Has anyone experienced bloating?

Is the bloat constant or after eating? Have you had whipple or pancreatectomy?

I had the Whipple 11/22/22. I’m not sure if its bloat, but my stomach area is kind of hard and I have a lot of gas. Surprisingly, my measurement are exactly the same, waist, hips, abdomen. I still have 10 pounds to go. I was very physically fit prior to the Whipple. Maybe having so much removed,, this normal? I just don’t look flat; it’s it’s just a rounded belly. Is that bloat?

Thanks for responding.

Did a member of your care team prescribe a pancrealipase like Creon or Zenpep after the Whipple? When the head of the pancreas is resected, patients lose up to 82% of the acinar cells that produce the digestive enzymes. This results in Exocrine Pancreas Insufficiency (EPI) where there is not enough digestive enzymes. Food ferments in the intestine leading to excessive gas, bloating and other symptoms.

Other causes of gas- high fiber vegetables and legumes containing oligosaccharides. The human pancreas does not produce the enzyme required to break down oligosaccharides which is alpha-d-galactoside. If you are eating peas, corn, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, beans and others, the OTC product Beano is the enzyme alpha-d-galactosidase and will prevent formation of gas by allowing for the digestion of these vegetables.

Some patients may develop an intolerance to lactose found in dairy. To continue eating dairy, Lactaid diary products or taking a lactaid enzyme capsule will ameliorate symptoms.

Pancreatic Enzymes
https://letswinpc.org/managing-pancreatic-cancer/2019/10/09/pancreatic-enzymes-explained/

EPI YouTube Presentations
https://youtu.be/F-DEkZNUZ0c

Flatulence
https://flatulencecures.com/vegetables-that-cause-gas/

Thank you for all that information. It was reo months before an enzyme, Zenpep, was prescribed for me. Creon was the first one but I had a terrible reaction. I’m going to study your response in depth. Again, thank you so much.

I have a similar issue. I have been taking 2-3 creon tablets during meals and still always have abdominal discomfort, bloating and some degree of pain for the next few hours after eating anything. I am stage 4, so no surgery…

Thank you for your reply. So sorry you are having so much discomfort. This disease really sucks, big time!

I had eight rounds of folfirinox and my tumor did shrink about 35%, but it was still completely wrapped around two major vessels and unlikely to pull away enough to allow surgery. Since the chemo itself just about killed me I decided to stop and just live as well as I can for as long as I can. It's been five months since I stopped chemo and I have felt so much better! I'm enjoying my life and although I know it won't last I'm going to live it for all I'm worthwhile it does. The one thing that causes me problems is the gas and bloating. Dilaudid and morphine have not helped with that pain because I think it's actually nerve pain from the pressure of the gas. Opiates don't work that well on nerve pain. Cutting back on the Creon seems to have helped maybe a little and a higher dose chewable simethicone seems to work better than the capsules. I have tried taking a half milligram of lorazepam at bedtime and that seems to help a little. It doesn't even seem to matter what it is I am eating. Most of the time it's only a problem when I lie down to sleep because during the day when I'm upright I can usually pass the gas one way or the other fairly effectively so far. It's when I lie down at night that it's a problem. A hot rice sack seems to help although it could be that it just feels comforting . I also just started taking some dexamethasone in the mornings to see if that anti-inflammatory property will help. If anyone else has any more suggestions I would sure love to hear them. I'm going to try adding Beano and Lactaid and see if that helps.

I added Beano as suggested byone of the group. It actually helped immediately. I don't know if it's the same for everyone else, but it sure made a difference. I would ever know when the gas would erupt; I sounded like a freight train.

Good luck with your plan and have a hell of a good time! I admire your spirit!

It is interesting how the amount of gas / wind can vary over time and over your treatment. Your freight train comment made me laugh. For about a month I had almost constant stomach growling noises and I told my wife if you pointed me in front of a wind turbine I was sure I could power it by the amount of wind I could expel out of my rear orifice! It did keep me a wake at night for a while as I had to go to the bathroom regularly just to get rid of the wind. My wife wasn’t a big fan of me just letting it out around the house 😜

It sounds funny, but it’s a real nuisance. One thing when I’m home, but I hesitate going anywhere. The beano did make a difference. The last two days, since I started, the freight train has gone off the tracks! I hope it doesn’t get fixed!🤣🤣