Is there anyway to get rid of swelling/bloating?! Desperate for help!

hatemybloat · Post by **hatemybloat** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 1:09 pm

Is there anyway of getting rid of the bloating and swelling with IBS? I have tried various diets, acupuncture, drink loads of water, even resorted to extreme methods like making myself sick, taking laxatives and starving myself. I have always been slim and had a flat stomach until I got IBS. I'm 22 and could have this condition for years due to my stressful job (I run a large dance school, stage school and gymnastics school by myself). I'm active, I have been doing sit-ups all the time and use a slendatone everyday aswell, my muscles are as toned as can be but I still have a big swollen stomach. I don't want to be one of those people who keeps getting asked 'when's the baby due' and having to suffer the embarrassment of telling them I'm not actually pregnant. My stomach is so swollen constantly that I do actually look ike I'm pregnant (I'm not though) and have actually had a couple of friends ask me if I am. I've tried talking to my doctor, but being a man, he just didn't understand how stressful it is for a women of my age to have a fat looking stomach and how much of a big effect it can have on someones life. It is having a major effect on my life and I am desperate for help! I can handle all the other symptoms of IBS (and mine is fairly chronic) just not the fat swollen pregnant belly. Any help will be majorly greatly appreciated, especially if it helps.

ll Legend ll · Post by **ll Legend ll** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 4:25 pm

Not sure how to get rid of it, but just that know that I'm going through the same thing. I have upper bloating, pain, gas, and it seems like I get short of breath a LOT. Sometimes I get random flutters a lot when doing standing up or something. I feel it in my upper abdominal area and get nasty bloating and pain. Not sure if it'll help, but you could try Gas-X. You could buy them over the counter.

chrisoob · Post by **chrisoob** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 4:46 pm

Hi, you may want to review Johnny Bowden's book, "The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth." I just purchased it, and it has all the foods with specifically what each food is good for. He has only selected the foods that have the highest benefits. I have stopped refined sugar eating, and I have started becoming a whole new person.

deedee00 · Post by **deedee00** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 5:35 pm

Hi. You may wan't to cut down on the salt to get rid of bloating. Bloating is usually when the excess water in your body accumulates in areas of your body. Yours is in the stomach probably because the IBS puts a strain on that area and is making it vulnerable to the bloating. Cut down on the salt and drink more water. When you eat a lot of salt AND drink lots of water, you bloat because the salt is making you retain(hold in) the water. But when you cut down on the salt and drink more water, because you don't have all of that salt in you holding on to the water, drinking water will actually pull the excess water out of you. Then the bloating will be gone.

I hope this helps.

Take care. DeeDee.

kar3312 · Post by **kar3312** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 2:46 am

Hi-
I to have alot of stomach issues and that is what causes alot of my anxiety. The bloating feelings and gas in the upper and lower stomach area. I have recently discovered food combining and I have seen a big difference in my digestion it is amazing how your body reacts to combining different foods. As I see you are a pretty into exercising try this along with taking a fiber supplement I eat the fiber wafers everyday made by metamucial(not bad). Give it a try. Please let me know if you want any other info on food combining it really is interesting.
Take care
Kar

DukeR · Post by **DukeR** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 6:58 am

I would love to know about the certain food combinations.

I have to ask, does anyone have spurts of diarrehea after you have gone to sleep and then you wake up and your stomach is so upset??

kar3312 · Post by **kar3312** » Wed Feb 06, 2008 2:25 am

Hi-
Information I got on food combination was from a website <A HREF="http://www.greattastenopain.com" TARGET=_blank>www.greattastenopain.com</A> the website gives a little information and they provide info you can order as well. It has taught me and helped me as well. Hope this helps.

Kar

ECBop · Post by **ECBop** » Wed Feb 06, 2008 3:50 am

I am 56 years old and began to suffer with terrible IBS when I was 27. The illness caused me so much distress. I was a young mother of 3 and an elementary school teacher. I found the illness so embarrassing. I did not want to go to church, school or any social functions. I was also afraid to eat anything. I lost so much weight that people thought I was dying of cancer when they first saw me. Unfortunately, I still had a bloated tummy.
I would recommend seeing a gastroenteralogist if you have not already, just to rule out any other diseases. I am happy to say that now I am not bothered very much by IBS. It could be that the stresses brought on by motherhood have disappeared. I do try to stay away from dairy products and I swear by taking a heaping teaspoon full of Metamucil with a half a cup of water every night before bed. Taking it at night helps eliminate the gas and bloating in the day.
I hope that this has been helpful to you and just know that things do get better.

stephr77 · Post by **stephr77** » Thu Feb 07, 2008 1:36 pm

I have suffered with IBS for years myself. A few months ago I read on WebMD that good bacteria can help to regulate the digestive process and that yogurt is a great source, so I tried it. Let me tell you it helped tremendously! I don't get the pain anymore or the sudden urges to go to the bathroom or much gas even (except if I eat foods that cause it). I eat Yoplait Original (I didn't want to try the Fat Free or whips or any of those other fancy yogurts as they would have done more harm than good for me) and just introduced to my system slowly - 1 every 3 days then 1 every 2 days then 1 every other day now I am moving to 1 every day. It has made such a difference for me! I don't know if it will work for everybody but I thought I would just put it out there.

Bethersf61* · Post by Bethersf61* » Thu Feb 07, 2008 6:14 pm

Hi there hatemybloat,

Greetings from the U.S. After just briefly reviewing some of this info., it dawned on me that maybe you may be experiencing some difficulties w/metabolization (breaking down) of food possibly in your body, even maybe food sensitivities or allergies, etc.. After the last reply ref: yogurt, etc. being extremely beneficial, I admit that I'm no nutritionist or droctor, but possibly your body or system may require some or more digestive enzymes to break down & properly metabolize your food. I have heard as we grow older, our systems lose some of the gastric fluids & other req'd excuse the lack of proper terminology to process everything as easily as when we were younger. I recommend hearing or reading one of Dr. Christine Northrup's (a Women's Health physician) books relative to being properly hydrated (H2O), digestive enzymes to aid in processing of fats, sugars, proteins, (maybe in probiotics & in vitamins). All of the info. included sounded sensible, practical & logical, not necessarily requiring add'l drugs & increasing substantial expense.

I hope that this info. may aid your health concerns & improve your overall situation.

Best wishes & good luck,

Beth(ers)F.
Central Maryland, U.S., 40+ yr. young, program newbie