HELP.. Hard distended abdomen, look 9 months pregnant

[marcy54]

54 y/o female with severe bloating and abdominal pain, look 9 months pregnant, distended high up into ribs.  Last year underwent gb scan, rectal decograph. nothing found.  I have obesity normally, but not to this degree, hard distended, painful stomach.  Not related to meals, eating or not eating. just comes on.  I am on CPAP, so wonder about air swallowing, but have been on CPAP for 4 years.  Very scarey and uncomfortable. Frustrated, doctor last year sent me to GI specialist who could not find anything.  Now I have it back.  On metamucil for chronic constipation, irrltable bowel syndrome, but why all of the sudden stomach is rock hard for days. Sleep interrupted, clothes don't fit.  I do not drink.   Constipation improved on Metamucil, go every day.  Last week had foul odor flatulence, amlost like Giardia infection few years back, but that has resolved.  So severe that clothes do not fit.  Have general MD appointment in 2 days.  HELP .. I am so frustrated and in pain.

[7lir]

Yoor belly is about as big as humanly possible and after a while you'll burp and fart it out you wpont have anymore pain but your belly will be big i personally like belly/

[7lir]

When i get bloated I'll swallow air until i get twice as bloated as i was  and ill sit there and let it stretch and expand do this unt

[angied66]

I am blown away by what I just read because I am having the same symptoms as you. I look nine months pregnant, with a rock hard abdomen, and it's making me crazy. I have put on 17 pounds since June, and I work out almost daily. I have a long awaited appointment with a GI on Monday. I'm praying he will find something because I feel like any diagnosis would be better than none at this point. Thank you for sharing.

[Twilight_Princess]

Forgot to mention this ... if you do see your PCP and GI specialist ask to have a CT scan of your abdomen and pelvis area. The CT scan can see almost anything that could be going on in there.

This is just my opinion.

[Twilight_Princess]

Marcy,

I know you had all these tests done by GI doctors and probably your primary doctor as well, but have you been to a GYN doctor lately? I would go to the GYN doctor and tell him/her about your symptoms. I mean since these other doctors found nothing wrong.

[boron]

Weight gain, apart from the food, may be from constipation (from non-excreted stool) or from fluid retention, what would cause swelling of the legs or collection of fluid in abdomen. This should be checked by ultrasound.

[marcy54]

thank you.. Going to PCP in the morning, who will refer me back to my GI specialist I imagine... I weighed at 4 am after much procrastination, and I have also gained about 30 pounds in the last 3-4 moniths... and I go to the gym 3 times a week for swimming and am very active.  doesn't make a bit of sense to me.  Thx for your input.

[boron]

Hard distended stomach is from gas, and this is from bacteria.

If you burp frequently, the gas comes from the stomach, and is caused by H. pylori infection, dx is by breath test for H. pylori (BUT).
In flatulence, gas may come from the bacterial overgrowth of the colon (barnyard smell of gas is from Clostridium difficile, so you might want to have Cl-diff toxin stool test) or small intestinal bacterial overgroeth (SIBO), dx is with another breath test.

I don't know, CPAP could also be the cause, you should ask your pulmologist.

You can also have two diet trials:
1. Lactose free diet for 2 days (in lactose intolerance, if this is the case, lactose can't be digested in small intestine, so it enters the colon, where bacteria break it down and produce gas)
2. Sugar free diet for 1 week (no sweets, fruits, fruit juices. cola, also avoid potatoes). Sugar is food for bacteria, which then produce gas.