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MY BLOATING/SWELLING WON'T GO AWAY

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 6/9/2015 8:25 PM (GMT 0)
I have had it with "it's just gas" I look pregnant and I feel awful.
I thought my ulcerative colitis flare was getting better because I had solid stools for like 2-3 weeks now I am pooping acid.
I am eating a clean deit and everything I am suppose to do but it won't go away.
My gi is still saying gas but it doesn't matter how many times I toot it doesn't deflate all the way. What can I do at this point? (I have another appointment next month I believe.) And I am sure it is "ibs" too but I get frustrated not being able to wear my normal clothes and feeling terribly bloated.

Can anyone relate?

-RiceBunny
Posted 6/9/2015 9:04 PM (GMT 0)
ugh! thats so frustrating
the only thing i can suggest is walking but it doesnt help that much and its quite uncomfortable
dont drink anything carbonated and stay away from sugar substitutes
are you lactose intolerant
those are the only things i can think of
does it hurt when you move or touch your belly at all?
Posted 6/9/2015 9:11 PM (GMT 0)
In a way I can relate cuz I have IBS-C but I actually don't get hugely bloated and when I get gassy it mostly seems to be just before supper, during supper and into the evening for the most part...some days the excess gas issues are better than others (have no idea why especially when on the diet my dietitian put me on I was pretty much eating the same breakfast, lunch and supper for 2 months) so it seems for me I haven't been able to figure out the rhyme or reasoning behind that.

Do you eat/take fiber and probiotics? I sometimes think that might be the reason why my gut doesn't get hugely bloated, just a little distention (one of my half sisters has IBS too, also the constipation kind and you can literally watch her tummy swell right up as she's just about done eating a meal) she doesn't do probiotics or pay attention to her daily fiber intake, all the sudden she's looking like she's 8-9 months pregnant and she says it's quite painful.
Posted 6/9/2015 9:23 PM (GMT 0)
Eating a clean diet is way overrated. Sometmes it makes us worse instead of better.
Posted 6/9/2015 9:30 PM (GMT 0)
No Gary, eating clean foods that are right for you likely doesn't make you worse, eating clean foods that are not right for you can make people worse, there's a big difference...going to a dietitian taught me that. Some "clean foods" can still be irritating to some people's digestive tracts, it's a matter of finding what food groups (that are clean) are easier on each person's guts. Especially when people might not be aware they are more sensitive to some clean foods.
Posted 6/9/2015 9:50 PM (GMT 0)
I think I said that somewhere. Fruits and veggies would be considered by many to be "clean" foods but they can make some of us worse for a number of reasons. I know I am histamine intolerant and some of those clean foods would kill me. Ricey talked about a bloating problem and several fruits and veggies can increase bloating.
Posted 6/9/2015 9:59 PM (GMT 0)
I cook my veggies and yes I geberally stay away from histamines.
I feel like I may still have an h. Pylori infection though I have a lot of bloating in my lower abdomen too and it seems like they merge into my pregnant belly.
I don't drink milk anymore and I am making my deit more plant based.
I am at a loss of words for this, last time this happened I was kind of constipated and had h. Pylori. But with my flare I assure u I am pooping quite a lot.
I quit soda and sugary drinks.
Don't chew gum.

So the gas isn't getting too me that way.

My sister assumes it could be my stress and anxiety towards illness is general making me look and feel this way but I am just not sure.
Posted 6/9/2015 10:39 PM (GMT 0)

RiceBunny said...
I cook my veggies and yes I geberally stay away from histamines.
I feel like I may still have an h. Pylori infection though I have a lot of bloating in my lower abdomen too and it seems like they merge into my pregnant belly.
I don't drink milk anymore and I am making my deit more plant based.
I am at a loss of words for this, last time this happened I was kind of constipated and had h. Pylori. But with my flare I assure u I am pooping quite a lot.
I quit soda and sugary drinks.
Don't chew gum.

So the gas isn't getting too me that way.

My sister assumes it could be my stress and anxiety towards illness is general making me look and feel this way but I am just not sure.

Your sister may very well have a good point, stress (physical, mental, emotional) plays it's roles with digesting and overall health as well...if you feel that you are probably eating all the right foods and avoiding what you feel strongly bothers you then you may want to consider some stress reduction therapy, exercising, taking more "me time", relaxation, things along those lines to see if it helps, keeping in mind that this takes time so patience is a virtue. I've come to learn that there really are no quick fixes, especially in regards to health issues and chronic ones at that.

Do you use fiber supplements and probiotics? Those can be very beneficial as well, providing you use the right type of probiotic (some will cause dirrheah, bloating, or constipation) and fiber can also cause severe bloating/gas so it's important to go slow and increase water intake.
Posted 6/9/2015 10:51 PM (GMT 0)
Could also be the h. Pylori. That's a tough bug to kill.
Posted 6/9/2015 11:18 PM (GMT 0)
Fiber supplements, no, though I eat a pretty good amount of it.
Probiotics, yes, I have this probiotic drink that is meant for children so I thought it would be gentle on me if it is good enough for a child, I also have culturelle probiotics only with one bacteria in it though, that was the first one I bought before ulcerative colitis.

I have to take a stool test this week (for h. Pylori) though Idk if any of you have this problem too with colitis, but I can't seem to poop by will anymore. When I go to the restroom it is when I feel the urge only, otherwise I can't go.

And yes when I have the money I do want to speak to someone in biofeedback for my stress or someone for my fear. Otherwise I have tried yoga and other home therapies but it doesn't seem to keep me from worrying.
Posted 6/10/2015 4:00 PM (GMT 0)
I'll probably never stop worrying about things either (things that don't even make sense to worry about since I tend to stress myself out over the "what if's") I think a combinaton of becoming a mom and then within a 1.5 yrs later becoming sick has a lot to do with my worrying but I'm learning how to cope with my worry and all the other feelings I struggle with, so I think if nothing else, at least learning how to cope better will help and hopefully I'll be able to cope with the other feelings I have as well that make my guts churn cuz it's just not worth it....there are helpful free resources online too, anything to do with understanding what causes some people to over extend their worry/stress.

It's amazing how the mind can mess with the gut if you let it...the damage it does is terrible and it's no way to live in a world that is already too hostile and crazy as it is.
Posted 6/10/2015 8:29 PM (GMT 0)
Have you tried taking a good digestive enzyme with your food? That helped me a lot! Also, what I have also realized is that for some people how you cook your food is important, I have had to really cook a lot of foods differently, because if some meats are too tough, my body cannot digest them very well, and I would immediately get a huge bloated stomach, no gas, just a pregnant looking tum, this is something I have only discovered recently, and it really does make a big difference.
Posted 6/10/2015 9:26 PM (GMT 0)
My UC is in remission but the bloat I get from IBS is horrendous! I found my magic cure :) I take 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar and mix it with 8oz of water. Within 15 minutes, my bloating lessens. Doesn't taste the greatest and my hubby says my breath smells like an Easter egg but I don't care at this point. My bloating was so horrible I would look 8 months pregnant and I had a hard time breathing.
Posted 6/11/2015 3:29 PM (GMT 0)
I am new to the group. I was diagnosed and hospitalized May 25, 2015 with UC. I still have a lot of bloating and was told that as long as my colon is inflamed, my stomach will look like I am 6 months pregnant. I still have a lot of cramping and some nausea. I am hoping my meds work because I do not want to have surgery.
Posted 6/11/2015 4:17 PM (GMT 0)
What meds are you on?
Posted 6/11/2015 6:04 PM (GMT 0)
Try rooibos tea. It is meant to be an anti inflam on the intestines and pushes the gas along
Posted 6/11/2015 9:33 PM (GMT 0)
I am presently taking lialda 2x day, Percocet for pain, and I just finished my steroids today. I see my gastroenterologist Tuesday. My medical doctor also prescribed Ambien. I was diagnosed with colitis in both the ascending and transverse areas of my colon.
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