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

I didn't even ask about celiac. My sister showed celiac on her lab and then was checked with the EGD and colonoscopy and it was verified. It is hereditary. My mother had horrible GI symptoms. I just do the FODMAP diet as carefully as possible. Today, I checked the list of foods again and saw some culprits that could be troublesome so I'm throwing them out. There is a lot I can eat but a lot I can't. I gave up meat and dairy a long way back and dropped a bunch of weight right away. I now have cut down on sugar which I love love. The outcome is that I have NO stiffness anywhere. Who knew? Andrew Weill MD stated once, "When sugar goes in it heats up and turns into much like brittle, think peanut brittle." I have never forgotten it.

Hi there. I am having very similar symptoms. I just turned 46 a couple days ago. I believe i am starting menopause because sometimes i wont get my period for s month and sometimes i will get it twice a month. They have always been heavy but now it is very heavy. Anyway for about 2 years almost my belly has grown so big and fast. Round just like i am 6 months pregnant. Im not. I had a tubal ligation 18 years ago plus you have to have sex lol. I have gained weight in other areas too but my belly is so embarrassing. I too was usually 140-145lbs. Now i am 220. Most i have EVER weighed in my life. My 3rd pregnancy 18 years ago made me weigh 160. At that time, that was the heaviest i ever been until now. I do eat alot of sugar no exercise but i am really scared about my hard, bloated pregnant looking belly. I can't wear anything. Nothing hides it. Thank you for letting me vent. If anyone has any comments to help me figure this out, please please let me know. Be safe.

@niki1974 please see your doctor. It could be serious. I worked with a woman who was a workout addict but her stomach kept growing. Dr kept telling her must be her diet and needed more exercise. She died a couple months later of stomach cancer. You know your body and deserve to be heard and your symptoms treated seriously.

You might want to check with your doctor to see if you possibly have PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome). The name is very misleading and they still have no idea what causes it and totally how to manage it. Those of use with PCOS are misdiagnosed for years and we each can have different variations of the symptoms. We can also be classified as being insulin resistance. I had one endocrine doctor tell me to think of it like this, every calorie I eat effects me twice as much as people without this issue. So basically it takes me twice the effort to work off extra calories than most people. Those of us with PCOS tend to gain more weight around our belly area and have extreme difficulty to maintain our weight and even harder efforts to lose it. Many women with PCOS have issues with our menstrual cycles and excessive Male patterns of hair on our face, arms, belly, chest, legs, etc. The name also leads you to believe it is all related to your female organs and the name comes from the fact that it can be detected by viewing the ovaries and it will look like there is a pearl neckless around the ovary with all the tinny cysts that circle it. However, please note that when I had my hysterectomy and removed only the one ovary that was causing me the most pain, the doctor told me if I even had a full hysterectomy I would still have PCOS.... So I equate it (personal opinion) that this issue is really an endocrine issue that effect females. You can talk to you doctor about this (however most doctors do not understand this either)and do some google searches to read on it. Please note that since there are so many thing not understood about this the information can vary on the internet. Just a thought into a possibility.

I have gastroparisis and dumping condition. My stomach looks like I am expecting a baby at 72 years of age. I don't digest food like I should. I know how you feel.

Sorry to hear about your condition. Are you getting treatment to help with your symptoms?

@htocco were you able to get a diagnosis for your condition?

Very interested as my symptoms have been near identical.

I have been reviewing my messages and found this. I didn't find any Private Message. Please resend: htocco@sandi.net.
Thank you!

I have seen three GI specialists. They say my problem is functional, not organic. No real clear diagnosis. No one can help me; just trying to live with it. How about you? Diagnosis? Treatment?

Sent you an email with some more details. So far I have seen 4 GI specialists, a neurologist, and two primary care physicians. I even had genetic testing. My distention has also been described as functional. After all the tests, diets, and medications there is still no diagnosis. My distention was persistent for about a year. Now, it is aggravated by activity such as walking. Latest direction pertains to exploring dyssynergia. Even though my distention does not have to do with constipation, I had an anorectal manometry test done. The results where somewhat abnormal. May lead to a direction such as being Abdominophrenic Dyssynerigia combined with Pelvic Floor Dyssynergia. I have an upcoming appointment to meet with a physical therapist at Mayo Clinic.

Some information I came across about dyssnergia
https://drossmancare.com/misunderstood-functional-gi-disorders/
Maybe this will help lead your doctor's in a direction.