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Help, severly bloated

erin

Senior Member
Messages
885
I feel very bloated since 2 weeks. I have no pain, no constipation. Very gassy but unable to release the gas and my belly feels hard. It is driving me crazy, I am unable to eat dinners, have light snacks at night and don't feel hungry because I feel that I am very full. I am better during the day, terrible at night and in the mornings.

Gastro specialist at the local hospital prescribed aluminum sucrose sulfate syrup twice a day and 40 mg esomeprazol in the mornings. He thinks I have reflux. I don't want to take these medicine, worried about all these chemicals with my M.E.. He doesn't understand and know much about m.e. I don't know what to do. I have the medication next to me, should I take it?
 

Mary

Moderator Resource
Messages
17,334
Location
Southern California
@erin - I can't tell you not to take the medicines.

But if I were you, I would try drinking some lemon juice in water. It's great for digestion and might make you burp and feel better.

Even if you have acid reflux, it's very often caused by low stomach acid instead of too much acid. There's lots of info about this if you do a little searching.

One other possibility is your gallbladder may be inflamed or not working properly. Mine was inflamed years ago and it caused bloating and lack of appetite. My chiropractor gave me AF Betafood by Standard Process which worked wonders, and I eventually learned I had to start taking HCL (betaine hydrochloride) with meals and my gallbladder problems resolved. In the meanwhile, lemon juice was very helpful for my digestion.

My chiro who did muscle testing helped me with several different digestive issues, without drugs and PPIs. I am so glad I did not have to rely on doctors and their drugs which generally only mask symptoms and don't resolve what's actually going on.
 

Timaca

Senior Member
Messages
792
When I was bloated, I tried a probiotic. It seemed to help quite a bit. I didn't continue to take it as they don't seem to work well for me on a long term basis but it was very helpful for a few days.....
 

picante

Senior Member
Messages
829
Location
Helena, MT USA
One possibility that almost never gets mentioned is meteorism (also called timpanites, because your belly gets taut like a helium balloon or a drum). High histamine can do this. It's a neurotransmitter, so I guess that would be a neurological reaction.

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/85/5/1185.long#F2
upload_2016-4-7_21-57-56.png
 

leela

Senior Member
Messages
3,290
I would suggest taking 4-5 capsules (in one dose) of activated charcoal and see if it helps--that's my go-to for The Bloats.
You must take it away from food and from other meds/supps because it will bind them. It's not something you want to take every day for very long, because it is a powerful adsorbent and will wipe out your minerals if you overdo.

It can sure offer relief when gas/bloating is bad. I always have some on hand (plus it's not $$.) If I take it for a few days, I then supplement minerals and probiotics--though probiotics might make you bloat too, depending what's going on in there, and which ones you take.

Good luck!
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
@erin Not to add to the confusion but does it feel like there is literally fluid trapped in your belly? If so, and if you have MCAS or any histamine issues, you might be having an issue called "third spacing" where the membranes are more permeable due to histamine and fluid does not go where it is supposed to. This has happened to me on a few occasions and it is very uncomfortable and makes your stomach look ten months pregnant LOL until it passes. An ultrasound can catch it in theory but I have never done that as it doesn't happen to me on a regular basis.
 

hellytheelephant

Senior Member
Messages
1,137
Location
S W England
I have had reflux badly before and the feeling that you are about to go 'pop!' is so unpleasant. Very strong camomile tea ( leave 2 bags in one mug) can help...and definately avoid spicy or processed foods...and caffeine.
 

erin

Senior Member
Messages
885
Thank you so much for all the replies and advice.

Mary, I use lemon juice when I had bloated before. But this time it did nothing. I have never bloated this much before. Never tried HCL and I am suspicious of gall bladder problem. I need to look into this.

Timaca, I use probiotics on a regular basis. I make my own kefir from a farm that I know produces very good quality organic milk. It helps me greatly. But this time I reacted to it badly, it actually made me more bloated. I can't understand why. I use boil the raw milk always 10 minutes and use the same brand kefir yeast.

Picante what you're saying made sense. I don't know much about histamine. Try to ask about it to a medical professional, they don't even listen. When I mentioned m.e. he was so bored and did not want to listen. I need to find about it myself.

leela, I have never used charcoal. Sounds like a good idea.

Gingergrrl, it doesn't feel like there is fluid trapped in my belly, it is very hard in fact feels solid. It sure is swollen but rock hard. It doesn't feel like there is liquid under the hard tissue. It is not wobbly. And yes! I look like if I am at least 7 months pregnant.

hellytheelephant, what you describe is spot on. Camomile tea I will try. I usually drink olive leaf tea, didn't help this time. My husband drinks sage tea a lot. This was the only thing gave me quick but short relief. I keep away from spicy stuff. I drink black tea in the morning. That's the only caffeine I take. I should stop this I guess.

Thank you all for your input. I felt so desperate and clueless, I had taken the meds I was given last night. I don't feel any different maybe just slightly softer in the belly. I feel so tired. The fact that there will be no medical professional to help me and I have to find a way to deal with it my self. I am tired, sick and tired. I don't have the energy to deal with it. Sorry about the rant, I hope you all understand.
 

Mary

Moderator Resource
Messages
17,334
Location
Southern California
@erin - one more thing I hate to mention but is a possibility is that bloating like that can also be a sign of ovarian cancer. The symptoms are very often vague (my niece had it) but bloating like that is one of the major symptoms, so I would insist on being checked for this.

Presuming your problems do have to do with digestion, maybe your gallbladder, I'd recommend seeing a competent chiropractor who does muscle testing. I was so fortunate to find the one I did - I believe he saved my gallbladder, I learned what to eat and also that I needed HCL especially with high protein meals, he helped me when my liver was toxic and a few other digestive issues - if I had been left to the mercy of doctors, I believe my gallbladder probably would have been removed, and God knows what else done to me. Doctors are taught almost nothing about nutrition or helping the body heal. They mainly give out drugs without getting to root causes, in my experience.

I know about feeling desperate and clueless, and that's exactly how I would have felt without my chiro -

Good luck - keep us posted -
 

leela

Senior Member
Messages
3,290
@erin, I had forgotten my harmless uterine fibroids can cause bloating as well. It might be a good time to get an abdominal ultrasound to check for those and ascites.
The fact that you are not passing gas at all makes me wonder if it is something other than gastric distress.

It might be useful rather than going to a gastro, to go to your regular GP or Gyno. They might be more inclined to get some imaging done. Ultasounds are a breeze except for the dreaded part where you have to drink a ton of water and not pee for a couple of hours! Ack!
 

TigerLilea

Senior Member
Messages
1,147
Location
Vancouver, British Columbia
@erin Have you been on antibiotics lately? When I went on Cipro I developed lactose intolerance and started having problems with bloating whenever I drank milk. I was also going to ask if you have had your ovaries checked recently as bloating can also be one of the symptoms of ovarian cancer as Mary mentioned.
 

erin

Senior Member
Messages
885
Mary, thanks for good advice. I thought about the ovarian cancer, but I have severe indigestion. Imaging is becoming essential. Today I am better but still not right at all. I have tried some marjoram tea, my neighbour suggested, she brought some from her garden. It was really good. Better help than the medications.
Finding a chiropractor, let alone a good one is not possible where I am at the moment. I live outside Europe at the moment and I've never come across a chiropractor here. I feel gall bladder is a strong possibility and I am weary of how it is treated, I should try HCL, I am not sure if I can find some here.

Leela, as I said it to Mary I think I need imaging. I will go to GP Monday.

TigerLilea, I have not been on antibiotics lately.

Thank you all for replying, it helps greatly.
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
Gingergrrl, it doesn't feel like there is fluid trapped in my belly, it is very hard in fact feels solid. It sure is swollen but rock hard. It doesn't feel like there is liquid under the hard tissue. It is not wobbly. And yes! I look like if I am at least 7 months pregnant.

When I have had third spacing episodes with belly (only like 3-4 total and it is not common for me) it is also hard and you do not feel the fluid in a wobbly way. But I have no idea if this is relevant to you like I said and just throwing it out as another idea.
 

lansbergen

Senior Member
Messages
2,512
Gingergrrl, it doesn't feel like there is fluid trapped in my belly, it is very hard in fact feels solid. It sure is swollen but rock hard. It doesn't feel like there is liquid under the hard tissue. It is not wobbly. And yes! I look like if I am at least 7 months pregnant.

I had it and now it is much better I think the belly wall was thickened. It happened in my calves too. They could get twice as thick overnight.
 

erin

Senior Member
Messages
885
My calves are swollen as well! Strange.

I don't understand anything anymore.

Al though I felt so bad I didn't go to the hospital. It's a long journey and simply was not up for it. Just stayed in bed for 2 days and did nothing. Felt miserable. My belly reduced its size some %70 now. But I feel so tired. I am totaly wiped out. I don't eat much nowadays.
 

wonderoushope

Senior Member
Messages
247
I have this problem. It's usually a build up with too much acid. So I end up going back to a very plain diet. Caffeine is the worst culprit, but also lemons, vinegar, acidic regulators, wine. I basically steer clear of all processed foods and just have a pretty bland diet (chicken and rice, rice cakes, pumpkin etc). I also take nexium. I takes a good week or two for symtoms to settle down.

I have gastritis and reflux though, maybe look into that.