IBS bloating

Digestive health
1

Hi, I was diagnosed with IBS at the end of last year. I suffer with a severe cramps in my stomach and was prescribed antispasmodics. Since I've started taking them the cramps have reduced. I have also had a problem with bloating, usually in the evening and I understand this is pretty common.

However, I have had a very bloated stomach for 9 days now and I'm getting worried. My IBS is thought to be stress/anxiety linked as I could not find any food links. I have been referred for counselling and am waiting for the appointment to come through.

I exercise, swimming and running, about 5 times per week, I eat healthily, I don't drink fizzy drinks, fruit juice or caffeine. I don't smoke and I don't drink very much.

My stomach is making me utterly miserable. I can't wear any of my normal clothes as they are all too tight at the waist. I also feel really uncomfortable and constantly worry about needing the toilet. I don't know if 9 days is normal for bloating or if I should go back to the gp.? I don't want to waste both our time.

Has anyone else had bloating lasting this long and is there anything I can do to help reduce it? I have a reflexologist appointment for next week. I'm willing to try anything..

Thanks for reading.

2

Hi Joanne

I am disabled with COPD/stroke/heart attack and also have IBS. Over the past 2 years I have doubled my weight through inactivity, but have a bloated stomach all the time. It is depressing as, like you, I cannot wear my favourite clothes etc. and everything is tight, I feel uncomfortable and look about 10 months pregnant..!!

However, as you are active and eat healthily, I'd suggest going back to your GP. A few on this site recommend natural wheat and bran and also Aloe Vera Gel or Juice to make things regular and they have some success. I've started on the natural bran/sultana with banana and semi skimmed milk, which worked somewhat yesterday. Today I haven't yet had breakfast. I haven't yet tried the Aloe Vera Juice, as I am on so much medication for other things, think I might wait until I see my GP (I was advised this by Holland & Barrett where I bought it) I have also had two ultra sound scans which have shown nothing untoward. Sorry I can't help you more, but let's know how the reflexology goes.

Kind regards, Val.

3

Val, thanks for reading my suggestion and trying natural bran. I have recommended it to many sufferers, but none have persevered. Why not is a mystery to me. It is important to make it a daily priority. Your digestive system needs to settle into a new rhythm, instead of the stop-start nature of ibs. I am convinced that ibs is one of the consequences of a diet which is high in processed foods, and eating patterns which include skipping meals altogether, especially breakfast. So your system stops and starts, and as I undersand it, sometimes starts in reverse, causing bloating and pain. Bran provides the constant and reliable workload that your system is designed for. Good luck, and keep us posted.

4

Thanks Val. I will look into the things you have suggested and will let you know if the reflexology helps. Good luck to you.

5

Hi Peter,

I agree completely with what you are saying. If I skip meals, things become worse and I get gastric reflux which is extremely painful. So even though I have gone down with a bad sore throat, I am persevering with the bran, fruit (non citrus) and eating regular small meals of good quality food.

Regards, Val.

To Joanne, thanks for your reply and input. Regards, Val.

6

I have suffering from IBS for bout 3 years and having trying all sorts of medications and diets but to no avail . This time I have finally got cured in merely a span of bout 1 month...

7

Hi Dere Would you like to tell us how?

Regards, Val.

8

I took Unani medicine, they are herbal medications which fixed my GI disorder and its related symptoms once and for all. I was quite surprised by the speed of recovery I had from these medications, although I had to follow a strick diet for that. I am still taking the medications but 90 percent of the symptoms are eradicated and I am absolutely certain that there won't be any relapse.

9

Hi,

I am an American who has suffered withI IBS symptoms for OVER 30 years until more recently. My pants waist sometimes would change by 4 inches and stay that way for days. It was necessary to have two sets of clothes. My doctors had every test and scope run. Biopsies of my large and small intestines. Over the years my IBS has been blamed on stress, not enough fiber in my diet etc.

two years ago, I was suffering from constant bloating and gastric reflux where I

would wake up with acid in my throat not being able to breathe. I had tried all types of antacids prescribed as well as over the counter ones with little success. Recently, my gastroenterologist told me he thought I had some type of food allergy or sensitivity after a recent endoscopy with all the results negative. After going to another MD he discovered through blood tests that I had a high food sensitivity to wheat and lactose. Since eliminating wheat, Lactose, and adding more raw foods in my diet and taking a probiotic my IBS has ended. He explained to me that people with a northern European background have a 65% chance of some type of food sensitivity to wheat, gluten, caisson a milk protein, lactose, and soy. He also said there is a growing number of people having allergies to these products since more agricultural products are GMO. Perhaps you should look into this. My wife has just started not eating wheat in anything since she saw what it did for me. Although she never suffered from IBS, She has noticed she is never bloated after eating anymore. There are plenty of wheat/ gluten free products on the market. The probiotics helped greatly in getting my bowel balanced again. It's wonderful not to have bloating and horrible bowel movements all the time.

Good luck. I never would have thought this would be gone.

CK

10

Captkirk - thank you for your comment. You have inspired me to give it a go. I really am willing to try anything. My stomach has now been bloated for 2 weeks. I'm uncomfortable and miserable. I will check out the gluten free products. I am taking probiotics (in tablet form). Thanks again for your comment and I'm pleased you have had some release from the IBS symptoms.

11

Hi,

I am new here hello.I was diagnosed with Crohns disease over 10 years ago. My symptoms were bleeding,bloating,cramps,headaches, continual tiredness and lack of sleep.

My weight went from 11st 7lb to 8st 3lb.

The lead surgeon at the QE in Birmingham was sure that he would take out my large intestine one day.

This was suggestion was ridiculous as the recovery time would be over 3months and I couldn’t take that much time off.

None of the drugs offered made any difference including Azothyaprin and anti inflammatories. In fact they made me worse and also compromised my breathing .

So I searched and searched for the answer.

Now this is my experience and it may be different for you but here is my opinion for what its worth. I advise you to check for yourself.

It must be clearly stated that doctors do not know how bodies really work. We assume that they do but that is not true. Remember that they get much of their knowledge from drug companies who have a vested interest in selling something to some one needy. Check out the “Cochrane Collaboration” on UTube and you will see what I mean.

So step one: keep the doctor informed of your progress but forget about a prescription unless it for an anti biotic and you are on deaths door.

Step two: Find a well respected Reflexologist who can properly diagnose your problem.

I can give you a name if you wish.

As a result of this I found that I was gluten, dairy, coffee, chocolate and red wine intolerant. This was on Jan 14th 2013.

Since then I have put on 25 lb and have returned to my normal muscular self. My friends are commenting on how well I look.

A note here: eating the TINIEST part of something you are intolerant to can have catastrophic effects. Witness peanut allergies.

I hope this helps

12

Hi,

regarding bloating: In my case it was trapped wind.

To combat this i took Fennel tea and capsules. Very cheap and quite effective.

13

Hi. Thanks for all the comments. Just an update from me really. My stomach is still bloated, in fact today is the worst it has been. It actually feels like it's going to pop. It feels tender to touch and it aches. I went to see a reflexologist on Thursday. She said that my stomach muscles from my chest down were very tight and she released them but she couldn't find anything specifically wrong apart from other non-related issues (knee and ear). I have made another appointment with my gp as I just don't think 3 weeks with a severely swollen stomach is right. Something is causing it. I am willing to go wheat/gluten free but I want my gp to be aware so it can be monitored. I'm worried there is something other than IBS going on.

14

Just checking in.. Having the same issues and was wondering if you've figured it out? Did you ever try the gluten free diet?

15

Hi.I started getting IBS after i was diagnosed with Acid Reflux.I was quite constipated and the hospital came to the conclusion that i should have 16 movicals over 2 days,this destroyed my stomach and bowels and so gave birth to my IBS problems.I was at one stage taking 80 mg Omeprazole and other medication for acid reflux and IBS.I found after 2 years of suffering that Diazepam relaxed my condition,i went from 80mg of Omeprazole and other Acid reflux and IBS medication,to one 20 mg tablet a day.I have 4mg of Diazepam when i feel anxious ,Anxiety,even inner anxiety that you may not even know about can cause IBS and Acid Reflux.Diazepam can be addictive but not on a low dose like mine.If you feel you are not getting anywehere then speak to your doctor about this method.Also just protein food,cut out carbs,only white meat or fish,and veg with no carbs or very low will help you.Stay away from veg that causes wind,cabbage and so forth are a no no. Plenty of Ginger  is good for you so if you have a juicer,buy some ginger root,juice 1 apple,a knuckle of ginger,1 carrot,1 beetroot,slice of lemon,then juice tis and drink slowly.Alos Braggs Apple cider vinegar is good for cleaning the inside out,1 tablespoon of this in hot water with a slice of lemon of a spoon of +10 honey manuka. Repeat in evening before bed,this is good for blood,liver,kidneys,stomach.smile

16

Hi Joanne.

Check out Pelvicpainhelp, you will be amazed with the help there. People think pelvic is just the woman bits but its actuall the core of everyone and is very important.

Regards Pamela

17

Hi Joanne. I am currently having this same issue and was wondering what came of yours in the end? It's really stressing me out. Over a month of constant bloating now.

18

Try looking for the Monash University FODMAP diet.  It has helped me a lot, I had pretty extreme pain for a long time and now it is almost gone.

It is a very well researched approach and it works for IBS and reduces gas and bloating within a week...just by changing what you eat. 

It is kind of counterintuitive, cuase some stuff that is helathy actaullly is a FODMAP ( a group of foods that create gas and attract fluid into the bowel) causing the problems we are all so familiar with.

The research has been rigourous, at Monash University and the results have been spectacular. I don't know why gastroenterologists (2) didn't refer me to it when they diagnosed me with IBS...guess medicos are not well informed about research in their own area? any way, works for me now. 

You will have to search but you can get the info from them direct and they have a mobile phone app you can download with the most recent research results for different foods that cause probs or are fine. 

GOOD LUCK! smile

19

So sorry about the typos...can't edit! smile

 

20

Hi everyone, 

Curious to know if there have been more developments in this conversation. I am exactly in the same situation. 3 years ago I started being bloated, for what seemed like no reason, and it has been pretty much constant ever since. None of my clothing fits, my morale is extremely low, and I feel like I have tried literally everything, to no avail. 

I went on the FODMAP diet, I did food sensitivity tests, I have tried every single probiotic on the market, I have done hypnotherapy, I have done a colonoscopy, an ultrasound, x rays, blood tests, hormonal checks, and tried dozens of prescription and natural medicines.

My bowel movements are regular, I am very athletic (yoga/pilates/dance 5 times/week), and have a very healthy diet, with mostly organic fruits and vegetables, lots of fluids, natural protein, etc. 

I have no idea how to remedy this and am completely desperate at this point. I have no idea what to do, and sometimes feel borderline suicidal because of this, as I feel like nothing will ever fix this problem. 

If anyone has found any solutions beyond what I've outlined, I would really appreciate it! 

Thanks, 

B