Terrible bloating and pain

[Indiechic]

I think I've always suffered from bloating and flatulence , but for the last six months or so its developed into more of a problem. From seemingly nowhere my stomach will start to inflate like a balloon and have awful painful cramps. It will stay this way for two days and will then start to deflate. I go to the toilet and it can be a bit loose but not diarrhoea. I also get terrible javelin up the bum pain which I've been tracking and may be linked to ovulation.

Yesterday out of the blue I had horrendous pain under my left rib, that I could hardly breathe through. It was like diarrhoea cramping but in a different position and led to me being sick which relieved it, rather than going to the toilet. I did eventually get diarrhoea a few hours later.

I feel like I've been hit by a bus today, and stomach is huge and aching again. I've had bloods done and nothing came up. Is this IBS? If so, will the GP give me tablets that can dissipate the gas? I'm addicted to bread and was extremely stressed when this happened yesterday. Any advice? I'm seeing the GP in two weeks.

the under rib pain and vomiting, gallstones????

The stomach bloating and diarrhoea, Gluten, lactose or fructose intolerance?

Poor you, hope you get to the bottom of it.

Thanks for your reply. I've been tested for lactose intolerance and that came back negative. I've just been googling and fructose is in everything, isn't it!

Hi indiechic,

I have just posted about my rumbling appendix and noticed your post. My symptoms started much the same as yours, except I've never been prone to bloating.

My stomach randomly bloated (10inches) and stayed that way for a few weeks. I had pain in the left of my abdomen for a few days. It then moved to the centre of my abdomen for another few days then finally settled on the right where it has now been for a few weeks. I experienced cramps and Vomiting usually leads to a feeling of relief too.

Hopefully it's not the same thing for you as its a bit of a pain to have treated but just to let you know in case the pain travels, it's something to look out for.

Also just to mention, I was told the pain from gallstones usually occurs on the right under the ribs not the left. I tried windeze tablets which didn't do much but if it is trapped wind they seem to work well, maybe you could try that first? They dissipate the gas but gradually and, thankfully, silently!

I also tried some natural senna laxatives, they did the job but unfortunately didn't relieve anything for me. I'm a bread addict too and tried cutting it out but it made no difference (thankfully, can't live without it). My gp said wheat and gluten allergies also tend to come with some general 'allergy symptoms' too like headaches, sneezing, blocked sinuses. Maybe you could cut out bread for a little while though just to see if it does anything?

Anyways, hope you sort something soon!

Thanks for your post Patch. Some great info there. Part of me is growing concerned that it might be more than IBS, but I do feel it's definitely gas. Will get the windeze tablets tomorrow.

I hope that you're feeling ok. I'll have a look at your thread.

Indiechic, yes fructose is in pretty much everything !

My dd has a severe fructose intolerance and it took us 18 months of investigations before we finally get a diagnosis for all her gastric problems, I was keeping food diaries religiously and there were no 'red flags' showing up, of course, once she had the fructose intolerance diagnosis we realised why we were not able to pinpoint anything specific. My DD also suffers with headaches from fructose.

Did you have a lactose blood test ? My DD also has lactose intolerance and she also had a negative lactose blood test. Apparently the gold standard for testing lactose is a hydrogen breath test, which is how her lactose and fructose intolerance were finally diagnosed (by a gastroenterologist, paeditrician had no clue) She has severe intolerances and yet the lactose blood test came back negative.

BTW, I had left side pain with my gallstones radiating from centre of my stomach/sternum, under ribs and out the back with my gallstones.

It's horrible when you can't get any answers or resolution.

Does sound like it could be gallstones. Gallstone pain can be excruciating, I've been told a severe attack can be like childbirth. I would press the doctor for further investigation. A family member was told for years they had a stomach ulcer, which would flare up as you've described. One particularly bad attack landed them in hospital, turned out to be gallstones which had led to pancreatitis.

Finally had my gp appointment. He started to go down the digestive route, but then decided to check out ovarian side of things first. Just been sent for blood test for ovarian cancer. Very frightening. Next step ultrasound

Hi Indiechic. Just wondering how you got on?