My stomach is round and bloated, and it makes me look pregnant

Posted by Seeking answers @bosnianbeauty, Jan 10, 2012

I have been having problems with my stomach for quite a while now.

My stomach is always round and bloated ,as if i am pregnant.
I have pain most days and have severe cramps and vaginal muscle cramps/contractions during my period. I also bleed a lot.

I eat healthy,take multivitamins and drink water and no sodas or fruit drinks just fruits and veggies. I know most people have flatter stomachs even those who don't eat as well as me.

I have done research and have come to some conclusions that could fit. I think i might have a uterine fibroid or cyst,something that is making my stomach big.
I also have ugly stretchmarks even though i have never been pregnant and am not pregnant,but at times it looks like it.
If anyone has anything similar or knows anything,i would really appreciate the feedback.

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Profile picture for Jennifer, Volunteer Mentor @jenniferhunter

@beanglow @htocco Severe bloating, diarhea, cramps and excessive gas are symptoms of gluten issues. You can do an experiment to see if removing all foods with gluten helps. I cannot tolerate any gluten or this will happen to me. I felt better right away when I took gluten out of my diet. I also developed other food allergies because having inflammation from the gluten caused a leaky gut, and I did an elimination diet to figure that out, so I have to be careful now with food. There are blood tests for celiac disease which should still work if done soon. If you avoid gluten for a long period and then get tested for celiac disease, you might not be making the antibodies any more that the test is looking for.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/celiac-disease/doctors-departments/ddc-20352229

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Thank you for your message. I have tried gluten free, low fodmap. No change. I only suffer from constant bloating/distention. All GI tests have been negative. I guess I should feel positive in some ways I don't have other symptoms, as well.

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Profile picture for beanglow @beanglow

@kanaazper I have not been able to eat any regular food and have been existing on Boost for weeks. I have severe gas, bloating, distention, stomach cramps, pain, numerous loose BM's every day. I have an appointment at Mayo on March 29. I would appreciate any suggestion from you and the Community.

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@beanglow Have you tried eliminating dairy? Your problems sound similar to mine. It took a long time for me to figure out what the trigger was, and I finally came to realize it was lactose. I can now eat a little hard cheese, and I can have just a tiny amount of lactose if I take Lactaid. Lactaid does not help if I have a lot of lactose though.
The irony is that I was actually eating cheese when I was having soft stools because they always say cheese is "binding". Oops! I think I may perhaps have more than lactose intolerance though because it seems as if I do have the same problem sometimes when I do not have any lactose. As I said in another post though, maybe something I ate had lactose in it, unbeknownst to me.

Does Boost have lactose in it? I used to occasionally have Slimfast for breakfast, not for weight loss as much as for it being a very quick breakfast. It does have lactose in it though, so not often now. If I do use it I will take Lactaid and that helps. If you can tolerate Boost and it has lactose, then I guess that's not your problem.
JK

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Profile picture for htocco @htocco

Hello,
I have chronic bloating and distention of the abdomen and am very uncomfortable all of the time. I have had a colonoscopy and endoscopy (both negative), have tried a low FODMAP diet for several weeks, with no change. I do take probiotics as well a ginger root and peppermint. I rarely have cramping, except after a bowel movement. After a BM, the distention is more severe for the entire day. My GI doctor is at a lost as to what to do now. It seems much of the GI field is mysterious, and, unfortunately there are no answers for many conditions, including this. Is there anyone out there with similar symptoms? Does anyone have any suggestions for me?
Thank you!
Helen

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gab2002, you may be allergic to anything and everything. I'm bascially eating a caveman's diet because everything I eat makes me sick. Plus I have to soak nuts overnight for smoothies and eat mushy veggies to heal my gut. Soy makes me sick. No corn.No seeds. I eat pumpkin pie for breakfast because it does not bother me. I eat lots of meat to heal my gut and it's working. Plus I had pain in my colon. My body was in a battle and I lived in the bathroom. I became friends with la toilet. I am awaiting results from Enterolab owned and operated by a physican and researcher. He's become a friend. You will find everything you can/can't eat. So in the meantime, I'm avoiding everything and eating only overcooked veggies, soaked nuts for smoothies, and healthy meat. I am starting to feel better. We are what we eat.

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Profile picture for htocco @htocco

Hello,
I have chronic bloating and distention of the abdomen and am very uncomfortable all of the time. I have had a colonoscopy and endoscopy (both negative), have tried a low FODMAP diet for several weeks, with no change. I do take probiotics as well a ginger root and peppermint. I rarely have cramping, except after a bowel movement. After a BM, the distention is more severe for the entire day. My GI doctor is at a lost as to what to do now. It seems much of the GI field is mysterious, and, unfortunately there are no answers for many conditions, including this. Is there anyone out there with similar symptoms? Does anyone have any suggestions for me?
Thank you!
Helen

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I am so sorry to hear this. I hope you get some answers and can feel better soon. I can't imagine having to do what you're doing. Prayers to you.

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Profile picture for htocco @htocco

Hello,
I have chronic bloating and distention of the abdomen and am very uncomfortable all of the time. I have had a colonoscopy and endoscopy (both negative), have tried a low FODMAP diet for several weeks, with no change. I do take probiotics as well a ginger root and peppermint. I rarely have cramping, except after a bowel movement. After a BM, the distention is more severe for the entire day. My GI doctor is at a lost as to what to do now. It seems much of the GI field is mysterious, and, unfortunately there are no answers for many conditions, including this. Is there anyone out there with similar symptoms? Does anyone have any suggestions for me?
Thank you!
Helen

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@0akboume Thanks for your post. I'm still living in the bathroom and have a love/hate relationship with la toilet. I can't eat overcooked veggies, any kind of nuts, pumpkin pie or meat. Could you give me the name of the doctor at Enterolab and how I could contact him? I need to find what I can and can't eat. I have been on a low residue, low fiber diet since my colon rectal surgery in 2001. There were very few things I could eat on that diet but now even those things cause problems. Elaine

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Profile picture for Teresa, Volunteer Mentor @hopeful33250

@beanglow
I hope you find some answers. Mayo is a good place to deal with hard to diagnose problems.

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@hopeful33250 Thanks for your reply. I do have a milk intolerance. It seems like everything has some milk in it. I do take Lactaid but it doesn't seem to help. I was drinking Silk and eating lactose-free ice cream but now I can't even tolerate that. I'm hoping for some answers from Mayo. Elaine

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Profile picture for Jennifer, Volunteer Mentor @jenniferhunter

@beanglow @htocco Severe bloating, diarhea, cramps and excessive gas are symptoms of gluten issues. You can do an experiment to see if removing all foods with gluten helps. I cannot tolerate any gluten or this will happen to me. I felt better right away when I took gluten out of my diet. I also developed other food allergies because having inflammation from the gluten caused a leaky gut, and I did an elimination diet to figure that out, so I have to be careful now with food. There are blood tests for celiac disease which should still work if done soon. If you avoid gluten for a long period and then get tested for celiac disease, you might not be making the antibodies any more that the test is looking for.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/celiac-disease/doctors-departments/ddc-20352229

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@jenniferhunter Thanks for your reply. I think I was tested for celiac and it came back negative, but that was a long time ago. It would probably be good to have the test. What can you eat on a gluten-free diet? I will check out the link you sent. Elaine

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Profile picture for beanglow @beanglow

@jenniferhunter Thanks for your reply. I think I was tested for celiac and it came back negative, but that was a long time ago. It would probably be good to have the test. What can you eat on a gluten-free diet? I will check out the link you sent. Elaine

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@jenniferhunter if you are considering getting the blood test to check for celiac disease, wait until after the test to start the glutenfree diet. There are two celiac organizations in the US which provide valuable and reliable information. (I was diagnosed almost forty years ago by small bowel biopsy: before the existence of the blood test).

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Profile picture for CL @lelia

Get tested for fructose malabsorption, lactose intolerance, and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. In the meantime, quit eating the ginger root and peppermint, as well as fruit and sugars.

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Im wondering if I have food allergies...

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Profile picture for sue225 @sue225

@jenniferhunter if you are considering getting the blood test to check for celiac disease, wait until after the test to start the glutenfree diet. There are two celiac organizations in the US which provide valuable and reliable information. (I was diagnosed almost forty years ago by small bowel biopsy: before the existence of the blood test).

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@sue225 I had to go gluten free on my own 19 years ago because no one would test me then, so I've never had an official diagnosis. I was told I looked too good because I wasn't emaciated. For me, it was the extreme stress of going through my first surgery that brought it on, first gluten, and then lots of other food allergies followed due to a leaky gut. I react if I accidentaly get any tiny amount of gluten, even food cross contamination from cooking on a grill can cause problems. I always have to be vigilant. That makes it hard to eat socially. This is good advice for those who are new to this issue. Thanks for your comment.

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