Extremely Bloated After Eating

[moggio]

Hi

I've now been gluten free for almost three months and my appetite has been ravenous since day one(I guess thats good)but I've been extremely bloated in the evenings and my belly has been feeling really huge and gross the last two weeks. I'm pretty sure that I'm not getting any gluten from somewhere.

What's going on? Shouldn't my guts be pretty healed by now so they could absorb and digest food? I know that its normal to be bloated in the beginning but still after three months? It feels like my guts can't handle the food but still want more.

Did anyone else feel like this?

I think its only air in there and it gets worse if I eat beans and it gets better after I've had a walk.

//Gabriel

[ravenwoodglass]

Are you eating mostly whole unprocessed naturally gluten free foods? If not you may want to do so for a while. If your still consuming dairy it is best to drop that for now. Until you heal you may be lactose intolerant. In addition soy is sometimes an issue for us. So drop the dairy and soy for now and see if that helps.

[CGCaliGirl]

I've only been strict gluten-free for one month and the others around here know a lot more than I do, but I just wanted to say that YES, I get this too. Right now in fact. I'm fairly certain I haven't been CCd, but yet I've been very constipated for the last 2 days, VERY bloated and also still hungry. It's a catch 22 - I don't want to cram more stuff in there but know that I need to eat. I don't know why you are experiencing it too and I'm sorry I don't have information, but I just wanted to let you know there is someone here who shares your pain.

[moggio]

Are you eating mostly whole unprocessed naturally gluten free foods? If not you may want to do so for a while. If your still consuming dairy it is best to drop that for now. Until you heal you may be lactose intolerant. In addition soy is sometimes an issue for us. So drop the dairy and soy for now and see if that helps.

Hi ravenwoodglass and thanks for your reply.

I'm actually eating whole unprocessed gluten free foods and I've been doing that the whole time. I did try gluten free bread two times...in december.

I haven't had any dairy or soy since 19th of november so that can't be the problem either....so I don't know why I'm feeling like a balloon.

[moggio]

I've only been strict gluten-free for one month and the others around here know a lot more than I do, but I just wanted to say that YES, I get this too. Right now in fact. I'm fairly certain I haven't been CCd, but yet I've been very constipated for the last 2 days, VERY bloated and also still hungry. It's a catch 22 - I don't want to cram more stuff in there but know that I need to eat. I don't know why you are experiencing it too and I'm sorry I don't have information, but I just wanted to let you know there is someone here who shares your pain.

Oh how sweet of you! I really like the people in these forums!

Yes it sounds exactly like the way I feel right now. It feels better when I'm on my couch with my laptop on my belly! I don't have a lot of time to eat on my job so I make up for that when I'm getting home I think...

I've been a bit constipated too but its getting better...the bloating is not getting much better tho'

[mushroom]

Do you have normal passage of stool? (Sorry to get personal ) It is possible that your food is backing up a bit and not digesting well because of lack of enzymes. Gluten can cause our pancreas to go on vacation for a while and without the digestive enzymes it produces, food will ferment rather than digest, and put out a lot of gas. I have personally found digestive enzymes to be very helpful and still take them, in fact.

[moggio]

Do you have normal passage of stool? (Sorry to get personal ) It is possible that your food is backing up a bit and not digesting well because of lack of enzymes. Gluten can cause our pancreas to go on vacation for a while and without the digestive enzymes it produces, food will ferment rather than digest, and put out a lot of gas. I have personally found digestive enzymes to be very helpful and still take them, in fact.

Hi mushroom!

No you're not too personal its ok with me

I'm a bit constipated or "slow" in my stomach...for lack of a better term. I'm having bowel movements everyday tho'.

I haven't tried digestive enzymes yet! Do you recommend them strongly? My doctor didn't say anything about digestive enzymes but I wasn't that bloated then but I didn't eat as much as now either.

[mushroom]

Hi mushroom!

No you're not too personal its ok with me

I'm a bit constipated or "slow" in my stomach...for lack of a better term. I'm having bowel movements everyday tho'.

I haven't tried digestive enzymes yet! Do you recommend them strongly? My doctor didn't say anything about digestive enzymes but I wasn't that bloated then but I didn't eat as much as now either.

Well, it depends a great deal on your personal situation, If your stool is otherwise normal and the food looks well digested (just a little slow moving) they may not help you much. Have you tried Gas-X? Not the chewable kind (which have gluten) but the little green capsules. I have had some relief from those too.

[CGCaliGirl]

Well, it depends a great deal on your personal situation, If your stool is otherwise normal and the food looks well digested (just a little slow moving) they may not help you much. Have you tried Gas-X? Not the chewable kind (which have gluten) but the little green capsules. I have had some relief from those too.

OMG the chewable ones have gluten???? I've been eating TONS of those the last few days! I read the label and thought it was safe, but I'm so new to this, I must have been wrong. OMG! I was JUST going to take more too! Thank you thank you thank you!

[CarolinaKip]

Hi

I've now been gluten free for almost three months and my appetite has been ravenous since day one(I guess thats good)but I've been extremely bloated in the evenings and my belly has been feeling really huge and gross the last two weeks. I'm pretty sure that I'm not getting any gluten from somewhere.

What's going on? Shouldn't my guts be pretty healed by now so they could absorb and digest food? I know that its normal to be bloated in the beginning but still after three months? It feels like my guts can't handle the food but still want more.

Did anyone else feel like this?

I think its only air in there and it gets worse if I eat beans and it gets better after I've had a walk.

//Gabriel

Try corn free for a few days and see if that helps. I bloat some now, but when I eat corn products it's awful. I was told you START to heal 6 months into a year in gluten-free. It takes time. CC is a big issue if you still have gluten eaters in your home.

[mushroom]

OMG the chewable ones have gluten???? I've been eating TONS of those the last few days! I read the label and thought it was safe, but I'm so new to this, I must have been wrong. OMG! I was JUST going to take more too! Thank you thank you thank you!

Now I have never verified this myself but I used to chew them too and had the same reaction you did to the gluten news when it was posted here on the forum!! I just switched to the gelcaps (I need a magnifying glass for most labels anyway )

[Cypressmyst]

I used to get mega bloated after almost every meal. Turns out is was a bacterial infection called Vibrio at the heart of it. Also made me crave salt and sugar.

You may want to find a competent Doctor to do a stool analysis and make sure this isn't your issue. From what I understand many folks with gluten issues have secondary infections.

I had H-pylori and Vibrio

My friend had a parasite and a bacterial infection (Can't remember the names).

My husband was fine, but he had no digestive complaints other than heart burn.

[Takala]

You need to rinse beans out of the can really well to get rid of the hard to digest starch, before cooking or eating.

If you cook dried beans, you should rinse them after soaking in water, before cooking.

Also, some of the other gluten free starches can make people bloat up, like tapioca. It's not a gluten reaction, per se, but still causes bloating.

[mushroom]

Okay, to summarize a bit here, since we've been coming at you from all directions:

1. You could still have some unknown source of gluten - meds (like the Gas-X) or scrips or supplements; personal care products; contaminated cookware and utensils, e.g.

2. It could be another food you are reacting to; I bloat from corn as much as from gluten.

3. You could need digestive enzymes.

4. We have eliminated soy, dairy, gluten free processed foods.

5. You could have small intestinal bacterial overgrowth - there are many of the bad bacteria in our guts that can get out of balance and take over: candida, c.diff., Vibrio (that's a new one to me). This will often happen after a course of antibiotics.

6. You could have picked up a parasite, something like giardia or probably something else because giardia (from experience) will give you mucho diarrhea.

And I will add No.7: You could benefit from take a probiotic (if you are not already doing so) to help promote healing.

Good luck with the sleuthing. Dr. Holmes.

[moggio]

Okay, to summarize a bit here, since we've been coming at you from all directions:

1. You could still have some unknown source of gluten - meds (like the Gas-X) or scrips or supplements; personal care products; contaminated cookware and utensils, e.g.

2. It could be another food you are reacting to; I bloat from corn as much as from gluten.

3. You could need digestive enzymes.

4. We have eliminated soy, dairy, gluten free processed foods.

5. You could have small intestinal bacterial overgrowth - there are many of the bad bacteria in our guts that can get out of balance and take over: candida, c.diff., Vibrio (that's a new one to me). This will often happen after a course of antibiotics.

6. You could have picked up a parasite, something like giardia or probably something else because giardia (from experience) will give you mucho diarrhea.

And I will add No.7: You could benefit from take a probiotic (if you are not already doing so) to help promote healing.

Good luck with the sleuthing. Dr. Holmes.

Thanks for all your replies!

I haven't been eating any corn and I cook only dried beans which I rinse. I haven't had any tapioca or other starch either in the past month and no antibiotics since 2005.I'm not taking any meds at all. I'm only eating whole foods.

I'm feeling better today and I didn't eat a lot of beans. I've just eaten a big meal so lets see if I'll get bloated again tonight.My stool look digested and they have been looking digested since going gluten free. Not before.

Yeah I might jave somekind of parasite but wouldn't that cause me diarreah or something? I'm just feeling bloated thats all. I guess some weird parasite might be lurking somewhere.

I've never tried Gas-X but I'll see if they have it here in Sweden. Might be called something else.

I hope I'm healing I wanna gain weight!! NOW

[moggio]

Try corn free for a few days and see if that helps. I bloat some now, but when I eat corn products it's awful. I was told you START to heal 6 months into a year in gluten-free. It takes time. CC is a big issue if you still have gluten eaters in your home.

I haven't had any corn in a long time and I live by myself so I'm not sharing any cookware with gluten eaters. That's good.

Ok so you have heard that you START to heal after six months?. Three more months to go if thats the case.

I left a blood sample a couple of weeks ago and they didn't find any gluten antibodies in it. I suppose thats a good thing.

[mushroom]

Gas-X is simethicone.

[catarific]

Since I have stopped eating gluten, I no longer get bloated after eating but that is because I now am moving my bowels every day. I have IBS Alternating. I used to be very constipated all the time - and then I would be very bloated. But once I gave up gluten - my entire system made a 360 degree turn. But I also seem to eat a lot less starch now - and I do think the more carbohydrates you eat - the chances for bloating increase. Try cutting down the breads and cookies - and instead have more protein and vegetables and you may see a big difference.

[Luddie]

Another parasite my doc tests for (I think mostly in his Celiac patients but I'm not sure) is strongyloides. He's had several patients come up positive. (Luckily I wasn't one of them!) There doesn't seem to be a lot of symptoms unless you're immunocompromised. Anyhow, I think the original clue came from an article out of Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston. It's worth asking about and perhaps your doctor can check out the reference. Unfortunately, I don't have it.

Luddie

[Cypressmyst]

Strongyloides! That was the one my friend had.

Vibrio made me bloated but no D. ? Not common but not unheard of either. I was always prone to C when I was younger...maybe the C&D canceled eachother out somehow?

You pick vibrio up from seafood or saltwater.

[HS7474]

I have major issues with gas and bloating. I'm pretty sure that I've tracked my issues down to sugar free gum. And as far as I can tell it's the sugar alcohols. I tolerate some better than others. Which leads me to believe that it may be another issue, but I definitely have gas and bloating when gum is involved. The sugar alcohols are the ingredients ending on -tol. Are you eating any sugar free foods, by chance?

And I'm horrified that Gas-X chewables has gluten! I thought that I had read that they don't. Those were supposed to be my go-to meds! Go figure