[18799]

i have many symptoms, though i don't know how many relate to ibs. what i am most concerned with is my GROSS ABDOMINAL DISTENTION. I am 18 and otherwise pretty healthy. i look pregnant. if anyone suffers the same, please post or email me, kt670###nyu.edu. I will elaborate further and will be more than happy to discuss in detail with anyone who wants to talk. hopefully we will find a cure.

 

[22943]

Yup, lately that's what I've been looking like unless I really, really try to hold it in, then I only look slightly pregnant. Pregnant is something that I never, ever, ever, ever, ever want to be and I sure as heck don't want to look like it now!!!!! (trust me, I know for sure I'm not preggers, if I was it would be immaculate conception). My new GI doc thinks I have some delayed gastric emptying (where my stomach doesn't empty very fast or all the way) which could be contributing. Plus, I'm always constipated, so he's got me on 2 dulcolax every other day and milk of magnesia (well, I changed that to magnesium citrate because I can't drink medications, with the citrate I can get it in pill form) 3 times a day. I'm hoping that will start to bring my bloating down soon. Do you have anything that works for you? Do you know what foods seem to cause it or set it off?Oh, my doc's also got me excluding things like lettuce, broccolli, steak, onions, and other fiberous, hard to digest foods.

 

[18799]

that's just it tho, i haven't been constipated in months. with the zelnorm i've been going regularly. the zoloft and nexium seem to help slightly, they make me burp alot, so perhaps all that is trapped inside is gas. i don't notice any difference with food. although did you notice a big difference by not eating "gaseous foods"? cuz i never did, but i'd be willing to try to avoid them if it worked for someone.

 

[18059]

didstented belly:Yep, I too look nine months pg and belive me I know what being 9 months feels like as I had a 11 lbs boy and my stomach streched as far as it good go, so I am now trying charcoal pills but I think I need to up the dose some people say it actually helps shrink the belly so far it has not gone away but i have noticed the gas is not as bad,somebody said to take slippery elm too with it so i might try it alsoI would love to get rid of this as it just started about a year ago and will not go down and I have tried every thing i can think of and have heard of on the board but so far the charcoal is doing the best i can actually eat some foods again without dying.I'm going to try taking two doese today and see if my stomach dissapears like one girl said hers did. Laurie

 

[Guest]

Hi there distended belly - great name by the way - mine has been horrendous - and I'm sure a much worse sight than yours - since I'm 43 and already have heinious stretch marks from 3 kids!!! Mine is always worse in stressful situations. I had a smear test this afternoon so got in a right old state about that, I looked about 8 months' gone. Don't really know what to suggest other than to offer you my sympathy - been there, done that and have deffo got the T-shirt.Good wishes from soggy old ManchesterSue

 

[18799]

I never realized so many people suffered this problem, my doctors don't seem to know anyone whose belly actually balloons.How has charcoal worked for you guys?What I am trying now is my "gas theory." It's my new theory that my stomach bloats because of excess gas. Strangely, what helped me most is Zelnorm but also nexium. Though heartburn was not a big issue, nexium seems to make me burp a lot and make my stomach churn. Thos may sound like bad effects, but they release a lot of gas and also make my stomach flatter. Zoloft also may be helping and IBX helps a lot too. (IBX is a brand name of some peppermint and soothing bowel herbal formula). Lastly, my unwavering optimisim helps me. I will be cured, even if I have to forge my body with my own imagination. Don't underestimate the power of belief, determination, and not listening to idiots who tell you otherwise.What else has worked for you?

 

[18059]

distended belly:so far I'm doing ok with the charcoal the stomach has not shrunk but the gas is better,last night I took alka seltzer and it helped alot with the gas,I would love to know what works for the distended belly, I can actually watch my grow and expand, one dr, told me just to do situps ok as my stomach is so bloated i got down on the floor to try pilates and yoga and had to holler for help off the floor. not much fun.so far the charcoal is helping the most i have'nt tried slippery elm yet, I have tried just about everything else, I do drink ginger ale alot it helps, and I take prilosec daily,that helps the heatburn, but the stomach just started about 8 months ago and I did not change anything about my diet or what i drink or execercise, but my clothes hurt and i can't wear pants for long periods of time also my pants rise up over my belly and it is uncomfortable and makes me look even more pregnant.I know what it is like to have a 9 month pregnant belly, my son stretched mine out so bad my stretch marks bled everyday,and now my stomach hangs very low as I have not elatistiy left in it.I was two weeks away from have a tummy tuck and even had the surgery schduled and my husband lost his job and there went my very good insurance.so i'm saving my pennies to try again.most of my drs. are not concerened with my stoamach growing and i have shown them it growing but they don;t have a clue either how to get rid of it.

 

[15465]

Yup i have that too. Its the worst feeling next to the constipation. even if for some reason you get to have a BM and you feel better al of a sudden your tummy goes PG again. THe docs either think its in our heads or do not know what to do so they dont even acknowledge that fact. its rather sad cus it is SO uncomfy

 

[18124]

I had the big stomach.

I did a strict detox type diet for about a month, only vegetables, fresh fish and beans/pulses. No additives at all. Everything cooked from scratch. Could only do it because I followed a recipe book! I was trying to get rid of smell associated with IBS...?.... but had side effect of making stomach dissappear.

Don't understand why. Beginnings of stomach reappear very very occationally if eat really bad food when being lazy. Maybe I had constant big stomach because I was constantly aggravating guts and didn't have a chance to recover. Detox also completely changed my taste buds. I now feel really guilty and a bit sick if I eat rubbish. Please try it. It isn't filling you full of rubbish medicines that could have side effects and make someone rich. Its REAL FOOD that can only do you good. AND it might help......GOOD LUCK!!!!

 

[18124]

Just another thought, when I said "no additives" I meant no 'E' numbers, preservatives, colours, flavour enhancers.I didn't mean no added NATURAL flavours. In fact I discovered garlic, chilli, ginger, onion etc during thhis detox. These were things I was terrified of because I associate them with smell (which is what I was trying to prevent!)

 

[18124]

And thought number three....When i say bloating i mean big BIG increase around belly button area so that can't button up trousers/skirts, that would fit if don't eat! ie first thing in morning.I'm sorry that I didn't read all previous entries on this thread properly, because i don't have a lot of access to internet, and my personal mission is eliminating smell relating to IBS. So just want to remind everyone that there are lots of reasons for bloating (especially us women) So only suggesting this for people who have checked everything else out first.

 

[21441]

I finally found what creates my distention - Most fruits and fruit juices. I only drink pure juices - no sugars. I seem to do okay with bananas and grapes but apples seem to be the biggest culprit. Frutose intolerance.

 

[14248]

I agree with you i think fruit is a big player in IBS problems, but mainly juice - i suffered (in a big way) when i had several glasses of fruit juice one day (nothing else but alchol at the party) and i thought i was being 'safe'. I also exeprienced it to a lesser extent another time - however bananas and skninned/cored apples seem to be fine. I usually get a distended belly when i have gurgling noises. Some days the jeans go on loose and at the end i have the button undone and unzipped!

 

[volatile]

So do Charcoal Pills help, what medications work for this?