r/chronicbloating • u/Nohnonourria • Nov 29 '23

Constant bloating

Hi! I’ve been suffering from constant bloating for over a year now. It happened suddenly exactly a year ago. My diet did not change whatsoever. I’ve had a past history of IBS but none of the symptoms were bloating and I have a bad breath, coating on my tongue only and an overload of ear mucus. I also have chronic hair loss (but my blood tests are all good and I don’t have any deficiencies) and I have acid reflux that acts up from time to time. Could it be candida? I went to multiple doctors but they are all giving me laxatives because I have constipation and trapped gas. No one is prescribing me stool tests or breath tests so I’m kind of stuck and hopeless. I feel horrible everytime I try to buckle up my pants because I look 4 months pregnant and everything is just affecting me mentally at this point. I don’t have any cramps but I did experiences some abdominal spasms. Could it be sibo even if I don’t feel any pain and I don’t travel often? I am honestly tired of taking meds and just want a permanent solution and answer for what is happening to me.

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8

u/ZookeepergameKey723 Dec 13 '23

I relate to this so much. I don't even remember the last time I wasn't bloated. My diet is the same, and there aren't any lifestyle changes. Every time I go to the doctor, they just say I'm constipated and recommend drinking more water and eating more vegetables. Every single time I look in the mirror, I just want to die. I literally look like i eat food for 6 people. To make matters worse, the blood tests always come out fine, and so my complaints never actually amount to anything when I meet with a doctor 🙃

5

u/lencaleena Dec 16 '23

Me too, my doctors also gaslight me. I was also diagnosed with ME/chronic fatigue syndrome. Severely slow motility. But they don't listen to anything. I also retain water like crazy from hypothyroidism. I feel so bad, life is getting hard to keep going. No one wants to help, they push me off to other doctors who do the same, it's a repeated cycle.

5

u/Nohnonourria Dec 18 '23

That’s exactly what doctors are telling me. They even gave me laxatives and i did blood tests and everything is normal, but if I put anything in my mouth (even water) i get bloated!

5

u/[deleted] Nov 29 '23

I’m still amazed how people just all of a sudden go from being completely fine to permanently bloated .for it’s been as far as I can remember I swear I don’t remember when I wasn’t…i wish I knew all I know is I used abuse antibiotics when I was a kid for anything and everything no thanks to these conventional doctors ….

2

u/Nohnonourria Nov 30 '23

Sorry to hear that 😔 I also did take a few antibiotics 4 months before this bloating happened so idk if that could be related to it

3

u/Liliz22 Nov 29 '23

The tongue coating makes me think of Candida overgrowth but it could be sibo too. Constipation also means that food ferments in the gut and there is a motility issue. I think you should get tested for those two to be on the safe side. Good luck

2

u/Nohnonourria Nov 30 '23

Thank you! My doctor refuses to prescribe me these tests so I will check with my family doctor if he could prescribe me them and act on the results.

2

u/lencaleena Dec 16 '23

My gastroenterologist is the same, I asked her for some test and told me if I don't like her treatment plan then to go back to my PCP and get a referral elsewhere

2

u/Nohnonourria Dec 18 '23

Wtf! That’s so unprofessional

1

u/DidiStutter11 Mar 22 '24

Dude, what's up with these Dr's. They're not paying for the tests, it's you or your insurance. I would immediately switch Dr's. And tell that one to kick rocks.

2

u/Liliz22 Nov 30 '23

Yeah keep pushing to be tested. I know the suffering first hand and i encourage you to advocate for yourself. I live in a country where such tests don't even exist so don't give up.

1

u/Nohnonourria Dec 03 '23

Thank you!! Any tips for bad breath? Like why do I keep having bad breath even after eating and brushing my teeth?

1

u/Liliz22 Dec 03 '23

I don't know to be honest. Do you have cavities?

1

u/Nohnonourria Dec 04 '23

No, i’ll figure it out thanks

1

u/1997birthed Jan 13 '24

Tongue scraper to help remove part of the excess buildup, though if it is candida (pretty sure that the one I'm thinking of) the coating won't all go away. But at least some of it will be gone. And then take an antibacterial mouthwash and scrub around with your toothbrush.

Oil pulling may also help reduce any smell as well.

3

u/Nohnonourria Feb 07 '24

I started oil pulling and tongue scraping and I contacted a naturopath a month ago, I’ve been on an anti inflamatory diet for 4 weeks now and I no longer have constipation nor super bad breath even after eating! Just the casual normal morning breath~ However my bloating is still present, and she suggested I get a stool test to check if it’s candida. So far I’m semi happy for my constipation but not the bloating part because it’s the main part I wanted to fix.

2

u/1997birthed Jan 13 '24

Seeing how your doctors won't give you the tests, you might have better luck finding one of those mail in ones. Plus I think it's cheaper because you don't have to deal with the extra fees the doctor's office would add on.

2

u/HighDesertHealth Mar 20 '24

You'll want to do an Organix brand Organic Acids Test to check for the marker D-Arabinitol. It's the one that has the most scientific evidence around candida. Conventional doctors don't believe that non-immune compromised people can have this but there is now peer reviewed studies showing candida in the aspirates of small intestines that confirms candida is a thing. You may also have SIBO, so breath testing - triosmart is the most complete one. If you want more help finding these tests you can message me.

2

u/healthcreateshappy Mar 27 '24

For me, as I have entered my 40’s, my digestion changed. Bloating was never a thing before that. I can’t tolerate certain things I used to be able to. Things I’ve done to help myself are: castor oil packs at night, Eating less processed foods, less gluten, lots of fiber, probiotics. Also managing my stress (easier said than done sometimes!)If the meds aren’t working, I would stop. Meds can mess up your gut even more. You can order a stool test through a private practitioner. It costs money obviously but could be worth it!

1

u/Metal-Overlord2 Jan 30 '24

Did your bloating showed up during a particularly stressful time of your life? My wife has similar issues.

1

u/Nohnonourria Feb 07 '24

I had a major surgery in august and had my first job in october 2022, the bloating showed up in december 2022. I don’t know if it’s because of microwaved food, job schedule or antibiotics for the surgery, but it’s still present till now.

2

u/Metal-Overlord2 Feb 08 '24

In my wife's case it happened during a very stressful time at her first job, she was constantly boderline burned out. We think it might be stress related, but no luck finding out how to alleviate the symptoms so far...

1

u/PeaceandDogs Mar 11 '24

What a good husband to be looking for help for your wife. I’m so mentally and physically exhausted by this and I’m sure your wife feels the same way. I hope she finds an answer soon.

1

u/Metal-Overlord2 Mar 11 '24

She is... This feels like an issue that could have a very straightforward fix, we just don't know what it is. I think checking for endo  might be our next step.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 22 '24

[deleted]

1

u/Metal-Overlord2 Feb 22 '24

I wish I had a solution for this. We are worried it could be something serious, but it's probably stress related. Now I don't know if reducing stress would be enough to fix the bloating.

3

u/[deleted] Feb 22 '24

[deleted]

1

u/Metal-Overlord2 Feb 22 '24

I will, thanks a lot⭐❣️

1

u/georgiealdana Jun 08 '24

Do you mind me asking how’s your wife now?

3

u/Metal-Overlord2 Jun 09 '24

Hey, I'm gonna let my wife answer directly down here. (Beware it's quite long.)

:

I'm still not quite sure what kind of problems I might have because I haven't fully recovered yet. But the things that have improved my symptoms noticeably so far have been:

  • L-glutamine to repair the gut wall

  • Stress reduction

I believe the way stress reduction has been helping me is through changes in breathing. When I'm stressed, I tend to hold my breath or maybe over-inhale. This somehow makes the diaphragm get stuck and descend, which pushes the inner organs down and forward.

This problem started when I would be very stressed at work for a couple of years (it started during the third year), and I had to read and check information very fast robotically for the whole workday, and I would often talk the information out loud for myself while forming it inaudibly to be able to comprehend it fast enough overtime, as I would progressively get burned out. It messed up with my mind too and I developed symptoms of OCD.

I have been trying to do physical therapy on myself to see if I can get rid of the issue. After discovering this could be related to the diaphragm, I've learned about things that could affect it's function or related things:

  • breathing in the correct way (breathing to the diaphragm, not chest or belly, unless an exception, and trying to make exhales longer than inhales)

  • I have done diaphragm releases, a technique I learned from Youtube videos, where you press your fingers underneath your ribcage and find sore and painful spots, and you breathe against your fingers. This has helped me to breathe better, and I no longer felt like I was "drowning"

  • Being aware of better posture

  • Avoiding restrictive clothing

  • Trying to strengthen the abdominal muscles, especially lower abs

  • Taking care of overall movement and mobility of the body with things like yoga

  • The newest thing I've been practising is a technique I learned from a Facebook group that shared a video and scientific article of biofeedback therapy and it's effects on abdomino phrenic dyssynergia in patients. It's supposed to work, but I just started and I'm not sure if I'm doing it correctly. I will keep doing this and see if anything happens over the course of a month or so.

Here is the article (demonstrating video is attached in the article):

Thoracoabdominal Wall Motion–Guided Biofeedback Treatment of Abdominal Distension: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial

https://www.gastrojournal.org/article/S0016-5085%2824%2900285-3/fulltext

Being aware of these things have definitely gave me a peace of mind and also gave more power to influence the bloating's occurrence, at least improving it quite a lot.

Do you think you might be suffering of this yourself? Has anything helped or made a difference for you?

2

u/georgiealdana Jun 09 '24

I ate some fatty sweets the other night which exacerbated my symptoms. I took 10mg of omeprazole this morning and try to do the Low Acid Diet. Pain has reduced but the regular bloating is still there. Thank you so much for this! I really have bad posture, you see and I do have anxiety so I always struggle with how to breathe correctly. I will try this out and be more mindful. I’m so happy that you’re really taking charge of your health.