Distended Belly

[rybread]

And no,I'm not talking about a quad gut I'm talking about my belly truly sticking out to the point where I kind of look pregnant typically when I'm in bed and around bedtime. It almost always happens after I eat lately to the point where it's extremely uncomfortable I'm starting to have a hard time eating decent mealsbecause I fill up so quickly. When I wake up in the morningis completely flat but by the time I go to sleep is freaking huge. I've tried Gas-X and Tums but neither one has helped reallyI'm doing really good as far as bowel movements go and I think I have gas a sometimes, but there are some days where I lay here just wishing I could FartIt's getting so bad it's pushing on my diaphragm and makes it a hardto take a deep breath sometimes What can I take to fix this? I have an appointment Wednesday where I'm going to ask about it, but it's my primary care doctor and not a gastroenterologist yet.Please tell me something will work for this meanwhile1 I'm going nuts and think I'm going to quitprotein shakes for now because that seems to be the triggerI switched to soy milk but I still get it

[SCI-Nurse]

It sounds like gas and food building up. Do you have a regular bowel program? Have you noticed it iwth any particular foods or pretty much all of them??? Your PCP should be able to prescribe something to help with this and then if he can't atleast help it he could refer you to a gastroenterologist.People claim the Activia yogurt helps with this.

cWO

[coolbreeze]

What we eat plays a role in our huge gut and gas. You may need to change eating habits or something.

[cali]

i take alkaseltzer when i get like i have to fart and can't. it sucks and it's painful. but the alkaseltzer helps me fart for some reason even though it seems pretty contradictory since it's all fizzy, but it works for me.

[mingo]

Originally Posted by rybread

..It almost always happens after I eat lately to the point where it's extremely uncomfortable I'm starting to have a hard time eating decent mealsbecause I fill up so quickly.

I have this too. I feel pretty flat after a bowel program. I call it "the miserable, swollen, bloated feeling."

I meantioned this last week to the GP and he asked if I've ever has a colorectal exam. I know this should be checked, but I can't imagine the prepwork happening in a home enviroment. Fine for ABs.

[bnb]

i eat small low fiber foods and avoiding fruit helps me with gas.

[crags]

possibly lactose intolerant?

[thehipcrip]

I'm also thinking that it might be a lactose intolerance issue. I never had a problem with dairy until last year, when I noticed I bloated up and felt miserable every time I ate something from the dairy group. Started taking the generic version of OTC Lactaid and the problems went 90 percent away.

There are still a few foods that cause stomach to distend and generate a lot of gas -- I just to my best to avoid them.

Sounds as though you would benefit from keeping a food I/O journal. Note the time of day, what you eat, and how you feel before eating and an hour after eating, as well as notes on your bowel movements (time and results, including volume, texture, amount of gas passed, etc.). That should help you identify the culprit foods that are making you feel so lousy.

[Scaper1]

"I'm going to quitprotein shakes for now because that seems to be the triggerI switched to soy milk but I still get it"

I just switched from whey protein to a combo of whey/ soy/ casein protein, and the effect on my stomach was immediate and not good. I will definitely be going back to whey protein.

[chavard]

Cali,
So, just when do you take the alkaseltzer? Before a meal? After a meal? How soon after? Or just before bedtime? And, just what about this is painful? Tablet--how many? How soon for results? Just air/gas, or more than that? Thanks, Chuck

Originally Posted by cali

i take alkaseltzer when i get like i have to fart and can't. it sucks and it's painful. but the alkaseltzer helps me fart for some reason even though it seems pretty contradictory since it's all fizzy, but it works for me.