Bloated Belly

[lovetoeat]

Shortly after I eat, my stomach swells up immediately. Does anyone know if this could be related to gluten or not? I got see my GI doc tomorrow for the second time.

Thanks

[Guest Viola]

It could be related to gluten .. If you feel sure you have been gluten free there are other things that cause bloating. Dairy will, as will Magnesium if you are taking your Calcium with Magnesium it may be a side effect. If you are taking antacids .. some are not gluten free, and some work by being a laxative which will cause bloating and Diarrea.

[tarnalberry]

Shortly after I eat, my stomach swells up immediately. Does anyone know if this could be related to gluten or not? I got see my GI doc tomorrow for the second time.

Thanks

Yes, it could well be related to gluten if this happens after eating foods that contain gluten. It can also be a sign of lactose intolerance, if it's happening after consuming dairy. Depending on how much it swells up, it may be normal - a small amount of "growing belly" after eating *is* normal, although it can look pronounced in shorter or thinner people. But it can be a sign of a number of things, so good job getting back in to the doctor.

Do you experience any other symptoms?

[lovetoeat]

Hi there,

Thank you so much for responding to my posting

I had an abdominal ultrasound and a hida scan done in the past week and they both came back normal (I guess that is good, but I wish I knew what was causing this discomfort)

I ate a very small piece of chocolate silk pie with my lunch which was little too and suddenly my stomach bloated up and I had a lot of gas. It does this no matter what I eat. The other day I had half a peanut butter sandwich and it happened then too and it went through me then as well. I also get really tired/fatigued after I eat sugary/carby foods too. I am only 33 and I was just recently diagnosed with osteoarthritis. My legs are always dry and itch a lot and so do my arms from time to time.

My doctor did a Celiac Panel on me and the IGG came back high (29) 0-19 I guess is normal. I don't feel this was a true lab test because I was fasting before they took my blood (other then the fact, that once I found out he was testing me for that, I scarfed down a muffin before having it drawn...l don't know what I was thinking...like my body is going to process a muffin in 5 minutes)

I am also experiencing upper right quadrant pain by my ribcage. Ugh!

So, now I go back to him tomorrow to discuss my lab work, etc. and to see what the next plan of action is going to be. Any suggestions on what I should request??

Thanks again

Becca

[darkangel]

Abdominal bloating immediately after you eat - or even before you finish eating - is a sign of dysbiosis... a lack of good bacteria in your gut and an overgrowth of bad. I've seen it explained best this way:

If you can say that you have gas and/or bloating and/or burping and/or stomach

discomfort (any or all of these symptoms) occurring within 30-45 minutes after beginning

a meal and, in some people, before they leave the table, you have an anaerobic

bacterial problem that must be resolved. These organisms live on sugar, not oxygen. Any time you eat something other than an animal product, a fat, oil or butter, meaning that you would be eating carbohydrates that all break down into sugar, these organisms love you and repay you for your kindness feeding them with discomfort, burping, pain, gas and bloating.

Dysbiosis happens when we take broad spectrum antibiotics which kill off the good as well as the bad bacteria. Other things that contribute: diet high in carbs and sugar, birth control pills, alcohol consumption, and - of course - eating substances the body can't properly digest - like gluten. The key is getting the body back in balance... killing off the bad bugs and reestablishing the good flora. Check out Open Original Shared Link where I found the above quote and some good information about getting things under control again.

[tarnalberry]

My doctor did a Celiac Panel on me and the IGG came back high (29) 0-19 I guess is normal. I don't feel this was a true lab test because I was fasting before they took my blood

It's fine if you were only fasting the one day, but it does mean that you should avoid gluten.

[lovetoeat]

Well, I saw my GI doc today and after listening to my symptoms, he wants to now do an endoscopy and a colonoscopy next week....

Not too crazy about this, but if it helps diagnose the problem, then I will do it.

There was a weird thing that happened while I was waiting to see him today. I ate lunch before going to see him and while waiting in the waiting area, my left arm suddenly started hurting/aching and my left hand started to tingle. I told him this and I think this may have been his majore deciding factor to do some more testing. Has anyone had this happen before? It kind of freaked me out I also got very nauseated too. I just wish I knew what was going on.

Thanks

[darkangel]

I ate lunch before going to see him and while waiting in the waiting area, my left arm suddenly started hurting/aching and my left hand started to tingle. I told him this and I think this may have been his majore deciding factor to do some more testing. Has anyone had this happen before? It kind of freaked me out I also got very nauseated too.

Not to frighten you, but pain and numbness or tingling in the left arm can be a sign of heart problems. Nausea, too.

Some heart attacks are sudden and intense — the "movie heart attack," where no one doubts what's happening. But most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Often people affected aren't sure what's wrong and wait too long before getting help. Here are signs that can mean a heart attack is happening:

- Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.

- Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.

- Shortness of breath. May occur with or without chest discomfort.

- Other signs: These may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness

As with men, women's most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain.

Source: Open Original Shared Link

It may be nothing, but it's sure worth checking out. What did the doctor say when you told him about it?

[lovetoeat]

Thanks for your reply

That is kind of what I was thinking too. I did tell him my symptoms and told him it only happens after eating occasionally. I think that gave him the major deciding factor to do the endoscopy and colonoscopy, but who knows

I think he may be looking to confirm Celiac Disease with these symptoms??