain

Posted by geb @gloriaeb, Aug 17, 2015

I am a relatively healthy person with a problem "bloated belly". My belly gets bigger as the day goes on; doesn't matter if I eat, drink only water, my belly still gets more bloated. The bloat continues up the abdomen into the midriff area...I have to loosen bra or put on a bigger one. This happens everyday. Pretty good in the morning.

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Thanks @upnorthnancy I must try. As much as I try to hold on to sugar and carbs I kno I will eventually have to let them go if I want to feel improvement @uneeq1 great points, with all these great points everyone is throwing out there something has to work..Godbless and keep the faith..peace

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@upnorthnancy

To control belly bloat I find following a Ketogenic lifestyle works best for me. ForeverGreen makes a product called Ketonix that I like. It is a powder you mix with water and drink to get your body into ketosis. Eliminating carbs and sugar has helped so much.

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You can go into Ketosis on a paleo diet as well. I suggest everyone go to a Dr or nutritionist first. There are health reasons why this wouldn't work for everyone. In my case, I wasn't getting everything I needed for my body to function well and support my health problems. Everyone should eliminate sugar as much as possible. Sugar in some form is in so many foods that we eat it can be tough. Carbs aren't totally bad for a few reasons. The main reason I have to have some carbs is to maintain thyroid health.
http://paleoleap.com/carb-directory/

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Geb, have you investigated the possibility of food allergies? There are many "diets" out there that help a person determine if they have a food allergy. The idea is to eliminate all potential allergens from a persons' diet for a set time period (2-6 weeks is the usual suggestion) and then reintroduce those foods back into your diet one at a time to see if one of the allergens is the trigger for your digestive symptoms. There are many good books for do-it-yourself-ers or you can enlist the help of a dietitian or other medical professional.

I struggled for almost 20 yrs with digestive issues and went from doctor to doctor with no diagnosis. Then I read an article in a women's health magazine about Celiac disease (an autoimmune disorder) and discovered that gluten was the cause of my issues. Following a gluten free diet and some other tweaks for food sensitivities has made all the difference in the world.

Hope this help!
Good luck!

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@upnorthnancy

To control belly bloat I find following a Ketogenic lifestyle works best for me. ForeverGreen makes a product called Ketonix that I like. It is a powder you mix with water and drink to get your body into ketosis. Eliminating carbs and sugar has helped so much.

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Hi ketosis is not a healthy state of being.<br />

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If you did not have a diagnosis from a doctor for Celiac disease you should. It is not a common disorder and far too many people are self diagnosing and "feeding" into the gluten free and sometimes expensive diet without needing to do so. The food companies are making millions off people who don't really need gluten free. I suppose the placebo effect is good for some it is certainly great for the manufacturers of gluten free products.

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@boogirl

If you did not have a diagnosis from a doctor for Celiac disease you should. It is not a common disorder and far too many people are self diagnosing and "feeding" into the gluten free and sometimes expensive diet without needing to do so. The food companies are making millions off people who don't really need gluten free. I suppose the placebo effect is good for some it is certainly great for the manufacturers of gluten free products.

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Thanks for the suggestion, Boogirl. Yes, I have had both the blood test to screen for celiac disease antibodies and the endoscope biopsy. I left that out of my original comment as I was trying to be concise. You are correct, though, in that anyone who believes that they might have celiac disease should be diagnosed by a medical professional BEFORE making dietary changes. Once gluten is eliminated from a diet and the small intestine starts to heal it is much harder to make the diagnosis.

I also wanted to emphasize that people need to be their own advocate for their health. An individual knows best when something is wrong and should work to find a solution even if that means going to 100 different doctors. If only I had trusted my own instincts more than the tens of doctors' that I saw, I might have had 20 extra years of better health. Even now, after 10 plus years gluten free, I still have residual side effects from the constant damaging of my intestine and the subsequent malnourishment. Individuals must take responsibility for their healthcare and trust their instincts even if their doctor cannot determine the cause of their ailment.

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Great points @boogirl and @nicole14. Thanks for sharing this advice about celiac and the pitfalls of self-diagnosis. @DKFusion posed a question a while back about how long to do the gluten-free challenge https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/was-my-gluten-challenge-too-short-my-daughter-tested-very-positive-for/ We took that question to Dr. Joseph Murray, a gastroenterologist and celiac disease expert at Mayo Clinic. He responded by video.

@nicole14 what are some of the residual side effects from the constant damaging of my intestine and the subsequent malnourishment that you have to deal with?

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I also woke up one day with a bloated stomach. I'm 66 and looked like I was 9 months pregnant. My GP couldn't figure what was wrong so I went to a Gastro doctor. She also couldn't figure it out. I started having trouble breathing. I saw another doctor who said I had asthma and treated me for 3 months. One morning I passed out and my son took me to the emergency room where I underwent a lot of tests. The last test was a chest x ray which showed my stomach had traveled through a very large hiatial hernia and it was in my chest. It was behind my heart and leaning on my lung. I had surgery to put my stomach where it belonged but my vagus nerve was damaged during the surgery.. My digestive system no longer works. In the past year I have lost 50 lbs. I've been treated for many infections with a lot of antibiotics I've seen many specialists and I have tried many medicines. I have gastroparesis. I've tried all the diets, but I'm forced to wear depends. One good thing is I don't ever get hungry. I have nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain. If anyone has found something that worked for them please let me know. Thanks

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Welcome to Connect @citygirlannie. Nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain - these are symptoms that can be almost anything, can't they? @lilmama93 was just writing about similar symptoms that have just started for her and is seeking a diagnosis https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/having-troubles/

@luladavis @gloriaeb @uneeq1 @upnorthnancy any thoughts to add?

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When I was 18 about four years ago, every time I ate, I get excessive bloating. I have exercised my belly but it shows no results. I am not on any diet. I have tried drinking a lot of water but it just makes me feel more bloated. I experience pain in my pancreas. I went to my GP and he said I have gas bubbles and he prescribes me meds but they have no effect. I do have allergies to most fruits so I cannot go on any fruit diet. I also experience constipation. I have tried many laxatives but none of them work. I go about once or twice a week. Recently I went to the nose throat and ear doctor and he said I have a lot of acid reflux which could be associated to a pain in my throat. This has been going on for four years but to no avail. I am wondering if anyone has experience any symptoms similar to mine. Please let me know. I am suffering everyday and I want it to go away.

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