abdominal bloating and constipation

[screenname1111]

Hi. I am 24 years old. I have stomach bloating after eating and constipation for about 4 months. It's not unbareble but it's rather very annoying. I visited a gastroentorologist and after prescribing a few things(hyoscyamine, pepto bizmo and some antibios to cure a possible giardia infection) he came with the conclusion that it's IBS and told me to eat lots of fiber. I have been eating all the fiber I can but there's no difference. I also had this happen to me once again about a year and a half ago and I drank Antibios(cypro) and the bloating went away followed by the constipation. At this point I'm willing to give cypro another try and see if it helps. I am wandering if I possibly have bacterial overgrowth or maybe intestine infection. Any clues?

thank you.

[Kevin Pho, MD]

It seems like irritable bowel syndrome was being treated by your GI physician.

A colonoscopy can rule out anatomical blockages or strictures.  Increasing the amount of fiber in the diet may help as well.

Blood tests to rule out thyroid problems should be done, as a low thyroid level can lead to chronic constipation.

If the colonoscopy is negative, an upper endoscopy can be considered to evaluate for possible causes of the stomach bloating (i.e. an ulcer, GERD, or inflammation of the upper digestive tract).

These options can be discussed with your personal physician.

Followup with your personal physician is essential.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Kevin, M.D.
kevinmd_

[Annie62]

You also might want to read about gastroparesis and also mention it to your doctor to see what he/she thinks.  It causes bloating after eating (as well as pain and nausea/vomitting), and can cause constipation in some people.  It is usually dxd with a gastric emptying scan done in nuclear medicine, but if it is severe it can be picked up on EGD/encoscopy (food residue will still be in the stomach even after many, many hours of not eating).  

[ruining my life]

hi for the past month or 2 i have had a problem with my abdomen. after eating cetain foods i  will get this pain in my intestons, i will have gas that burns, and after 14 hours of that, i will go to the bathroom, it is ussually softs or liquid but i know its not right, its not the way it us to be, i have even cut back on sodas and since i am lactose intolerent i hold back on dairy even though i take a pill for that, and i know that without that pill the only reaction the dairy does to me is make me throw up. i have not have to thrown up for a while. but what was strange is that it started right at summer break, i never had this problem in school. i use to love going to the moveis but now i cant go at all with out worrying, that i'll end up going there and after worrd i will fell that pain for a while. so please give me a diagnosis