So essentially I'm having symptoms caused by food & also shovin more food down my throat! Prior to this I had been trying like crazy to stay in shape (exercising 1-2hrs every day) and I wouldnt lose any weight...turns out I have insulin resistance! My liver was not absorbin sugar correctly. I guess I had PCOS (a condition o the ovaries) that sort of leaves you more likely to get it, but all the sugars & carbs in my diet increasing really lit the flame! Now if I don't eat carbs, I don't get a distended and painful stomach! However, if my blood sugar dips too low I get nauseas &/or dry-heave.
On a side note, taking probiotics during all of this still seemed to really alleviate some symptoms!
For years I have suffered with stomach bloating, water retention... have had low GFR levels and high Creatinine Levels (both have to do with low kidney function). I was checked for Kidney Disease, had every imaginable Gastro test and nothing. I am now 44, am female, have had Polycsytic Ovaries for as long as I can remember... but the hard abdomen, bloating, water retention, distention is getting much much worse. Really not sure what to do. Became a ovo lacto vegetarian in 2004, as everytime I ate meat I would become nauseas, weak, felt intoxicated... that helped for a long while, but now, the abdominal issues are worse than ever. As anyone had a combination of low GFR, high Creatinine levels, with stomach bloating, distension and a history of female troubles or polycystic ovaries. Are they somehow related?
FYI I now have this problem having moved from Canada to Israel. Bloating and distended stomach has occurred in 3 months of living here and I see the entire population with a similar problem. I don't eat bread, wheat, gluten, sugar and exercise more. This is not weigh gain and wonder whether it is a bacteria in the water that causes it.
Bev from Northampton
ok ladies.... are we all females complaining of this problem?! let's start putting some pieces together... what do we have in commone (besides the pregnant belly for no aparant reason...
i have been dealing with the pregnant belly issue for about 4 years now, coincidentally around the time i became a vegetarian and organic whole food eater (ironic!?)
i do have regualar bowel movements, and usually my stomach is not painful, just seriously uncomfortable and frustrating. it definately affects my quality of life, on a regular basis. i belch constantly, and reguritate small amounts of food on occasion, but no heart burn.
it seems to occur no matter the amount or type of food i consume, time of day, etc. even after water!
it is very easy for me to gain weight w/out "proper" exercise (much more than the average person) and when not maintaining very strict diet. and hard for me to maintain 'proper' weight.
so... lets get to the root of this!!! what lifestyle patterns do we have in common?
i will list some things about myself that i feel may have any impact on this issue, and maybe if we all do the same we will start to see a trend??? lets hope there's hope!
-female, 28yrs old
-grew up eating meat, dairy, eggs, processed/packaged junk food (my first 20+ yrs)
-became vegetarian about age 23 (along w/ that very health concious ie whole grains, organic, whole foods, etc. but also possibly increase in soy? so also decrease in all animal products)
-was on birth control (the pill- ortho, etc) for aprox 10 yrs
-regular cigarette smoker for 7 yrs (lightly off and on for 4)
-regular migrains as child (age 4-14)
-high stress/worry level
-have struggled w/ depression
-high focus on food (especially since this issue began)
-tested (neg) for gluten intolerance/celiac disease (both endoscopy and blood test. extended family members have celiac)
-diagnosed w/ vocal chord nodules around 21 yrs old
-asthma (diagnosed age 4)
-acid reflux (no heartburn ever, but lots of belching and food coming back up often)
since i started having this issue i have done differant cleanses and experimented with differant diets. i have cut out dairy, wheat/gluten, alcohol, soy, quit smoking and quit taking birth control. i did a raw food and liquid cleanse for 4 weeks that eventually 'eliminated' my symptoms, but only for a short time.
i do notice that it seems the more i stress (and stress over my stomach) the worse it is.
-33 years old now, 25 when it began
-grew up eating meat, dairy, eggs, processed/packaged junk food (my first 20+ yrs)
-transitioned to sugar substitutes and started trying to eat more vegetables and less fast food about the time that the condition started
-a one time heavy drinking evening the night before the condition started (it seems to be the instigator)
-was on birth control for 14 years but have been off for 4 -5 years
-never smoked personally
-started getting migraines(actually considered tension headaches) once a month when I was about 21 years old - I believed it was due to birth control at the time, but I still get them every now and then
-high stress/worry level
-struggled with high stress family and relationships in high school and college
-did a yeast-free diet for 3 months with antifungal pills and lost 10 pounds but not the distension
-tested negative for gluten intolerance, have been told that it's IBS
-I don't have any particular symptoms: no pain, only slight constipation symptoms, but not that bad, increase in smelly gas when I consume fiber and probiotics, but mainly just the bloating. The first day I looked 4 months pregnant, but after a few days the bloating went down to what it is now. I was a dancer and a swimmer, so my body type makes people automatically assume that I am pregnant. My belly is 2-3 sizes larger than my legs and it makes buying clothing impossible. My stomach starts out much smaller in the morning fresh out of bed, but soon after swells out and some days are worse than others which leads me to think that it's food-related. Since I did the yeast-free diet (no carbs, no dairy, no vinegar, limited vegetable types, I figured that I would have seen a major difference.)
-I recently started hormone treatment for thyroid even though my lab results came back within a "normal" range. They have made a significant difference in my energy level at the end of the day. I used to be completely drained by 3pm. I also found out that I was pretty low in testosterone, so I am taking that too.
-I have started taking magnesium daily and a mega-probiotic daily, and I got really good about taking a pro-pack of vitamins daily, but I still don't see a change in my stomach. It's been going on like this for 7 years now.
For me I tried to soothe my heartburn with MORE food, unfortunately I reached for breads & dairy products to soothe my tummy. Eventually, my body stopped being able to properly process carbs & dairy.
Now I don't drink coffee (no heartburn yay), I eat few carbs (sugar, bread, pasta), & I only eat yogurt or soy milk products.
I haven't had bloating, pain, or diarrhea since! & I lost 40lbs! (no I didn't exercise)
PCOS can easily be diagnosed with a sonogram at the OB office! Check out th symptoms online or maybe do a lactose intolerance test also; apparently it develops with age often now.
Good luck!!
I also noticed belching, stomach pain, gas, & diarrhea when I had pudding or cheese.
Now that I've dealt with both problems I feel so much better!! And lost 40 lbs :) (20more to go!) it wouldn't hurt to check in to the lactose intolerance thing because you can develop it as an adult.
Good luck! :)