Distended Belly While gluten-free

[ShannonA]

Well the last couple of weeks I've noticed when I eat watermelon my abdomen blows up to make me look 8 months pregnant. I haven't figured out if it does with the bananas and apples, those are the only fruit I am eating at this point. I am now on week 9 of homemade soup diet with veggies. I started the GAPS diet but have never been able to move on to new foods, I react with horrible symptoms. Last week I tested Ghee on my wrist and I broke out in an itchy rash so no ghee for me. I am skin and bones bc I was not big to begin with and then when my belly blows up it looks even bigger due to my size. I tried a childrens probiotic by Nature Sunshine and had a headache all day which led to a migraine. So probiotics are out. Anyone know what could be going on? I have been eating these fruits forever and just now having distention, it's so uncomfortable. If I get off of fruits my only nutrition is veggies and chicken and duck.

[shadowicewolf]

If its making you unconfertable, go off it for a while. yes, it will limit your diet even more, but is it worth the tummy troubles?

[ShannonA]

If its making you unconfertable, go off it for a while. yes, it will limit your diet even more, but is it worth the tummy troubles?

yes I will, I was just curious if this happened to anyone else after 4 months gluten free.

[1desperateladysaved]

I have been gluten free for 6 months and have just been noticing that sometimes my abdomen isn't distended. I think it had been distended all of the time, but now sometimes it isn't. I guess it is possible that you have the same. Mine is so hard to measure objectively, but it looks different.

[Jackson]

My bloating went on for years just as my DH did. Finally 3 years ago I was having a good non-bloated day and made some popcorn for my grandson and while we were eating it my wife noticed I was swelling up. From that point on I went corn free as well as gluten free and really started to feel better. I still battle DH and have been on the low iodine and low sal diet for 6 months and the DH isn't as bad. I'll take the little victories!!!

[RiceGuy]

All probiotics are not created equal. It is entirely possible that there is an ingredient in the one you tried which bothered you, and that another product would be fine. Just make certain of the ingredients. There are so many to choose from. Many do contain dairy.

I've found digestive enzymes helpful for the balloon belly, although it hasn't solved it.

[archaeo in FL]

It sounds like you may have fructose malabsorption - talk to your GI or primary about a test for that (it should be simple, and non-invasive). If that's the problem (or part of it), there are a lot of things you can do - eat different fruits (different ones have different levels of fructose), prepare for it (if I know I'm going to eat an apple, I also know to be outside - I get big, then gassy!), and explore your options.