Help! Excessive Bloating! Can anyone relate??

Digestive health
1

Hello!

I have never written in a health forum before but I am willing to look anywhere for help. I have always had a tricky stomach–constipation and especially gas. But when I turned 30 everything seemed to get worse. I saw one GI in early 2020 and was officially diagnosed wit IBS. Over the summer I even lost weight because I was so bloated and crampy I wasn’t hungry. Since then I have had exams and blood work–all of which come back clean.

I am currently taking Linzess to help with the constipation and bloating–and it has. But, my bigger problem is this gas; even when my stomach does not feel or look bloated…I have this terrible gas. I am talking I can feel the bubbles in my stomach; sometimes even before I have eaten anything. I am on a Low Fod Diet, take Gas-X, avoid carbonated foods and gum. Yet, nothing seems to help.

My doctor says the next step would be an endoscopy and colonoscopy–even though nothing appears to be wrong. She says we can do it but it is a “soft call” and would be more for peace of mind. I am just wondering if anyone out there has experienced anything like this?

thank you for any insights in advance!
Brittany

2

hi Brittany, i am no expert but i was first diagnosed with ibs before being correctly diagnosed as coeliac a couple of years back. i take it you live in the U.S? i have never heard of these medications! o think when i was originally diagnosed it was with constipation and bloating. i take a simple medication for gas as you call it. we have something called gaviscon, i can take 3 lots of it per day and at night before i go to bed. it gathers all the bubbles together and releases them as gas. who recommended gum? that will fill your stomach with gas. please stop it tgen the gas will stop being as bad. try the name gaviscon to your pharmacist see what they say. good luck feeling like this is not fun! x

3

Brittany, have you ever tried doing an exclusion diet?. The most likely culprits for your problems are either wheat/ gluten or even more likely, lactose intolerance ie all dairy products. Try cutting out each, separately for 2 weeks and see if things improve.