The "pregnant" Bloat

[Guest Pixi]

Ok, so I've tried researching this and I just get impatient, frustrated, and give up.

I have read many accounts of Celiacs who experience a bloating after eating (even the smallest thing) so severe, it looks like they're 7 months pregnant! I have this problem. The thing is, I've been gluten-free for about 5 or 6 weeks and the issue hasn't resolved itself :/

Do you think I have another allergy as well? Or is there something specific, unrelated to food, that might cause this?

Any possible cure/solution?!

I really want to wear a bikini this year!! I'm a relatively thin/average size, so when this belly pops out, people seriously think I'm expecting! HELLLPPP??

Thank you <3

[erin24]

Pixi - I am in the same boat as you but I have yet to go off gluten b/c of my endo tomorrow. I know how you feel about the stomach sticking out and dreading getting into a bikini this year. Hopefully, someone will reply. If you find anything out please let me know.

[mmaccartney]

I've been gluten-free for 10 months now, and I've just noticed that I'm starting to bloat out after almost every meal......at first I thought I was finally gaining some weight, but no such luck the scale doesn't lie!!!

...noone will think I'm pregnant though....I did have a dream I was pregnant when I was a child...

sorry, no advice though....just chiming in as another one having this problem..

[cornbread]

I am/was in exactly the same boat (or should that be bloat ). I was reacting to almost everything I ate, bloating out and sometimes getting stomach pains too. My Dr. is sure I have a leaky gut (just to make sure, I did a test and will get the results next week). I've just started the Specific Carbohydrate Diet to get all this fixed once and for all. Within 2 days, bloat gone, stomach pains gone. It will be a long process to be properly healed, but I think we need to concentrate on getting our gut flora back into balance if we want to stop getting more and more reactions to more and more foods, otherwise, where does it end?

You may also be reacting to other things like casein, soy, etc. I was, and removing those foods (and others) helped, but it got to the stage where I was bloating just from eating anything.

[Mo92109]

Oh man - me too. Sometimes I get so bloated it hurts - I swear I am bruised on the inside. I have to wear low rise jeans or an elastic band skirt most of the time (with big tops) I an pretty skinny too so I am sure it's a matter of time when someone asks when I am due.

I have no explaination, though. I have been gluten-free for over a year. I have just begun to keep a foor diary complete with symptoms after each thing I eat and I see a Drr. who knows about Celiac (a first for me) in a few weeks. I was never diagnosed, just told I was wheat intolerant, but since being gluten-free, I feel toons better and now, I am SUPER DUPER sensitive. Used to be I would eat gluten and maybe have a reaction, maybe not, now if I have a crumb, watch out. All of this is too weird. I am over it.

I hope someone who knows more responds too

[cornbread]

Sorry, I thought my answer was helpful!

Here's a more straightforward version... This is what I have learned based on 12 months of bloating, post-gluten-free diet. Hopefully it will save you all the same:

1. Get tested for other IgA food intolerances. Open Original Shared Link is a very good place to start

2. Get tested for leaky gut. Open Original Shared Link

3. Consider trying the Specific Carbohydrate Diet.

Good intro: Open Original Shared Link

Official site: Open Original Shared Link

[Guest Pixi]

Sorry, I thought my answer was helpful!

Here's a more straightforward version... This is what I have learned based on 12 months of bloating, post-gluten-free diet. Hopefully it will save you all the same:

1. Get tested for other IgA food intolerances. Open Original Shared Link is a very good place to start

2. Get tested for leaky gut. Open Original Shared Link

3. Consider trying the Specific Carbohydrate Diet.

Good intro: Open Original Shared Link

Official site: Open Original Shared Link

Thank you very much for this info. I had heard about this condition (leaky gut) a few years ago and rolled it around in my mind.. never followed up on it. I'm certainly going to now.. I want to be better!!!

I am reading about the specific carb diet right now, too...

Thank you again.

[mortamer]

Pixi - I am in the same boat as you but I have yet to go off gluten b/c of my endo tomorrow. I know how you feel about the stomach sticking out and dreading getting into a bikini this year. Hopefully, someone will reply. If you find anything out please let me know.

I have been gluten free for 2 months now. It seems the longer I'm "free" the worse I feel. Pain that will fold you over and cause you to breath different. My tummy gets huge!!! I have hyPERthyroid and weigh 107, but yet my tummy gets to be 42in. around. I am having a ton of female problems so I'm not sure what my problem really is. I used to be VERY reg. almost down to the time that I was going to get it. Now it has been 6 months and I really haven't had a "real" period. I spot and that's about all. There's no rhyme or reason to getting my period. I spot when I shouldn't and do nothing when I should. Things are very odd now!! I was checked for uterin cancer that came back neg. But I know nothing else.

[tarnalberry]

That is a very common symptom of lactose intolerance.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

I have been gluten free for 2 months now. It seems the longer I'm "free" the worse I feel. Pain that will fold you over and cause you to breath different. My tummy gets huge!!! I have hyPERthyroid and weigh 107, but yet my tummy gets to be 42in. around. I am having a ton of female problems so I'm not sure what my problem really is. I used to be VERY reg. almost down to the time that I was going to get it. Now it has been 6 months and I really haven't had a "real" period. I spot and that's about all. There's no rhyme or reason to getting my period. I spot when I shouldn't and do nothing when I should. Things are very odd now!! I was checked for uterin cancer that came back neg. But I know nothing else.

You might also want to check for polycystic ovarian syndrome.

About the pregnancy bloat--mine disappeared when I went off gluten--BUT, when I started adding in gluten-free breads, pastas, and pancakes, it came right back! I don't know if it was the yeast, or if my body was so fooled by the products that it reacted anyway! Either way, though, I decided that gluten-free bread substitutes aren't worth it (except for the occasional pancake), so I'm not buying them anymore (and boy, there were expen$ive!).

[Guest cassidy]

There are so many things that can cause bloating that it is tough to figure out. I too had this problem even after going gluten-free. My doctor ordered a stool test can it came back with all sorts of nasty stuff. I had no good bacteria, a bad bacteria, an amoeba and candida overgrowth. I just finished two antibiotics and I'm starting the candida treatment. The bloating is much better. I can finally tell that I have a flat stomach! I had no idea that so much was wrong with me because I was happy to not get glutened, I'm not sure if I really know what feeling good feels like.

My guess is that there is still something else going on with you. I would try probiotics and digestive enzymes at the least, and if you have a good doctor maybe get a complete stool test to see if anything else is wrong. My test was from www.doctorsdata.com. I had the 3 day complete stool test with parasitology.

[GlutenFreeAl]

I recently discovered nuts to be a source of bloating for me...

[JodiC]

I am/was in exactly the same boat (or should that be bloat ). I was reacting to almost everything I ate, bloating out and sometimes getting stomach pains too. My Dr. is sure I have a leaky gut (just to make sure, I did a test and will get the results next week). I've just started the Specific Carbohydrate Diet to get all this fixed once and for all. Within 2 days, bloat gone, stomach pains gone. It will be a long process to be properly healed, but I think we need to concentrate on getting our gut flora back into balance if we want to stop getting more and more reactions to more and more foods, otherwise, where does it end?

You may also be reacting to other things like casein, soy, etc. I was, and removing those foods (and others) helped, but it got to the stage where I was bloating just from eating anything.

Speaking of Flora, Shaklee makes an Optiflora supplement that works for the bloat. This is all you need to get the good bacteria back. Also try taking enzymes.

[Guest Pixi]

Interesting, mortamer.. I am having the same female issues. The spotting was scant.. and now I just have nothing.. no period at all. It's so bizzarre.

I know I was told I had a "borderline thyroid" but it was never looked into further or discussed.. so I don't know what that really meant.. the doc said, ultimately, it was fine.

[gabrielle]

Speaking of Flora, Shaklee makes an Optiflora supplement that works for the bloat. This is all you need to get the good bacteria back. Also try taking enzymes.

I get the pregnant bloat sometimes too... not always. But this may be a stupid question- What is gut flora? And what kinds of things should you take to fix your belly- where do you find these things? I'm sorry if that's a dumb question, I am still learning so much.

[JodiC]

I get the pregnant bloat sometimes too... not always. But this may be a stupid question- What is gut flora? And what kinds of things should you take to fix your belly- where do you find these things? I'm sorry if that's a dumb question, I am still learning so much.

There are no dumb questions. Gut flora is what you need to keep candida (yeast) in check. They are acidopholus, bifidus and lactobillis. You can either supplement with these or eat yogurt. I recommend supplements. You need to make sure the microrganisms are live cultured. When the intestinal flora is out of wack with bad bacteria the good bacteria cannot thrive and do its job. By taking these steps you can bring back the balance within a matter of weeks. Check out the magazine "First" They have an article about this on page 22. They talk about enzymes, fiber, fruits and veggies. When you take antibiotics, yeast is able to thrive because the drug kills the good bacteria. When this happens you end up with D or a yeast infection. Some are plagued with zits on the chin and others have weight gain (me) and hair loss. Anyone with digestive problems need these important supplements. I recommend doing as much research as possible. Knowledge is power.