Bloating

[marciab]

I've finally tracked mine down to peanut butter. I didn't want to admit it because I love it, but this last time was really bad. After only 2 days without eating it though, it's gone. Definitely not worth it.

So, I would suggest the elimination diet too. Marcia

[burdee]

This won't help you with finding the answer, but it may help relieve your symptoms a little... when I'm bloated (which is a fair amount of the time) I find that apple cider vinegar tablets relieve the symptoms a little. I found myself taking them often enough that I just added them to my morning and evening vitamin routine.

I wish you luck. Even though it sucks to go off all dairy, I would give that a shot.

Jonathon Wright, MD in "Why Stomach Acid is Good for You" suggests that people with gas, bloating and indigestion after eating should try a few tablespoons of apple cider in water after a meal. If that improves digestion, he says they might need more stomach acid. Few people have too much stomach acid, but many have too little stomach acid. Anyone who every took acid blockers may now have severely low stomach acid, which causes bloating and gas after eating.

Like most others in this thread I continued to suffer bloating after eating ANYTHING, even after I eliminated gluten, dairy and soy (allergies indicated by Enterolab test results) and then egg and cane sugar (allergies indicated by ELISA test results). My naturopath thought treating me for bacterial dysbiosis (I had too much bad bacteria and not enough good bacteria) would eliminate the bloat. After killing off Klebsiella and 'reseeding' my gut with probiotics I STILL had bloating and gas after every meal. I had been taking digestive enzymes for awhile, but those didn't eliminate the bloat. I finally decided to try digestive enzymes with betaine hydrochloride after reading "Why Stomach Acid Is Good for You" by Jonathon Wright, MD. Betaine HCl not only eliminated the post meal bloating, but resolved my life long irregularity problem (despite eating lots of fiber, drinking lots of fluids and taking magnesium).

If anyone continues to suffer bloating after eliminating gluten, consider in this order:

(1) Other food allergies (I suggest the ELISA blood test, rather than guessing with elimination diets);

(2) Bacterial or fungus overgrowth (someone in this thread mentioned Candida) which can be diagnosed with a comprehensive stool bacteria and yeast test;

(3) Taking high dose probiotics (after getting rid of excess bad bacteria or fungus), esp. freeze dried products with 100-200 live organisms per dose (which will also cause gas while you take them); and

(4) Digestive enzymes with betaine hydrochloride.

There are several products designed to assist digestion of beans. I've tried Beano and ExcuseMe. Both are effective, but Beano now contains Mannitol, to which I react with cramping and bloating, just like I react to sorbitol.

BURDEE

[hafadai43]

I go to the doctor this Wednesday to get a bone density scan and to check up with my doctor on everything (recent blood tests, adding phosphorus and LOTS of iron in supplument form, etc.). I will be talking to her more about the bloating. I will bring up some of the suggestions all of you gave me, so thank you! I'm going to ask to be tested for at least dairy, corn, and soy allergies. It stinks when you take such good care of yourself and you still feel like poo. I think God gives Celiac Disease to all the strong people It takes a lot of patience and strength and will to get through every day life at times.

This morning I woke up and felt wonderful! I got up even though my son hadn't woken me up yet and I exercised. It felt great. I took all of my supplements, went shopping with my son, went to the park, and when I came home, still feeling pretty good, I laid my son down for a nap and began making my first meal of the day. (With my iron supplements, I have to wait at least an hour to eat). I had bean salad wraps consisting of corn tortillas, black beans, a red pepper, hellmann's mayo (it's gluten free! I called), lime juice and lettuce. It tasted wonderful and very soon after....DUM DUM DUUUMMMMM! (Doom-souding music there) I got bloated. There goes a good chunk of my good feeling. I know I shouldn't get so down about it...but it's incredibly frustrating. I have trained myself over the years to keep my stomach flexed at all times to make it much less noticeable...so I have great ab muscles...but sometimes I just want to let go and not look pregnant. I know you all can understand, and I am sorry you go through it as well.

So many uncertainties when dealing with one's gut. So many exceptions to every single rule. You try to deal, but can never live a "normal" life again. The difficult search to cure the bloating, upset stomach, etc. is well worth the effort if it helps us live a better life.

[CMCM]

I bloat from soy even though I did not test as sensitive to soy. Even gluten free soy sauce makes me bloated and ill. I just avoid soy as much as I can. Cheese could bloat you up....it does me if I have very much. Ultimately, if you are bloating up I'd say you've got some other intolerances going on. I found with myself that I'm sugar/carb sensitive, and I have a terrible problem with the various gluten free goodies out there....I occasionally have them, but not much at a time, and not often. What I had to do was really get down to a basic diet....which for me was meat/fish/eggs/green veggies. I do fine with just those things. Then start adding things in one at a time and see what affects you. I also have observed that certain combinations can affect me, too, whereas eaten alone the two foods might be OK.n This stuff is really tricky!