Stomach Bloating

[kpm2319]

Hi everybody. I've been gluten-free for over 2 years yet I still have the 'puffy' stomach. I have constant stomach bloating which never goes away. It gets worse after I eat. I was diagnosed with bacterial overgrowth thru a lactulose breath test but antibiotics, probiotics and muscle relaxers didn't work. Neither did the SC diet which I tried for 3 months. A cat scan revealed nothing. I don't have any pain or bowel issues, just the bloating. The rest of my body is skinny but it looks like I have a beer belly(I don't drink). I've been seeing the same gastroenterologist for 6 months now to no avail. Does anyone know what could be wrong with me? Any advice is very appreciated!

P.S.: I also pee alot and I never really peed that much before. Sometimes I go once an hour. Could this be related to my bloating?

Thanks

Kevin

[Mtndog]

I've been having a problem with this too. But I'm female so I had an pelvic ultrasound yesterday.

Are you constipated? Could it be a medication you are on?

I pee a lot too! Like crazy. I think for me they are related- when I'm more bloated I pee more.

[ang1e0251]

Have you had a clean Pap smear this year? You want to rule out cervical problems.

[Mtndog]

I'm waiting on my results.

Kevin- I dont think you have to worry about yours Actually when I first started responding to you, I thought you were a woman then looked back at your post and erased a bunch of stuff

Have you had your thyroid checked? A friend of mine had a huge belly on her stick figure when her thyroid became overactive (hyperthyroid).

[kpm2319]

I'm waiting on my results.

Kevin- I dont think you have to worry about yours Actually when I first started responding to you, I thought you were a woman then looked back at your post and erased a bunch of stuff

Have you had your thyroid checked? A friend of mine had a huge belly on her stick figure when her thyroid became overactive (hyperthyroid).

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Thanks for responding. I had blood tests that did not indicate any thyroid problems. I'm at my wits end about this though!! I wish they could just solve it.

[kpm2319]

Have you had a clean Pap smear this year? You want to rule out cervical problems.

Thanks for responding. What's a Pap smear? I'll definitely look into it.

[ang1e0251]

I'm really sorry, Kevin. I didn't realize you are male. A Pap smear is a test for cervical cancer but males don't need to worry about that!

I wonder if dairy can do it or sugar if you have bacterial overgrowth. That's a head scratcher.

[Kim Hopkins]

Kevin,

Does your gastro ask you to keep a food diary and bring it in to review together? Bloating can be a sign of so many things...hidden food sensitivities, dysbiosis in the gut, thyroid problems... A detailed food diary review could help provide answers. Regarding the probiotics, some people find that they need to take a really high dose before they see results, and they need to make sure they are taking one that has enough live helpful bacteria in it. There are many on the market that are worthless. Probiotics have helped many people that I know (including myself), in addition to the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (which helps with regulating gut bacteria). The book Gut & Psychology Syndrome is great - it discusses this in depth.

Best of luck,

Kim

[Mtndog]

Also, a yeast problem can cause that kind of bloating. I had one while on long-term antibiotics and had to have it treated. Your doctor can do a blood test or you can take a good probiotic. I take PB8- I get it at Whole Foods for about $25. If you can't find it near you here's a link Open Original Shared Link.

It may make you more bloated at first but that goes away.

[FMcGee]

This is what I love about this website. I am having this problem too, read these posts, called my doctor, and he can get me in on Monday! I would have had no idea what questions to ask, and now I do. Thanks so much to all of you!

[kpm2319]

Kevin,

Does your gastro ask you to keep a food diary and bring it in to review together? Bloating can be a sign of so many things...hidden food sensitivities, dysbiosis in the gut, thyroid problems... A detailed food diary review could help provide answers. Regarding the probiotics, some people find that they need to take a really high dose before they see results, and they need to make sure they are taking one that has enough live helpful bacteria in it. There are many on the market that are worthless. Probiotics have helped many people that I know (including myself), in addition to the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (which helps with regulating gut bacteria). The book Gut & Psychology Syndrome is great - it discusses this in depth.

Best of luck,

Kim

Hi Kim, thanks for responding. No, he doesn't ask me to keep a diary. I've been taking VSL#3 probiotics(225 billion live lactic acid per serving) for about 2 months now with no results. I'll look into that book. Thanks so much!!

[kpm2319]

I'm really sorry, Kevin. I didn't realize you are male. A Pap smear is a test for cervical cancer but males don't need to worry about that!

I wonder if dairy can do it or sugar if you have bacterial overgrowth. That's a head scratcher.

Thats ok, I appreciate your response. I've been scratching my head forever on this one!!

[kpm2319]

Also, a yeast problem can cause that kind of bloating. I had one while on long-term antibiotics and had to have it treated. Your doctor can do a blood test or you can take a good probiotic. I take PB8- I get it at Whole Foods for about $25. If you can't find it near you here's a link Open Original Shared Link.

It may make you more bloated at first but that goes away.

Hi Beverly, how long did it take for your bloating to subside with the probiotics? I take VSL#3 probiotics(225 billion live lactic acid per capsule). I've been taking them for about 2 months now and still no results. I get them behind the counter at the Walgreens pharmacy. $60 for 60 capsules!!

[ravenwoodglass]

Many of the probiotics have dairy ingredients. If you are sensitive to dairy that may be an issue. One form of good probiotic bacteria that is dairy free is saurkraut. If you like it you may want to try that instead for a bit and see if it helps.

[byebyegluten]

you might want to do an elimination and see if you have other food sensitivities- i had a similar issue start after cutting out gluten.... first dairy, then soy. now rice and corn are having similar probs, but it's easier to tell now what foods are causing issues. good luck!

[MedicalMystery]

Have you been tested for Interstitial Cystitis? You're probably scratching your head right now, and thinking, "What is that?" I was like that too, when I found out last fall that that's what I had. You have frequent urination. Do you have a burning sensation when you're going to the bathroom, or a constant pain near your bladder? Do you have to get up once or twice in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom? Do you sometimes go TWICE within an hour, whether you drank a lot or not? If you do, you might also Interstitial Cystitis, which is a medical condition for which your bladder has a chronic infection. If you have a UTI test, they will most likely come back negative (Out of three, only ONE came back positive). Ask your doctor to refer you to a urologist if you have one or more of these symptoms. Ask them to give you a test specifically for Interstitial Cystitis. Like everyone else here, I also have the stomach bloating, in fact, it's HORRIBLE right now. Trying to get comfortable!