Why am I bloated?
#176691 - 05/04/05 08:02 PM
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I don't understand it. Last week and up through Sunday, I felt much better. I could see and feel improvement. I had noticably less bloating. When I was bloated, the bloating was shorter in length and not as severe as it was.
Then starting Sunday night, I have been bloated as I was before. I have felt most of the time bloated, it has been severe, I have looked pregnant, and it has made walking uncomfortable as well as impaired and frustrated the living you know what out of me, because it makes me look so out of shape.
I changed my diet and I thought things were getting better. I can understand a gradual improvement, but I can't understand why there has been a regression and why I am bloated.
Two possible things come to me, the first is that last week I had potatoe bread. On sunday, I came back to college, and they don't sell the same potatoe bread here. I had 2 slices of the new potatoe bread on Sunday, and 4 on Monday, then I looked at the ingredients and saw that it has nonfat Milk, but could that do this to my stomach to this extent?
I have been having peppermint tea, but it has helped only a small amount.
The other thing is that I have been sweating more, and drinking less water. I notice when I sweat, my stomach becomes bloated. Is it possible this is why?
The combination of nonfat Milk, butter, and sweating, could this be?
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Yeah that could do it. You really do have to follow the diet 100% while you're trying to stabilise.
Also, make sure you drink LOTS of water ESPECIALLY if you're sweating more. If you get dehydrated, it'll make you more C and that'll make you more bloated.
Keep it up! You're getting there.  At least you now know you CAN feel better. 
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I found out hte hard way that while trying to stabilize, the SMALLEST amount of milk product could make me sick the next day. Sometimes if you cheat, it will not catch up to you till you do it a couple of times, I have found. So, the first time or two you may eat the potato bread you could be fine, but eventually it will come back to get you.
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-Sheri
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The other two are so right -- that milk will do it -- and so will dehydration. So - keep the fluids up -- and avoid ALL dairy.
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Formerly known as Ruchie
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Bloating is my special quest. I have been trying to understand more about it for some time. The problem is that it is a mystery to doctors! and nothing really helps it 100%. You have to drink fennel tea though- lots- at least 2 cups. I find 1 cup doesn't do it. And stick to the diet well. Getting dehydrated is a big cause of bloating. Sometimes if I get bloated out of the blue I drink lots and it goes away. Other important things are, exercise, not eating too much at one time and never letting yourself get hungry. I bloated the other day before dinner because I got hungry before I realized. Beyond that bloating can sometimes be inexplicable and just a rut I get in. It feels like my intestines are twisted up like a magician's balloon figure. Fennel tea is awesome as well as heat on the tummy, but staying strict on the diet and staying hydrated and as regular as possible are very important too!
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IBS-A for 20 years with terrible bloating and gas. On the diet since April 2004. Remember this from Heather's information pages:
"You absolutely must eat insoluble fiber foods, and as much as safely possible, but within the IBS dietary guidelines. Treat insoluble fiber foods with suitable caution, and you'll be able to enjoy a wide variety of them, in very healthy quantities, without problem." Please eat IF foods!
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This is interesting. I saw my doctor yesterday and asked him on why I am bloated. I asked about water, if not drinking enough water or having water at or too near to meals could cause bloating, and he told me that was all piss posh not to listen to. I don't like the doctor that much, and now I'm confused because of what he told.
Here is what I don't understand, if having that potatoe bread caused this, how come I did not feel this badly last week? I know last week I did not have potatoe bread with milk, but on one night I did have cheesecake, which made me bloated until the next day, and then I felt good.
Why is it that having cheesecake last week caused me to get bloated only for a short amount of time, and I quickly recovered, but this week I have been bloated for much longer?
I want to add, I found out that I Can't Believe It's Not Butter contains buttermilk, which I assume is dairy, and until today I had been having this each day this week, maybe this is why.
Is it possible that the reason I am bloated this week and that last week even though I had cheesecake I was less bloated is because on Sunday and Monday I had four slices of bread which contained nonfat Milk and I was using I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, and that I have been exercising with little water?
To give you an idea, last week I did not exercise, this week I have been and that I run several miles, I have been having perhaps 50 oz of water.
If I give it a couple of days with no dairy, and have more water, how much, will this do what I would like or should it?
I have not been c, I don't know if the whole dehrayation applies.
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in your gut. This can cause trapped air, bloating, and gas. If you have IBS, by definition you have altered gut motility - the muscle contractions in your GI tract are irregular, too strong and fast, too slow and infrequent, or a combination. IBS is also by definition a disorder with intermittent symptoms - so one day you can be fine, as the muscles in your gut function normally, and the next day you're bloated, as the contractions are suddenly irregular.
Your best bet is to try and normalize your gut motility - base your diet on soluble fiber, add in a prebiotic soluble fiber, use fennel and/or peppermint and/or anise on a daily base, practice yoga regularly, get daily exercise and drink plenty of water, etc.
You'll drive yourself crazy if you try and pinpoint every single episode of IBS symptoms to one particular cause. Sometimes, your gut is going to cause you problems no matter what you do, because you have an underlying bowel dysfunction. But, you can try your darndest to head off symptoms on a daily basis (diet, supplements, yoga, etc.) and the more you can get symptoms under control, the more likely that they will stay that way.
It's not fun to hear, but you have to take a long-term view and not be discouraged by some ups and downs on a daily basis. IBS just doesn't work that way. 
Best,
Heather
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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Thanks. That is quite a useful bit. I currently take Digestive Advantage Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Lactaid Pills, and I will try to have 2 cups of peppermint tea, does this cover the prebiotic?
What prebiotic would you recommend aside from acadia, I would rather go and buy it so I can use the prebiotic instantly.
I'd like to ask, how long will it take to stop the bloating and can long term curing of this occur? Nothing will drive me insane than having it where one day I feel no bloating, and then the next I feel pregnant, I can't stand the inconsistent, constant up and down nature of the bloating.
I find it striking that you brought up how Irritable Bowel Syndrome can leave you this way, feeling alright one day and bad another. This is exactly what happens with me and drives me mad. I was told however that certain foods can trigger Irritable Bowel Syndrome and noticed that when I do have foods I can get bloated.
I guess that the bloating can be partially stopped and blamed to certain foods but this is not the only reason and will not eliminate it?
I thought after reading that it was the diet which caused the bloating and if I didn't have some foods I would no longer have it, now I hear differently.
I'd like to ask, if I diet, take the prebiotic, have water, exercise, and do yoga, how soon, how likely is it I can control and not get bloated?
How much water should I drink a day, should it be an hour before and after I eat my food?
What about yoga, if I do all except yoga should I get where I want to have?
Is there any time table.
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Quote:
Is there any time table.
I'm afraid not. Every person with IBS is different so everyone's 'road to stability' is going to be different. I know you probably don't want to hear this, but you just need to be patient and keep focussing on daily maintenance.
It doesn't seem like you're taking a prebiotic or a probiotic. Have you considered acidophilus (probiotic)? Probiotics help to increase the good bacteria in your gut. As for PREbiotics, the only prebiotic fiber I know of is acacia but maybe someone else can suggest another one. (FYI acacia is available in stores now, but you may have to ask an HFS near you to start carrying it).
Also, since you're staying away from milk products there's no need to take Lactaid at all - all lactaid is is a digestive enzyme that only helps you digest lactase (milk products). So need to waste your money on that!
Quote:
I thought after reading that it was the diet which caused the bloating and if I didn't have some foods I would no longer have it, now I hear differently.
I think it's really emphasized on this site that managing IBS is a combination of things - that includes as a big point diet but also a number of lifestyle changes (i.e. when you eat, how much you eat, exercise, drinking water, stress relief etc.). Diet is a big part of it but it's not the only part of it. So yep diet can really, really help with your bloating (staying away from triggers, always eating with SF etc.) but it's only part of the game, so to speak.
Can I ask why you're not interested in yoga at all? I'd highly recommend it, personally, both for stress relief and relief of IBS symptoms, and more generally for wellbeing.
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Thanks. That is quite a useful bit. I currently take Digestive Advantage Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Lactaid Pills, and I will try to have 2 cups of peppermint tea, does this cover the prebiotic?
I don't know a lot about Digestive Advantage, as it claims to be something that isn't even possible for people with IBS but if it helps you, that's great! That being said, I think that you would be wiser to get a good probiotic from a health food store. Make sure you can one without lactose. Some you have to keep in the fridge, others you don't.. check labels for this.
Lactaid pills aren't going to be a huge help. You should be avoiding all dairy products. Period. No dairy would mean you wouldn't need the lactaid pills.. If you are properly avoid dairy, a major trigger food, you don't need them.
Peppermint tea is great, drink it as often as you can. Fennel tea has been a real godsend for some people with bloating - Some people don't like the taste, but I love it. Mix it with peppermint if you don't like the taste.
I'd like to ask, how long will it take to stop the bloating and can long term curing of this occur? Nothing will drive me insane than having it where one day I feel no bloating, and then the next I feel pregnant, I can't stand the inconsistent, constant up and down nature of the bloating.
I know it's so frustrating for you, but there really is no schedule or way to know when your bloating will get better. You need to stick to the diet, you need to try lots of different things and you need to be patient. Bloating is one of the hardest symptoms to get a handle on and everyone is different. I'm afraid it will likely be a matter of waiting and seeing what happens.
I find it striking that you brought up how Irritable Bowel Syndrome can leave you this way, feeling alright one day and bad another. This is exactly what happens with me and drives me mad. I was told however that certain foods can trigger Irritable Bowel Syndrome and noticed that when I do have foods I can get bloated.
I guess that the bloating can be partially stopped and blamed to certain foods but this is not the only reason and will not eliminate it?
Like we've said before, IBS symptoms are not always easy to map. Everyone has good days and bad days and sometimes it is impossible to tell what makes them different. I can eat the exact same thing one day and be really sick, and eat it again and be fine. Stress, activity, the amount of sleep you're getting, and other things you may not think about can all affect your body, and consequently your IBS.
You need to accept that although you will get a handle on it as best you can, you will still have bad days once in a while.
I thought after reading that it was the diet which caused the bloating and if I didn't have some foods I would no longer have it, now I hear differently.
See above. These things are all over the website. Controlling your IBS is a lifestyle change, not just a diet change.
I'd like to ask, if I diet, take the prebiotic, have water, exercise, and do yoga, how soon, how likely is it I can control and not get bloated?
That's not really possible to predict, like I said. It is different from person to person. If you keep a log of everything you are eating, activity level, etc and then your symptoms, you may be able to predict it somewhat more easily but there will still be things that throw it off. Nobody will be able to say "It will be this many days until you feel better", it's just not possible.
How much water should I drink a day, should it be an hour before and after I eat my food?
You should drink half an oz of water for every pound of body fat. Drinking it warm is easier for your body, taking small sips and not chugging it will be easier. You should be drinking water throughout the day, regardless of whether you are eating at that moment or not.
What about yoga, if I do all except yoga should I get where I want to have?
Why do you say all except yoga? Are you opposed to doing yoga? That really surprises me because as someone who finds himself so frustrated about being bloated, I would think that you would jump at the chance to do yoga as it is one of the most effective way for some people to control their symptoms. There are many yoga poses and exercises for our digestive tract which might be really, really beneficial to your bloating. Keep an open mind about yoga, and give it a try. If you really want to get better, you will try anything. If someone told me to hop around on one foot all day to make my stomach stop hurting and cramping, the D would go away, the nausea would stop, I would get my energy back.. I'd be a-hopping!
Is there any time table.
Nope, not really. Constipation and bloating time longer to stabilize than some other symptoms. Many people suffer with bloating even after they have controlled other symptoms. I wish I could tell you when you'll feel better, but I'm afraid I can't.
Good luck, I hope this helps!
--Steph
--------------------
~~I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell-I know right now you can't tell~~Matchbox 20
IBS-D,pain.
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Heather,
I must admit I had forgotten all of this!  What a wonderful reminder of WHY and HOW we get bloated 
You're the best *big hugs*
Sending you lots of love,
Ruchie
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Formerly known as Ruchie
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web page
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Formerly HanSolo. IBS, OCD, Bipolar, PTSD times 3.
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First of all you have to avoid all dairy. The cheesecake in addition to the other dairy could have made you worse this week even though you seemed to recover quicker last week. Sometimes the trigger foods are cumulative in effect and sometimes they are tardy in causing problems too. Also 50 oz of liquid is way too low. I am not sure if you are C A or D but focus on that and regularity first and staying strict on the diet. I find bloating can be a bear to completely fix and sometimes is seemingly out of nowhere. Fennel tea is the biggest help though. And yes proper hydration is important to not bloating as it is to all GI health. Doctors don't understand bloating anyway! Their tests are always inconclusive and they have no prescriptions for it. That is why it is my personal quest!
--------------------
IBS-A for 20 years with terrible bloating and gas. On the diet since April 2004. Remember this from Heather's information pages:
"You absolutely must eat insoluble fiber foods, and as much as safely possible, but within the IBS dietary guidelines. Treat insoluble fiber foods with suitable caution, and you'll be able to enjoy a wide variety of them, in very healthy quantities, without problem." Please eat IF foods!
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Quote:
Quote:
Thanks. That is quite a useful bit. I currently take Digestive Advantage Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Lactaid Pills, and I will try to have 2 cups of peppermint tea, does this cover the prebiotic?
I don't know a lot about Digestive Advantage, as it claims to be something that isn't even possible for people with IBS but if it helps you, that's great! That being said, I think that you would be wiser to get a good probiotic from a health food store. Make sure you can one without lactose. Some you have to keep in the fridge, others you don't.. check labels for this.
Lactaid pills aren't going to be a huge help. You should be avoiding all dairy products. Period. No dairy would mean you wouldn't need the lactaid pills.. If you are properly avoid dairy, a major trigger food, you don't need them.
Peppermint tea is great, drink it as often as you can. Fennel tea has been a real godsend for some people with bloating - Some people don't like the taste, but I love it. Mix it with peppermint if you don't like the taste.
Yep. I agree. I love acacia and will recommend it to all. It defintely helped my bloating and is a prebiotic.
I'd like to ask, how long will it take to stop the bloating and can long term curing of this occur? Nothing will drive me insane than having it where one day I feel no bloating, and then the next I feel pregnant, I can't stand the inconsistent, constant up and down nature of the bloating.
I know it's so frustrating for you, but there really is no schedule or way to know when your bloating will get better. You need to stick to the diet, you need to try lots of different things and you need to be patient. Bloating is one of the hardest symptoms to get a handle on and everyone is different. I'm afraid it will likely be a matter of waiting and seeing what happens.
I find it striking that you brought up how Irritable Bowel Syndrome can leave you this way, feeling alright one day and bad another. This is exactly what happens with me and drives me mad. I was told however that certain foods can trigger Irritable Bowel Syndrome and noticed that when I do have foods I can get bloated.
I guess that the bloating can be partially stopped and blamed to certain foods but this is not the only reason and will not eliminate it?
Like we've said before, IBS symptoms are not always easy to map. Everyone has good days and bad days and sometimes it is impossible to tell what makes them different. I can eat the exact same thing one day and be really sick, and eat it again and be fine. Stress, activity, the amount of sleep you're getting, and other things you may not think about can all affect your body, and consequently your IBS.
You need to accept that although you will get a handle on it as best you can, you will still have bad days once in a while. Yes, even Heather's diet/lifestyle plan is not a CURE. there is no cure for IBS unfortunately.
I thought after reading that it was the diet which caused the bloating and if I didn't have some foods I would no longer have it, now I hear differently.
See above. These things are all over the website. Controlling your IBS is a lifestyle change, not just a diet change.
I'd like to ask, if I diet, take the prebiotic, have water, exercise, and do yoga, how soon, how likely is it I can control and not get bloated?
That's not really possible to predict, like I said. It is different from person to person. If you keep a log of everything you are eating, activity level, etc and then your symptoms, you may be able to predict it somewhat more easily but there will still be things that throw it off. Nobody will be able to say "It will be this many days until you feel better", it's just not possible.
How much water should I drink a day, should it be an hour before and after I eat my food?
You should drink half an oz of water for every pound of body fat. Drinking it warm is easier for your body, taking small sips and not chugging it will be easier. You should be drinking water throughout the day, regardless of whether you are eating at that moment or not. Just to clarify, if you weigh 150 pounds that is 75 oz of liquid per day minimum. What about yoga, if I do all except yoga should I get where I want to have?
Why do you say all except yoga? Are you opposed to doing yoga? That really surprises me because as someone who finds himself so frustrated about being bloated, I would think that you would jump at the chance to do yoga as it is one of the most effective way for some people to control their symptoms. There are many yoga poses and exercises for our digestive tract which might be really, really beneficial to your bloating. Keep an open mind about yoga, and give it a try. If you really want to get better, you will try anything. If someone told me to hop around on one foot all day to make my stomach stop hurting and cramping, the D would go away, the nausea would stop, I would get my energy back.. I'd be a-hopping! I also don't do yoga as it is against my religion, but I do a lot of exercises and use an exercise ball. Meditation and hypnosis is also out of the question. Yet I do feel I have improved my bloating greatly!
Is there any time table.
Nope, not really. Constipation and bloating time longer to stabilize than some other symptoms. Many people suffer with bloating even after they have controlled other symptoms. I wish I could tell you when you'll feel better, but I'm afraid I can't. Also there might be some quick and wonderful benefits but relapses occur too. 
Good luck, I hope this helps!
--Steph
--------------------
IBS-A for 20 years with terrible bloating and gas. On the diet since April 2004. Remember this from Heather's information pages:
"You absolutely must eat insoluble fiber foods, and as much as safely possible, but within the IBS dietary guidelines. Treat insoluble fiber foods with suitable caution, and you'll be able to enjoy a wide variety of them, in very healthy quantities, without problem." Please eat IF foods!
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Quote:
Quote:
Is there any time table.
I'm afraid not. Every person with IBS is different so everyone's 'road to stability' is going to be different. I know you probably don't want to hear this, but you just need to be patient and keep focussing on daily maintenance.
It doesn't seem like you're taking a prebiotic or a probiotic. Have you considered acidophilus (probiotic)?
Probiotics help to increase the good bacteria in your gut. As for PREbiotics, the only prebiotic fiber I know of is acacia but maybe someone else can suggest another one. (FYI acacia is available in stores now, but you may have to ask an HFS near you to start carrying it).
Also, since you're staying away from milk products there's no need to take Lactaid at all - all lactaid is is a digestive enzyme that only helps you digest lactase (milk products). So need to waste your money on that!
Quote:
I thought after reading that it was the diet which caused the bloating and if I didn't have some foods I would no longer have it, now I hear differently.
I think it's really emphasized on this site that managing IBS is a combination of things - that includes as a big point diet but also a number of lifestyle changes (i.e. when you eat, how much you eat, exercise, drinking water, stress relief etc.). Diet is a big part of it but it's not the only part of it. So yep diet can really, really help with your bloating (staying away from triggers, always eating with SF etc.) but it's only part of the game, so to speak.
Can I ask why you're not interested in yoga at all? I'd highly recommend it, personally, both for stress relief and relief of IBS symptoms, and more generally for wellbeing.
The doctor told me and I am going to begin to take a probitoic, VSL#8.
I am not interested in yoga because I don't think I have time, I don't think Irritable Bowel Syndrome I have is due to stress because I get it after having food.
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I wonder why when I asked my doctor about if water, or lack of water, could cause my bloating he shock it off so profoundly.
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I am just curious about why yoga and meditation are out of the question because of your religion?
I fully understand not doing something because of religion, I'm not saying anything bad, I am just curious.
Thanks!
--Steph
--------------------
~~I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell-I know right now you can't tell~~Matchbox 20
IBS-D,pain.
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That's fine if you don't think you have time; still though, I'd really recommend it because it's helped me so much. Even 30 mins a day works wonders.
Also re: stress. It may not seem like stress TRIGGERS your attacks but it can definitely aggravate them. I know that when I made a concerted effort to bring my stress levels down I found that I could tolerate a lot of foods a little better. Just a thought.
Also, doctors aren't always right. Just something you learn after having IBS 
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I don't know how to do yoga, and I don't have the time now or the money to pay and take in a class in this. I am not dismissing this, I do wonder however how yoga is going to make noticable long term improvements to the bloating, so there is no purpose in putting those words in my mouth. Somebody apparently decided to say I was dismissing this idea, bashing me all the way to the head of this website, and I have to say I am getting irritated that in an effort to improve my living condition, which this board has helped, that people continue to seek out the worst in me, threatening my health.
If you don't like me, ignore me, but don't go about trying to get me ripped out of here, and in the process, destroy my means to improve my Irritable Bowel Syndrome sypmtoms I have now.
I'm here to help myself, people don't have to be cowards and behind my back go plotting and emailing to get me out of here.
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Retrograde gave you a very nice response. Why do you jump down her throat?
She has always tried to help you, from what I've seen.
You do seem to post repetetive questions and then ask the same question that was already answered in the same or a previous post. Retrograde has been very patient with you.
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yoga
#177586 - 05/09/05 07:01 AM
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zebras
Reged: 04/15/05
Posts: 31
Loc: Vermont
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Notadoctor, you're a college student, right? Most colleges offer yoga classes you can take as part of the phys. ed. requirement. If you go to school full-time rather than paying per credit, then the cost would probably be included in your tuition.
Certainly not everyone with IBS needs to do yoga. It's just one tool you can use, and seems that it would be a particularly effective one for bloating because the different ways you move your body help to move and expel gas. It's also great for stress management.
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Frankly, I don't think either myself or Stephie was jumping down your throat. As usual, we were just trying to help by telling you that YES, yoga has worked for us and maybe you should give it a chance.
The two of us are two of only a few who actually answer your questions on this board because as I'm sure you know many people can be very offended by the tone in your posts and the way that you continually repost questions that have already been answered. As I've said before, everyone understands that you are going through a rough time with your IBS and such, but there is ettiquette on this board that you need to remember. Obviously we don't "not like you" since we continue to answer your questions, but there are a few on this board who simply chose not to reply to your posts because they can't handle your posts. The reason people went to Heather with complaints was because you were flooding the boards and making it very difficult for others to get their questions answered. As you know IBS is aggravated by stress and, plain and simple, you were causing lots of people a lot of stress. I think that's a very legitimate reason for them to have gone to Heather.
No one is "plotting behind your back" and quite frankly NO ONE is threatening your health!
If you don't want help or you don't like the answers you get, that's fine. I can start ignoring your posts if that's what you'd prefer. But personally I don't think yelling at people, alienating them and causing them to ignore you is the way to find help on a website like this.
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