To ask you about stomach bloating?

[Wishful25]

Pleased if anyone can advise on tummy bloating please? In a nutshell I'm 8.5 stone wet through and 5 foot 7 so definitely skinny - but with a huge belly! No one knows as I can (and do!) permanently breathe it in, but no joke I look 6 months pregnant by the end of the day if I breathe out! I'm convinced it's nothing sinister as I've been like this literally for years and have no pain at all - just bloating! I'm also very fit and run around 20 miles a week. I'm therefore sure it's diet related (my diet isn't great), could it be IBS? I'm not sure due to having on other symptoms. Would just be glad to find out if anyone has had similar and has solved it perhaps by cutting out particular foods? Oh and I am very partial to wine which probably doesn't help admittedly!

Sorry that should say I have no other symptoms.

What does your doctor say?

I suffered from this for a while, and still do from time to time. It happened when I turned vegetarian and had a higher amount of fibre in my diet - and was especially bad after eating onions and broccoli!

I started taking probiotic tablets which I got in Holland & Barrett - I took one a day for about a year and it mostly sorted me out. Like I said, it does still happen every now and then but I’m now vegan and having cut my diet down so much already I’m not bothered by it enough to find out what it is that causes it - I’m not cutting anything else out!

Was the same

Did FODMAP.

Feel so much better for it.

Diastasis recti? Might be worth looking into? Agree with PP that it might be worth a chat with a doctor

Yes. Onions bring water to the gut

I have a similar issue and it is dietary. I know that gluten and dairy can cause it. But there are a whole list of foods which can cause bloating such as onions, garlic, tomatoes and, I think, even coffee! You might want to do a food diary and log how bad it gets, and then slowly cut stuff out

You need to see your GP. It could be food intolerances (in which case low FODMAP under the guidance of a dietitian is great). However other conditions such as coeliac disease can present like this so you should be tested (first test for that is a basic blood test) before cutting anything out.

Thanks. I haven't seen a doc but probably should - just conscious of their resource and that I'm convinced it's diet and not illness so would like to try fixing it by dietary changes first.

I had similar. Tried omeprazole from the doctor, which had no effect. I think it was diet related - I cut out all stomach irritating food, stopped eating bread, gave up alcohol and ate healthy, soothing food that wasn't too spicy. Feel much better now.
Have reintroduced some of the things I cut out, but have massively reduced bread still.
That seems to have worked for me. Think my system just needed a rest for the bombardment of junk.

I would go to your GP. Don't want to scare you and you don't say how old you are, but Ovarian Cancer can present like this with no pain or other symptoms. Please get it checked to rule out anything serious.

Does it come and go or is it always large?

In the morning it is fairly flat but by the end of the day is usually big! I can breathe it in.

I never actually feel bloated either, it is just literally big.

I paid about £75 to see a private nutritionist. Ex NHS, now a university lecturer. I did FODMAP for my IBS, worth every penny.

For me it's gluten, dairy, all pulses, all leafy green veg, sweeteners, white wine and basically eating anything at all in the evening!
It is crap not being able to eat what I want and used to like but the pain that goes with the bloating is not worth it.
I described it to dh as being like blowing a balloon up in a box as I feel pain from the pressure everywhere.

My friend went like that. Turned out she had coeliac disease. Definitely get it checked out.

I am exactly the same - I think it's genes. I remember looking at my gran's stomach and she always had a pot belly. Tbf, mine has got bigger over the years but I think it's fat on top of a pot belly. When I lose weight it gets smaller.

I have always been able to pull mine in too and it's soft but sticks out like I'm 6 months pregnant esp in the evening. It's very frustrating as I am slim everywhere else.

I've always had mine, remember it was never even flat as a teenager. I think eating cleanly, reducing body fat and exercising like a maniac is the only way to get rid of it and I'm too lazy not willing to do that.

Thanks all - and Neff yes especially annoying when skinny elsewhere and generally very fit! I'm definitely going to start my assessing what I eat and making an appt with the doc just to see if there's any help. Thanks again.

I have fibroids which make my stomach bigger (particularly at the end of the day)

I have the same. Doc told me to do FODMAP but I just couldn't face it so am putting up with the bloating for now. I find eating regular small amounts is better than 3 big meals - gives my stomach time to digest each thing