swollen belly

Anyone else swell in their lower abdomen often? I was recently diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (I feel like it was basically a nice way of telling me that they don't know what it wrong with my digestive system)...lately I've noticed that my lower abdomen (like from around the belly button down) swells up. Sometimes even from one day to the nextI cannot comfortably button my jeans around the belly! One day the jeans will be fairly lose then the next day they barely button! And it's not from pigging out or anything! What is the deal?! I would understand if they didnt' button because I ate a ton the day before but that's rarely the case. Any idea what could be causing this? Is this a normal IBS thing? How can I make it stop?! The doctor doesn't understand when I tell her my belly keeps swelling that it's very frustrating...of course, it's not her jeans that squeeze the life out of her!

Wed. Nov 1, 10:30am

Swollen Belly

I have this happen to me too. I have lived most of my life being constipated and bloating goes hand in hand with it. What I have done to correct this problem is eat Activia. I eat the prune one and it tastes pretty good. It also usually works The first time I eat it. Hope this helps!

Wednesday, November 01, 2006, 10:40 AM

I was diagnosed w/IBS about 5 years ago. Bloating is very normal, and is often accompanied by moderate to severe gas pains. Often, it is a combination of what you have eaten (you'd be surprised at some of the triggers) and stress. You might find fennel tea or peppermint tea useful to deal with these symptoms. For more information about IBS & how to deal with it, I found the link below extremely helpful.

Since there's no test for IBS, it's usually diagnosed by ruling out other diseases. Make sure you've been tested for all those other diseases first (these tests are easily found in IBS literature). Your best bet is to do as much research about IBS as possible, which will help you if you do or don't have IBS bc if you still disagree with the diagnosis, you can talk about it further w/your md.

Link

Wednesday, November 01, 2006, 10:44 AM

i have the same problem however it is only fairly new to me. i've never had a problem with bloating but since i went overseas i have had it non stop. i ate a lot of meat over seas, like 3 times a day. i know this was really bad for me, so i assumed it was that. now i've been back for nearly four months and i still have the same problem. my belly will just swell up, even when i havnt eaten alot and most of the time i dont feel bloated nor do i have pain, but my stomach just looks huge. it looks firm and big, almost looks as though im pregnant. i've been to the doctor, and she told me to change my diet and increase my diet. i've done that but its only become worse? anyone know anything?

Thursday, November 13, 2008, 4:35 AM

I had this problem for years, plus stomach cramping with alternating constipation or diarrhea. First I tried eating plain yogurt and taking acidophilus pills and that helped a little bit. But not enough. When I stopped eating meat and all dairy except an occasional egg or 2, that's when it totally and completely went away. Personally, I think it's a kind of allergic response to a body's inability to digest the animal protein. Not everybody has this problem, but for some reason, my body has the "allergy".

Thursday, November 13, 2008, 9:37 AM

Try a pro-biotic supplement. It's worth the $20 or so to see if that helps things get moving. It has certainly helped me!
LIke the previous posters are saying... it may be something in your diet that your body doesn't respond well to. You could try to cut out some possible culprits and really listen to your body to see how it responds.
good luck!

Thursday, November 13, 2008, 9:42 AM

a) eggs aren't dairy. They come from chickens, not cows...
b) IBS is often aggravated by eating wheat. Many people find relief from symptoms when they eliminate wheat. My mother was one of them. For finding wheat free recipes and foods, or to learn just how completely pervasive wheat is in North American society, you can check out any gluten free, wheat free or blood type diet website.

Thursday, November 13, 2008, 10:17 AM

Bloat

Your belly swelling - suddenly up one day and down another - is most likely caused by gas. The intestines, large or small, normally are flaccid tubes, think of an uninflated elongated balloon. Your intestines (especially the large intestines) are filled with hopefully friendly bacteria. In fact, there are more cells of bacteria in normal people's body than there are body cells, I've read recently. If the bacteria in your personal 'farm' react to your food by producing copious amounts of gas, then you have bloat. Your normally flat intestines literally become filled balloons. The PP have mentioned two strategies that work. Either find food that your particular kind of bacteria like, meaning it doesn't cause them to produce gas. Or manipulate your bacteria 'farm' by introducing friendlier bacteria (pro-biotics) that like the same kind of food you like. btw, when you do a full colonic cleansing, you deplete your intestines of the bacteria that had established their little farm, and they have to start completely over. It leaves room for some nasties to suddenly have a free reign to grow (ie, no competition), or for you to substitute probiotics, maybe. but I think you are playing with fire if you frequently disrupt your little 'farm'.

Thursday, November 13, 2008, 10:26 AM

Benefiber!!!! I do not go anywhere with my IBM tummy without benefiber... I drink a shake in the morning, put a tablespoon in and I am AMAZED at the difference it has made.

Thursday, November 13, 2008, 11:03 AM

MY SISTER HAS LIVED WITH IBS FOR 5 YEARS

I know this is a terrible thing to have, and no matter how many people you ask no one is going to understand the extent of how this feels almost every day. Honestly You need to get yourself a few IBS cookbooks, there are certain foods you cannot eat anymore.. You can feel good and normal but its a HUGE lifestyle change. My sisters IBS is so bad that he Intestine would spasm and she would go into shock from the pain, the longer your IBS goes untreated the better chance it has to get worse so for your own sake learn as much about it as you can.
A few things my sister cant touch:
anything with butter, margarine, or fat, she can eat fish and chicken no other meat, not egg yolks no chocolate nothing at all with more then 1 or 2 grams of fat.
no whole wheat... its to hard on your stomach whole wheat bloats up in your belly and you intestine cant handle it.
Certain fruit and veggies cant be eatin...
You can still have sugar (my sister eats certain gummy candies) she has recipes to bake her own oatmeal muffins and brownies that have no butter in them, this is a terrible thing to have and Im so sorry for you.. Look up some recipes and the foods you can and cant have... You miss out on tons of nutrients because of IBS so make sure you ask your doctor about vitamins you should take too. If you have more questions let me know! good luck.
-chemit

Thursday, November 13, 2008, 1:30 PM

Well, my cure is a little different. I suffered from lower belly bloat for years. Then I was diagnosed with endometriosis after an ectopic pregnancy. After two successful pregnancies, I started using Mirena instead of the pill, because in the past noticed when my pill was changed, so did the belly bloat problems: sometimes better, sometimes worse. I like the Mirena, a lot. Anyway, I'm not sure what cured it in the end but that's my story and advice. It might be your reproductive system to fault and nothing you eat. And by the way, for minor belly bloat I use both plain yogurt and anything with at least a teaspoon of curry or cumin. But it sounds like you have something more serious. Best of luck. You might even try changing doctors.

Friday, November 14, 2008, 9:18 PM

You should try eliminating wheat, gluton and dairy from your diet for a month and see what happens.

Sunday, November 16, 2008, 3:30 PM

exactly what all has wheat and gluten in it? Anyone that can give me a sample listing?

Wednesday, November 19, 2008, 4:06 PM

if it has wheat, it has gluten.

Things that have wheat:

All products that list flour as an ingredient without specifying what kind of flour. (cookies, cakes, breads, crackers, pasta, tortillas, breading, cereal, pizza crusts, etc., etc..)

Also includes: soy sauce, most broths, processed meats, commercial icing, most beers, and a host of other things that list "food starch" or "hydrolyzed protein" or anything containing the word wheat. Also anything containing rye, barley malt, spelt, kamut, gluten.

That's just to name a few.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008, 8:48 PM

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