Posted 7/21/2017 7:32 PM (GMT 0)
I have had this firm stomach and abdominal bloating for 3 months now and it doesn't seem to want to go away. I recently got divorced and my ex is being difficult selling the house so I've been under stress. I also don't care for my job and that is somewhat stressful too. It feels like a giant air bubble that won't go away and my lower abdomen gets bloated on top of that. This isn't normal bloating. There is generally always a pressure feeling. I had a abdominal ultrasound but not the stomach and all they found was a 2sq inch cyst on my spleen. The tech said it wouldn't detect the air in my stomach though at the time I was concerned with an abdominal aortic aneurysm which it wasn't. My stomach really started getting firm after that. I felt my heartbeat in my stomach and that started the concern.
I do a lot of belching so it seems air in there is the problem but dont know for sure. What started this is I was walking up in the middle of the night with terrible gas pains. That went on for 2 weeks almost every night. I started taking vitamins then that help with digestion, b vitamins, magnesium and that stopped the nightly gas pains but the firm stomach persists and the lower bloating is there more or less constantly. I don't have pain in my abdomen, just the bloating. I get back pain at night I assume is from the bloating and ibuprofen helps. I am slim for my size at 6'3 204 (I've lost about 6 lbs since this has been going on because sometimes I feel full after eating a little). I used to weigh 240 but actively lost weight to 210 and was fine for after that till now, so my stomach is smaller which I get. I had a TIF procedure (a fundoplication procedure for gerd) 4 years ago and have been fine since so I don't think it's that. I take vitamins and digestive enzymes and go to the bathroom usually a couple times a day so I'm not constipated. I had a gastric emptying test that seemed fine I've been taking activated charcoal for a few days to get that trapped gas out but that doesn't seem to help, at least not yet. I don't have cramps when I eat dairy so i don't think lactose is the problem. I know stress can wreak all kind of havoc on you but this seems to be a bit much. It's nearly impossible to see my gastro doctor as she's booked months in advance but I have an appt Aug 8.
Any and all thoughts are greatly appreciated.