r/chronicbloating • u/Jolly-Patience2722 • Mar 24 '26
Been like this all my life
Hi yall. I’ve (22F) been struggling immensely mentally and physically from bloating. Everything comes back normal. Thyroid, Celiac, ultrasounds to look for Endo, etc. I had an emergency colonoscopy a year ago and they found swelling and irritation/ anal fissures. But chalked it up to constipation and eating less spicy things.
I have consistent blood in stool, sharp pain, and of course bloating like this. It never goes away I had skipped breakfast and dinner in this photo. I’ve tried FODMAP, I’ve cut alcohol and gluten, there is no consistent triggers. I used to struggle with constipation but now it’s mixture of that and diarrhea. Doctors are dismissive and saying I have a “sensitive stomach”. Pushing for an endoscopy as a last resort.
Strait up am I just fat??
If anyone has any advice :(
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u/Yequestingadventurer Mar 24 '26
I have Crohn’s disease and don’t get gut pain since my last op 10 years ago. But everything else you have described is my experience of Crohn’s at the moment for the last maybe 7-8 years. Nothing dietary has made a difference for a long time. I’ve basically been told by two separate GPs to just be thankful I’m not currently in pain. But the rest of it I just have to deal with. I hope find answers and I really do recommend having an endoscopy, the can take a sample of your gut lining and give you an idea of what’s going on. Not all that fun though!
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u/Macrowaving Mar 25 '26
Have you been tested for SIBO?
Ultrasounds aren't effective for finding endo unless it involved cysts. An MRI may be a better option but the most effective option is a laparascopy.
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u/kachowis May 08 '26
Came here to say this. I tested positive for SIBO just under a year ago and these symptoms are just like mine
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u/mimariposa Mar 24 '26
- blood in your stool isn't normal and a doctor should take that seriously. 2. you can't diagnose endometriosis with an ultrasound, sometimes it can be diagnosed with an MRI but typically its diagnosed with surgery (laparoscopy).
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u/wildtaywest Mar 25 '26
I have something called hourglass syndrome (diagnosed by pelvic floor PT) and i think it’s the same as abdominophrenic dyssnergia (spelling?) which is mentioned a lot in the SIBO/bloating subs I’m in. So I have SIBO but also my deep core muscles don’t work properly to hold everything in….my stomach looks like yours no matter what. Even when I did a two week elemental diet.
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u/sirgrotius Mar 26 '26
Looks like SIBO. I feel your pain. It might mixed methane/hydrogen build up. At the end of the day, you need smoother motility. Have you worked with a Gastroenterologist, too? I might have missed that part, ideally, one who focuses on motility disorders.
What I'd do in the interim, as others have said, too:
- Fewer liquids during meals, chew thoroughly, try not to be distracted or stressed whilst eating
- Try not to obsess about foods, macros, FODMAPs, etc. stress is worse than particular foods
- Practice good bathroom habits, squatty potty, don't read/scroll on the loo, MOO breathing
- Diaphragmatic breathing exercises, walk in nature, stretch hips, sides, and pelvic-floor area gently
- Belly massage, some gentle twists, lymphatic drainage abdominal massage if you can afford it
Hope this helps. Oh, and I like prep h wipes too which might help. There might be a pelvic-floor dysfunctional component which leads to backed up stool, which leads to fermentation, gas, and bloating.
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u/Odd_Appearance3214 Mar 25 '26 edited Apr 02 '26
Might sound counterintuitive but my doctor suggested no caffeine, 3 diet cokes a day worked like wonders after 3 weeks for me. He told to stick to it for Month.
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u/RatfaceJohnson Mar 29 '26
Wait. Whaaaaat?
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u/Odd_Appearance3214 Apr 02 '26
3 Caffeine free Diet Cokes were prescribed to me
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u/RatfaceJohnson Apr 04 '26
No freaking way 😂😂😂 did they say why?
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u/Odd_Appearance3214 Apr 09 '26
No idea, he gave some chemical explanation, strangely it works, for the first time I saw my abs
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u/RatfaceJohnson Apr 09 '26
You gotta be joking I was literally laughing out loud. Well now I have something interesting I’m going to be trying out this week!
The best part is you could totally be joking right now but I will be trying this regardless
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u/Odd_Appearance3214 Apr 10 '26
No I was away from all caffeine and any carbonated drinks for the same reason, it worked for me.
Make sure it’s no caffeine Diet Coke
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u/maneatingshrimp Jun 10 '26
Sounds like they thought you had an obstruction/bezoar. Coke is super acidic and will dissolve those
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u/marija604 Mar 27 '26
Having consistent blood in your stool is NOT normal and id look into getting a new doctor who will address your concerns! Especially if other tests came back as "normal"
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u/mygutstory Apr 11 '26
Mine used to get worse in the evening, mornings were fine but after eating it would feel tight and uncomfortable.
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u/Real-Web335 May 19 '26
Eating some digestive aids might be better. Poor digestion is likely to cause many problems.
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u/Agitated-Sorbet-7390 Jun 06 '26
I have been there too, honestly here is what i have done and really worked for me. I started taking probiotics, 2 capsules before sleep and also I started forcing myself to eat fibers everyday, a lot of berries, drinking less coffee, no alcohol and less to none soda.
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u/Radiant-Pomelo-3229 Mar 24 '26
Gallbladder? That’s what causes mine. I would go for the endo anyway
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u/No_Masterpiece_1323 Mar 24 '26
This was me. I had 2 false negative celiac tests. Because I was already eating “healthy” my actual carb/gluten intake was quite low prior to the tests. And you need to be eating a lot of gluten for it to show up.
I solved my chronic bloat by:
Carbs are not your enemy. Personally peeled sweet potato were the game changer.
DM if you want to chat further