Bloated belly...

[MandyFl0ss]

Hi. I am 45 years old and I am increasingly suffering from a ridiculously bloated belly that lasts for hours, can be painful and makes me look 8 months pregnant. I haven't been to the doctors about it because my GP is useless (in the process of changing), but I am in such discomfort I need to seriously look into it and I'll go private and pay if need be. I have started to suspect gluten intolerance so I am going to start avoiding wheat. I am 1 stone overweight so hopefully this will help me lose some weight. I was just wondering if anyone else suffers from this and what can be done about it. I don't eat fatty, rich or spicy foods but I do eat a hell of a lot of sugar (trying to stop too). Thanks all.

I have a bloated belly and think the culprit is carbohydrates. I also suffer from wind. I have realised for me it is carbohydrates because i do the 5:2 fasting and on the days that i fast, i dont have a bloated belly!!! Pasta is a serious killer for me. I also have a terrible sweet tooth. You may well have an intolerance to something like wheat so maybe get that checked out. I have also wondered if i have that myself but tbh, i have known people that have had gluten intolerance and they are really ill with it, not just discomfort and a bloated belly.

Do you drink? Booze does this to me; specifically beer. Also cheap white bread. I suspect I have a sensitivity to yeast. I am fine with proper sourdough from the bakers, if I eat a white baguette or similar my stomach swells up & hurts.

If you seriously think you have an issue with gluten then your first port of call is your doctor. Coeliac disease needs to be ruled out. Cutting out wheat won't help you as gluten is in all sorts of things, not just wheat.

This is me - my belly gets so bloated it's horribly uncomfortable and I can't get in any of my normal clothes. I have been tested for coelic and it was negative. After the test, I tried to be gluten-free for a few months to see if it was an intolerance but that didn't stop it happening either. Generally, the doctor has been very unhelpful & just suggested more exercise (even though it continued over a 10-day mountain hike!).

It's so frustrating and depressing, I just can't find a pattern and hate how I look/feel.

You could try taking probiotics while you wait to see the dr. I get this sometimes, related to my cycle but also wheat, and probiotics really help.

Thank you I'll look into it - Any specific probiotics Nite?

I do drink but only socially, maybe two glasses of wine on Fridays and another two on Saturdays, sometimes not even that. I don't drink spirits, juice, fizzy drinks, milk only in coffee. I do add a splash of robinsons no added sugar on a litre of water and sip that throughout the day (usually 2 bottles a day), but the amount of cordial per litre is minimal, what most people would add to just a glass actually. I mention that because I have considered artificial sweeteners as the potential cause. Apart from pizza maybe once a week I very rarely eat processed or fatty foods. I do skip meals all the time though.

For me it was dairy. Intrued lying myself for years it wasnt 😁 but it was.

I have this-I think its age related unfortunately.

Intrued - I lied!

I'm the same, I find peppermint oil capsules make a big difference when taken daily. I also take a probiotic too. That, and a fairly low carb diet have sorted it for me.

Have you looked into candidia ? Something a GP will not treat I get private tests done now for everything don't trust NHS tests anymore

No specific probiotics, just decent quality ones from a health food shop or suchlike, not probiotic drinks.

I cut down on gluten stuff...and carbs..note..cut down not OUT! (don't want to become over sensitive). Really worked for me. Also got a book on Super Salads (Dr Rosen?) Good reciepes and easy.

I have IBS and absurd bloating and gas make my life often very painful.
I don't have lactose intolerance, coeliac disease or gluten sensitivity. Instead, I get symptoms from onions, cabbages, apples and pears and yeast-raised bread. The symptoms started when I turned 30 and I've followed the FODMAP diet for about a decade.

Exercise and avoiding trigger food helps and keeps me almost symptom free. I sometimes eat trigger foods knowing that there will be consequences. But I can live with the symptoms and I feel much better now that I understand what is causing my problems.