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Terrible bloating..HELP!!
wishfullthinking79
Posts: 322 Member
For like the past 4 or 5 days I have been so bloated. It is terrible. I started taking gas-x but it didt really help. Then I bought beano. Still no kind of relief. Yesterday I barely ate anything all day. I mean I didnt even get close to 500 calories. I am just so uncomfortable. This morning after I had been awake for like 20 minutes the bloating started again. All I had done up to that point was drink a little water. On top of trying the beano and gas-x I have tried some all natural ingredients that are suppposed to help. I have used peppermint tea, chamomile tea, ginger, and tumeric. But here I sit feeling like my tummy is going to explode. I havent even taken my vitamins for the past 2 days because I cant take that increased fullness that it causes.
Any ideas on what else I might be able to try?
Any ideas on what else I might be able to try?
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Replies
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Do you mean like retaining water?
If so, how's your sodium intake. You could be retaining if you're not getting enough.
I can feel like that if I eat too much cheese and/or protein. Taking magnesium oxide can help if it's constipation.0 -
@Sunny_Bunny_ I dont know what water retention feels like. My stomach feels like a balloon that is getting ready to pop. It definitely could be constipation which is ridiculous since I have no gallbladder. I have some stuff I can try to take a little of. I worry because it never kicks in when it says it should. SO I end up having to go at all the wrong times. Is the magnesium oxide a different kind of vitamin than the typical magnesium that is vitamins? I already take s many pills. Its insane.0
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wishfullthinking79 wrote: »@Sunny_Bunny_ I dont know what water retention feels like. My stomach feels like a balloon that is getting ready to pop. It definitely could be constipation which is ridiculous since I have no gallbladder. I have some stuff I can try to take a little of. I worry because it never kicks in when it says it should. SO I end up having to go at all the wrong times. Is the magnesium oxide a different kind of vitamin than the typical magnesium that is vitamins? I already take s many pills. Its insane.
I don't have a gall bladder either. I've never heard that you couldn't get constipated without one.
Kinda sounds like constipation to me. Water retention would have you feeling puffy in your legs/feet too.
Typical causes of constipation on low carb are not eating enough fat, eating too much cheese and sometimes too much protein, like in my case. But I think that's not so common.
Generally magnesium oxide is not recommended for your daily magnesium because it doesn't absorb well, but that's what makes it a good laxative. You would have to read your bottle to see what kind you have. I think magnesium citrate works well as a laxative too. Honestly any magnesium will work, just the amount you'll have to take will vary. If you look at the ingredients of otc laxatives, you'll often see magnesium listed.
I could take 750mg of the oxide form at night and 500mg in the morning and resolve my issue by that afternoon. You could be more or less sensitive than I was though.0 -
Yeah no no. I did not mean to imply that you couldnt get constipated just because you do not have a gallbladder. Almost everyone in my family has no gallbladder. They eat and it goes right through them. I do know that my meds could be causing this. Some of them could cause one or the other. I will go get me some tonight. Hopefully it is sold at one of the drug stores. Well I should be able to use Milk of Magnesium right? I do have that at home.
Thank you... I just automatically assumed it was gas because of the pressure. But now I guess it kinda does sound like constipation. Especially since the gas meds wee not working.
See I would have kept doing the same crazy thing had I not posted on this forum.0 -
Lol. I was confused about the gall bladder thing. I didn't realize that was a thing for not having one. Probably because I have been without for so long! I was 16 when I had mine out, 24 years ago! Though I did always have that problem before low carb. They just said it was IBS. Never knew it could've been because of no gall bladder.
Anyway, milk of magnesia is totally fine. Same basic thing. I just mention magnesium oxide, because so many of us buy that form when we first start supplementing and realize there are better ways to go, so it's good to know it still has a purpose. Lol
Take a look at your diary and see if you can figure out what may be the cause. Not getting enough water can also sometimes be part of it. I don't know if that's a possibility for you.
Lots of people think they're constipated when they go low carb because you just tend to go less often in general. Simply less waste to pass. But, if you have the discomfort you're describing, it does make sense.
Another thing that helps me is to lay on my belly. Even putting a pillow under me to apply pressure.
Hope you get to feeling better soon.0 -
@wishfullthinking79 How long had it been since you've gone to the loo. I feel like you described if I haven't gone for 2 days0
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Bile actually helps lubricate (not quite, but like that) food as it passes through the gut. It's my understanding that lack of a gallbladder does increase the chance of constipation. It's like that for me (10 years without a gallbladder). I really have to concentrate on keeping my water consumption up and eating plenty of fibre.
The unreliable bile release with no gallbladder plus not enough water can bung things up badly for me.0 -
Bloating? You wouldn't happen to be consuming lots of sugar alcohols like xylitol in gum would you?
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dulcitonia wrote: »Bloating? You wouldn't happen to be consuming lots of sugar alcohols like xylitol in gum would you?
That's a good question too.0 -
I've had bloat off and on all month - likely hormonal. The pressure in my tummy is like I just ate a full meal, from wakeup until evening. I find that a few bottles of water and a diuretic helps. Typically it's water retention.0
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Thank you everyone for your responses. I ended up going home and taking the laxative. It took hours plus glycerin suppositories to get anything moving. Then it wouldnt stop. I was up and down for hours before I finally just got up to get ready for the gym. 20 minutes after getting up I started feeling really bloated again. i finished getting ready for the gym then headed to the 24 hour walgreens so I could pick up the diuretics. I took one before I went into the gym.. Strange thing is while I was doing abs and core my tummy didnt seem to bother me. I did have to make sure I didnt need to run for the bathroom.
I still feel bloated.. I do not know what else to do.0 -
What about the artificial sweeteners @dulcitonia asked about. It is actually possible they could be causing inflammation and be the source of your issues. Do you use them?0
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And I would make sure to keep taking your magnesium supplement. What kind is the one you have?0
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i use splenda when I drink hot tea but that is not often. The magnesium just says magnesium 250. I havent taken any of my vitamins in the past 4 days because it is too uncomfortable to drink that much fluid at one time. I am literally an overblown balloon just waiting to pop.0
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@Sunny_Bunny_ KnitOrMiss recommended a Fizz vitamin mix to me because I told her how difficult is was getting for me to take all these vitamins. I purchased the D-K2 calcium one. This would be one of the last things that I added to my diet next to the kombucha. Did the vitamin mix cause any of these symptoms for you? I havent used either of them in the past several day.0
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wishfullthinking79 wrote: »i use splenda when I drink hot tea but that is not often. The magnesium just says magnesium 250. I havent taken any of my vitamins in the past 4 days because it is too uncomfortable to drink that much fluid at one time. I am literally an overblown balloon just waiting to pop.
Your magnesium is most likely oxide, which does help things pass through if taken in high enough doses for you. Kind of varies from person to person
So, that being said, you would be much better served by a different form of magnesium. Somewhere on that bottle it will say what form it is. I'm sure it will be small and should look like an ingredients list.
May be time to consult a doctor.
But, the Splenda could actually still be responsible. Someone shared a story about a young girl who suffered from mysterious bloating all of a sudden that went on for months and they suspected everything from cancer to kidney failure and couldn't figure it out. It turned out she was drinking diet soda when she was a friends house. When she became hospitalized and unable to get diet soda is when they started to figure out that it had to do with something she was exposed to outside of the hospital that wasn't present there. So anyway, it can be very surprising0 -
wishfullthinking79 wrote: »@Sunny_Bunny_ KnitOrMiss recommended a Fizz vitamin mix to me because I told her how difficult is was getting for me to take all these vitamins. I purchased the D-K2 calcium one. This would be one of the last things that I added to my diet next to the kombucha. Did the vitamin mix cause any of these symptoms for you? I havent used either of them in the past several day.
If it's the vitamin mix I think it is, it's a very good one. I just don't use that one because I am going a cheaper route. I buy powdered supplements in bulk and mix my own now.
I have some magnesium carbonate now that I mix with other stuff and make a flavored water.
I can't imagine the vitamins would be the cause, especially since you haven't been able to take them and haven't improved.
You can also just add less water and take it as a shot if you wanted to make sure you got it.
But, it's just not clear if your problem is water retention, constipation or something else at this point.0 -
Actually, what pain meds are you taking with your heel injury? If you're taking ibuprofen, that's famous for stomach upset and all, too... I can't remember what you told me you're taking...0
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Oh, and what was the timing of the kombucha? Killing off bad gut bacteria can be absolute he!!... I know you did more than suggested the first time... May need to either up it to finish the process - or slow back down. Someone else here can also suggest the PREBIOTICS that help PROBIOTICS work properly. I know @DittoDan has done a lot of research on that lately.0
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@KnitOrMiss I was prescribed Voltaren which is an anti-inflammatory.
After I consumed more than the recommended dose of kombucha I reduced it to 2 oz. I last drank some yesterday. I couldn even drink more than just a few sips of my protein shake after I worked out so I did not try to take anything else.
@Sunny_Bunny_ I have been using splenda for almost 2 months now. It is only here recent that I am experiencing this. Could there be a delay in the side effects? Splenda is the only sweetner I can stomach. My girlfriend did me some coconut sugar I think it is. I know that it is milder than sugar but I cannot remember the details on it. The magnesium is listed as magnesium oxide 250mg. But I havent taken that in a few days. I am doing good to get down my prescription medication.
I actualy briefly looked at prebiotics today when I was at the drug store buyinng the diuretics0 -
What is the protein shake sweetened with?
I would stick with eating only whole foods while this is going on. I would skip the protein shake.0 -
Have you tried probiotics and/or digestive enzymes? The DE you just take before every meal.0
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@Sunny_Bunny_ the protein shake is sweetened with maltodextrin. I can go without it. I only drink it in the morning after I work out because the trainer said I need to concume protein post gym. WIth that being said, I think it is also important to mention that I will not be able to eat anything in plae of it. I cant even fathom the thought of actually eating that early. Oh if I do not drink the protein shake then i do not have anything to mix the MCT oil in.
I think I do what KnitOrMiss suggested.. I will just remove everything from my diet with the exception of the meat. This does however mean that I will in no way consume enough of anything.0 -
@Christine_72 No I havent tried either one of them. I never thought that I needed to. I did notice them today when I was talking to pharmacist about my symptoms. He said it sounded more like gas. But I told him I took beano and gas-x for several days before I tried something else. I will have to check into them. I am very hesistant to add anything else extra to take. I am already struggling with taking what I already have.0
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Beano and gas tablets never worked for me.. I used to look 6mths pregnant after every meal, and was uncomfortably bloated. The probiotics def helped, but the digestive enzymes had a bigger impact.
I know how you feel about adding more pills to the arsenal. I have a separate supplements section in my diary so i can keep track of what I have and have not taken Oi!0 -
wishfullthinking79 wrote: »@Sunny_Bunny_ the protein shake is sweetened with maltodextrin. I can go without it. I only drink it in the morning after I work out because the trainer said I need to concume protein post gym. WIth that being said, I think it is also important to mention that I will not be able to eat anything in plae of it. I cant even fathom the thought of actually eating that early. Oh if I do not drink the protein shake then i do not have anything to mix the MCT oil in.
I think I do what KnitOrMiss suggested.. I will just remove everything from my diet with the exception of the meat. This does however mean that I will in no way consume enough of anything.
What about coffee or tea? You can also just take MCT as a shot...
It may not be sweeteners of course, but you get more artificial sweeteners than you realize by having the protein shake. The Splenda isn't your only AS.
Another member was having problems last year and eliminated artificial sweeteners and it resolved their issues. That's why it comes to mind. And it's actually very common for them to cause bloating. It's just something we tend to notice only upon eliminating them. Even if it's not new to you, other things are going on in your body, changing and healing and it could be that it's just now showing up with all of the other things. It's just one possibility. A gut microbiota issue does seem to make sense and artificial sweeteners are very well known to mess with that.
Anyway, if something doesn't change soon, I would just check with your doctor.0 -
Artificial sweeteners were my first thought in relation to what you're experiencing. If splenda, and other sweeteners are something new for you, I recommend eliminating them! Give yourself a week to see if you find some relief. Doesn't leave a whole lot of taste to things, but the stuff is EVIL for some people, like me! Taste adjusts to not having any sweet over time. I can say that I didn't want it to be the splenda! But, I've adjusted! Best of luck to you! I hope you feel better!0
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Side effects of the volatren, top of each list:
upset stomach, mild heartburn or stomach pain, diarrhea, constipation bloating, gas
I'd look into this, since nothing else jumps out making sense.0 -
I just won't take it anymore.0
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wishfullthinking79 wrote: »I just won't take it anymore.
I'm sure that is the side effect of a lot of medications, and you're probably just more sensitive to the reactions now without the carb-buffer... I only ever used this in gel form, and I don't remember any issues, but it's been YEARS and way before low carbing.
Doesn't hurt to eliminate the med for a week, get it out of your system completely, then add it back in if it isn't the problem.0
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