Best trick for soothing bloated tummy?

Hi MamaV,

Are you gluten-free? Getting off gluten has helped me get rid of a lot of stomach issues. Gluten is very inflammatory, especially to those of us with Lyme.

I'm new to Lyme, but I've had severe Crohn's disease for 2 years, which causes inflammation (colon in my case, but other digestive sensitivities, too). So, there may be some differences...I'd go more with what someone who's dealt with Lyme more says if it's different.

I've found mild heat can be soothing--a warm towel from the dryer, for example--held where the worst pain is. Sometimes sipping some hot tea (decaf, as the caffeine can stimulate your digestive system, and you generally want to avoid that at times like this) sometimes helps a little bit.

If you know your body extremely well, and can tell there's gas in your stomach you need to release, simethicone can help with it (breaks down the bubbles). I sometimes sip a carbonated beverage, but I don't recommend that unless you really know how it will affect you; for me, that is often a quick easy way to release gas form my stomach.

And of course, be sure to keep hydrated when experiencing D. Better to sip water than gulp it if you're bloated, though, in my experience.

I've found I have to be very careful with rice, too, and cook it extremely thoroughly. If it's the slightest bit undercooked, I'll get cramps and bloating. I don't know if that could've been a factor for you.

Such helpful responses--thank you! Yes, I'm gluten-free. Also dairy-free & sugar-free. The cramps started right after a sushi lunch which surprised me b/c I eat sushi frequently w/o a problem. Two other people ate the same sushi with me & they didn't have a problem either.

Heat and ginger tea are great ideas to keep handy. And trying to cook the rice completely--good point. I usually add more water to the rice cooker than it calls for so it'll be soft.

ACV--gee, I don't know if I could drink that. I do have kombucha that I like.

I recently have been taking a homeopathic remedy that has been helping; lycopodium. There is also another product Gasalia made by Bioron that is very good but gentle (Nope, I have no financial or other interest in the product).

Hope you get some relief soon.

Licorice root is pretty amazing. You can make a tea out of it. Then, don't forget your s. boularrdi and probiotics.

Did you ever get to see Dr. J.?

I suppose sushi does have sugar. I can't imagine that teensy amount would cause my upset stomach.

sayyadina said...
Sushi rice is seasoned with a sweet vinegar mixture which often contains sugar. All the sushi sold at supermarkets contains sugar. I can't speak for restaurant sushi, but it's very likely there's sugar in that too.

I've also had good experiences using Gasalia.

Usually, yes. This was part quinoa, part brown rice sushi.

The bigger question is: does sugar cause bloating in the stomach?

teragram said...
Sushi rice is very refined white rice. That's where your sugar is.

M