I can't handle the bloating anymore
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anewlifeat40
Posts: 179 Member
How do I get my stomach to calm down? I've been doing keto for 2.5 months... I'm drinking electrolyte drinks regularly to get my sodium and potassium in. What else can I do??? I never had bloating, gas or stomach pain before Keto... I was regular as clockwork... now I'm either totally constipated or having diarrhea... I hate this bloated feeling SO MUCH. 
I've tried taking cal/mag, and tried not taking cal/mag, I don't really think it helps, I think maybe it makes it worse... I don't know... anyone else had this problem? how did you resolve it?
One other thing I started doing when I started keto was drinking diet coke and eating sugar free foods with aspartame. I got rid of it all today, it's been more than 24 hours now since I had any, but no improvement on the gut situation...
I've tried taking cal/mag, and tried not taking cal/mag, I don't really think it helps, I think maybe it makes it worse... I don't know... anyone else had this problem? how did you resolve it?One other thing I started doing when I started keto was drinking diet coke and eating sugar free foods with aspartame. I got rid of it all today, it's been more than 24 hours now since I had any, but no improvement on the gut situation...
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Replies
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Yikes!
Could be all sorts of things; sounds like defective work ahead..... (Warning-can get tedious
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Reducing the complexity of your diet might help ID culprits (that is, all your meals become snacks of just a few foods at a time to see what triggers the reaction).
Try eating very slowly, deliberately chewing and swallowing one bite at a time?
You've had food allergies in the past, I believe.?? Symptoms at all similar?
Your gut flora have doubtless been profoundly affected by your new diet. Probiotics, a SIBO diet, etc., might be worth trying.
Could the abruptness of the shift in diet played a role (it does for some people)?
Any chance you're sensitive to fiber?
My sympathies - good luck!
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In my case, it was the raw green bell peppers I added to my daily salad. Once I switched to red, it went away.2
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Artificial sweeteners are evil! Avoid them completely!! Especially when bloating is something you're experiencing. My experience with them was the same just over a year ago. I'm sorry I don't recall how long it took for the effects to wear off, but I do know it wasn't better overnight. Hang in there!5
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I tend to feel bloated if I eat too many veggies. Or too much dairy. Goat milk cheeses seem to be less bloating for me.
Maybe try drinking a Tbsp of Braggs ACV in a glass of water before your meals.The healthy acids found in ACV, acetic, isobutryic, lactic and propionic acid can support digestion by controlling the growth of unwanted bacteria and yeasts in the stomach and body.4 -
Garlic and cruciferous veggies (onions, kale, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower) do that to me as well as any carbonated beverage. It also is common with a lactate deficiency or dairy intolerance/allergy along with the other suggestions already mentioned. Hope you find the culprit(s).1
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Having raw foods with low stomach acid will cause this type of reaction, too... So if you aren't already doing the ACV (with the mother, liquid or pill) with meals, I'd definitely suggest something like that... I still go back and for like this sometimes, but I've added ACV (1 pill with meals) and digestive enzymes (1 pill with meals since no gallbladder), probiotics, diatomaceous earth, and keep raw veggies to a minimum, except when I can carefully supplement. Increase water, and increase fats like coconut/MCT oil to help with improving digestion... @anewlifeat40 - I really hope you find some relief. Without realizing it, I dealt with this off and on for a year, thinking it was normal, but finally starting to feel more level is ... HUGE...
EDITED TO ADD: I was never a huge soda person, but diet sodas often cause me gastro-issues...and anything carbonated, unless naturally carbonated, like Kombucha, can cause me gassy, bloated discomfort. I started by adding "beano" to meals to help, and eventually switched to the "grown up" type meds that have really helped.2 -
Artificial sweeteners are evil! Avoid them completely!! Especially when bloating is something you're experiencing. My experience with them was the same just over a year ago. I'm sorry I don't recall how long it took for the effects to wear off, but I do know it wasn't better overnight. Hang in there!
Yes! This!
I suspect you've wrecked your gut microbiota with the sweeteners. It will take more than 24 hours to fix that.
There was an article posted here once about a young girl that swelled up and was unable to do gymnastics anymore and they couldn't figure out what was wrong with her. Suspected all kinds of diseases and it turns out she was seeking and drinking Diet Coke at a friends house and it was all caused by aspartame.
She was hospitalized and was unable to get any so it slowly started getting better but I think it was at least several days before they even began to see improvements in her case. She gained ALOT of weight from zero calorie soda...3 -
Are you using any kind of acid reducer or H2 blocker for GERD/reflux or heartburn? These lower the pH in the stomach and lead to malabsorption issues. I'm happy to say I haven't taken any of these in about 2 weeks now. I'm using the Braggs ACV with the mother which is part of my healthy gut protocol. I discovered if I take 1/2 tsp of salt in 8 oz of warm water (works best), it relieves plumbing backup. I hope you can get this figured out soon. You've been doing so well otherwise. I enjoy your posts and recipes.
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KnitOrMiss wrote: »but I've added ACV (1 pill with meals) and digestive enzymes (1 pill with meals since no gallbladder),
KnitorMiss: What are the digestive enzymes you are using? I don't have a gallbladder either and have issues with ongoing nausea.0 -
@suzqtme I do the ACV pill now for convenience at the suggestion of my doctor, and here are the enzymes I switched to for my nausea/indigestion/digestion probs. The second enzyme was what I started with but couldn't find a level balance - so now I just use it if the "super enzyme" needs a boost (like a higher than normal carb meal - or sometimes still with raw veggies, etc.)...
ACV Pills
Super Enzymes
Extra Boost Enzyme
I do one pill of the ACV and one pill of the Super Enzymes with each meal. It has made things so much better. I'm still playing around with which probiotic I like, but I've also added Diatomaceous Earth to my daily routine... It's ... leveled out my digestive drama, particularly in the restroom...
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@KnitOrMiss I've tried a ton of probiotics. My favorites are by Renew Life. I've used a few different ones and they all seemed to work well. I prefer the FloraSmart 6 or 12 billion because they are the most economical. I try to switch them up every couple of bottles and got a different brand last time: Progressive HCP 30. It also seems pretty good. I also have to avoid any with FOS or inulin as these make me really sick.0
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Food allergies... I have oral allergy syndrome and multiple food allergies but this is a totally different feeling to an allergic reaction. This is more intestinal/bowel bloating & discomfort, related to loose bowel movements or lack thereof. Allergies hit me long before they get there and aren't just bowel related... I get hives, sinus congestion, stomach pain, etc...
ACV is a regular part of my diet... But I can try upping it...
I had been aspartame free for 10 years prior to starting Keto and reintroducing it to my diet (I was using it to kick a classic Coke habit... And it worked!). It very well could be that?? Wish I knew how long it takes to get out of the system and restore normal gut flora...
I'm not allergic to dairy in general as long as it's organic and whey-free. I don't eat huge quantities of dairy... It's generally a sprinkling on something, not the main event.
I rarely use antacids and if I do it's just a tums or baking soda with water. Nothing regularly... This bloating isn't in the heartburn region, much lower...
I've always been a big raw veggie eater, lots of big salads, primarily organic whole foods, and my body has never had an issue before so I doubt it's that as it wasn't a huge change for me. I basically just eliminated carbs and added more fat in... Everything else has stayed essentially the same.
My "gut feeling" is it was the aspartame. I guess I'll just have to wait it out and see if it improves... May make some sauerkraut or see if anyone at the farmers market is selling it... I've tried digestive enzymes in the past but they gave me terrible heartburn so I could never take them for more than a day or two... Is that a normal reaction?
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You're such a trooper! I'm guessing with your great attitude, you'll get this pothole filled pretty quickly.3
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@anewlifeat40 I used high-quality digestive enzymes (read: expensive and purchased through a doctor) for a couple of years without trouble, and then I started having the same reaction as you. I'm pretty sure it was from the Betaine HCl. My best guess is that my body must not have needed it any longer. I've tried a couple without the Betaine and haven't found one that seems to work well now.
Eggs also come to mind as a potential gas producer.
Hopefully it's the aspartame. Congrats on breaking your Coke Classic habit!2 -
anewlifeat40 wrote: »Food allergies... I have oral allergy syndrome and multiple food allergies but this is a totally different feeling to an allergic reaction. This is more intestinal/bowel bloating & discomfort, related to loose bowel movements or lack thereof. Allergies hit me long before they get there and aren't just bowel related... I get hives, sinus congestion, stomach pain, etc...
ACV is a regular part of my diet... But I can try upping it...
I had been aspartame free for 10 years prior to starting Keto and reintroducing it to my diet (I was using it to kick a classic Coke habit... And it worked!). It very well could be that?? Wish I knew how long it takes to get out of the system and restore normal gut flora...
I'm not allergic to dairy in general as long as it's organic and whey-free. I don't eat huge quantities of dairy... It's generally a sprinkling on something, not the main event.
I rarely use antacids and if I do it's just a tums or baking soda with water. Nothing regularly... This bloating isn't in the heartburn region, much lower...
I've always been a big raw veggie eater, lots of big salads, primarily organic whole foods, and my body has never had an issue before so I doubt it's that as it wasn't a huge change for me. I basically just eliminated carbs and added more fat in... Everything else has stayed essentially the same.
My "gut feeling" is it was the aspartame. I guess I'll just have to wait it out and see if it improves... May make some sauerkraut or see if anyone at the farmers market is selling it... I've tried digestive enzymes in the past but they gave me terrible heartburn so I could never take them for more than a day or two... Is that a normal reaction?
@anewlifeat40 -
Using TUMS or baking soda with water makes the issue worse, sadly. It might give you a temporary relief, but nothing long term...or it can even make it worse.
As for digestive enzymes, there are about a million different combinations. I started out with just a Betaine HCL, and it made things not fun trying to find a level dose. But using something with oxbile extract has really helped me, personally. That being said, it sounds like yours is more of the need for the stuff on the intestinal side, if the discomfort is lower. There are many enzymes that skip the betaine and/or other "stomach acid only" kind of stuff. So yes, the betaine alone hurt my stomach.
Go with the aspartame stuff... Naturally fermented products CAN cause some additional bloat and discomfort during various stages of bad bacteria die-off, so start slowly. Kombucha (most walmarts and health stores carry GT and other brands now) can be something that helps with this too, but start out at 2 oz a day, then slowly increase...or yeah, bathroom sprints for pyrotechnics. But since you have oral allergy syndrome, if you've ever had issues with histamines, I'd avoid these, because they have histamines abound... Probiotics alternated with diatomaceous earth would be my recommendation to speed along the healing.
And just because you ate lots of raw veggies before doesn't mean you can digest them now. The priority on stomach acid and bile can change just based on what you're eating. My general experience is:
alcohol
starchy carbs
fiber
remaining carbs
fats / proteins
But, my issues with raw veggies didn't surface the first time until 6 months keto, and 4 weeks or so the second time, before I started researching. So it was like my body had enough stored resources to deal until I hit a wall... I got to a point that eating a salad caused a ... digestive download within 30 minutes, usually with some level of violence and discomfort... So... Keep trying...0 -
Labdoor's probiotic reviews:
https://labdoor.com/rankings/probiotics0 -
@RalfLott - That's the page I used to determine my current choice, but my shipment was in the heat for some time. Once I'm done with this batch, I'll have cold shipping for next time, and hopefully see even more progress. My doctor was concerned/surprised at the high dosage probiotics I was given that I didn't have more die-off misery. This made me question whether things were working at all. This new probiotic has several different strains, and still no misery... Makes me wonder!!!2
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I rarely have heartburn... Maybe once every three or four months and it's short lived, thankfully.
To give a brief history... 10 years ago I switched from a junk food/fast food binge eating disorder diet with severe digestive issues & pain from undiagnosed allergies, to eating organic whole foods intuitively, and have been allergen and binge free... I also did a 5 month candida/allergy cleanse in 2010 that cured my blood sugar issues and helped identify the last few food allergies I was having trouble with. I have a very low tolerance for gut discomfort now because I spent 17 years in pain and now I know what "normal" should feel like.
One other possibility is nuts... But I'm in deep denial about that because we had a nut free house for the first 12 years of my son's life (anaphylactic nut allergy). Last summer we got the clear to eat any nuts, except peanuts, as long as they came from a peanut free facility. I don't eat loads of nuts but I do have a little everyday, usually in the form of almond butter, pistachios, or macadamias. I know I'm allergic to hazelnuts (closely related to my allergy to ragweed). I will be devastated if it turns out I can't digest them properly.1 -
KnitOrMiss wrote: »My doctor was concerned/surprised at the high dosage probiotics I was given that I didn't have more die-off misery.
Uh-oh ...
"Die-off misery" ??
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@anewlifeat40 -I also did a 5 month candida/allergy cleanse in 2010 that cured my blood sugar issues.
Tell? (Been whacking at blood sugar for years.... )0
