Swollen 42 inch abdo for months on end !

[kellyryan1978]

Femal / 32 / 5ft 4 / 10st 8lbs
Test done Ultra sound which was normal / colonoscopy which was normal so specialist advised it was IBS / Tablets given for IBS did not work / lost a stone in weight and it seemed to spent more time not swollen but after afew months the swelling started and got worse over time.

My tummy swells from just under my boobs down to my pelvic bone, i do not get any pain but i always feel like something is trying to push its way out of my tummy. It will swell up to 42 inches and stay like that for months, can fluctuate by afew inches. It will out of the blue deflate and i feel great and it will then just go up again, i feel so tired with it, no energy but i do just keep going but i just dont know what to do next !!

Kels

[moonshadow]

There are so many things it could be kelly, such as food or lactose intolerance. Have you had any tests for either of these and Liver function tests? Are there days when it is worse than others? If so perhaps keep a food diary and see if certain foods trigger it. Caffeine and chocolate quite often cause bloating and believe it or not, not drinking enough water. I could go on but I really think you need to go back to your GP and carry on searching for the cause. GP's are to quick to write-off people with IBS.

[kellyryan1978]

I paid for my own intolerence testing and they all came back fine, its really weird as it will go flat as a pancake at any given time then it could be up again within an hour and thats before even eating anything before hand. I have sat infront of a consultant crying and got nothing from him apart from wanted to send me to an IBS spec who can give me ideas on what to eat and that did not even happen. I will be going back thats for sure, i look for months pregnant most of the time and even get asked when my baby is due. It can get worse when i am due on and can shrink a bit afterwards but apart from that i have not found a pattern.
People have said to me it may be candida within my tummy due to anti-biotic taking over a period of time but the doctors do not rec it as they can not really test for it .... aaarrrgggghhhh

[Misssj]

I too have the same problem, however I know mine is linked to constipation and the excessive bloating will go when passing wind. I have recently cut out milk and it seems to get better. I havent been diagnosed but I'm pretty sure it's IBS. I have read that bloating can be associated to other internal issues like ovarian cysts, but you have had tests to rule this out by the looks of it. The question is I suppose, do you have problems going to the toilet, if so then it is possibly linked to this. IBS seems to be a last resort diagnosis if all else fails, but you still cannot ever be sure it is IBS.

[lil75]

My stomach looks bloated quite a lot, mainly down to wind, last night before I went to bed I took a mediine called lactulose, available over the counter.....I was passing wind all night, it was even waking me up how loud it was ;o) but I felt like a new woman today...I too drink too much tea and not enough water...maybe you could try that medicine, me and my mum swear by it!

[Eve]

Aww, it's horrible isn't it :( I was mortified when someone got up on a tram and gave me their seat once!

I have suffered bloating for years and have had certain things make it worse, too much dairy and wheat, especially wholegrain stuff. Might be worth pressing for some appointments with a dietician and making a food diary.

I have had other problems as well though, chronic diarrhoea and lots of pain included and have recently been diagnosed with bile acid malabsorbtion and the medication I've had for that has really helped.

I felt so frustrated as they couldn't find anything definite for ages and it was one test they did just to see which finally gave the answer else I'd probably still be being fobbed off with IBS.

Could you have problems with water retention?

[lil75]

Since reading your post, its made me realise how unhappy I am about my bloating, I have cut down on my tea drinking and started drinking green tea and boiled water with a slice of lemon in it.....to be honest ive noticed a difference already, much flatter than I was, the green tea isnt nice but if you read about it on the net it is so good for you in many ways, I just thought I would share it with you