Hi. I'm a 31 yr old woman suffering from chronic bloating. I'll start with the history of the problem and then give you my current status.
History:
It started about 6 yrs ago, I noticed that after eating my stomach would bulge out, making me look pregnant. There was also pain associated with the trapped gas, and no effective way to release the gas. At the time, I went for a gastroscopy and colonoscopy, as well as an xray of the small intestine. Everything was normal. My doctor said I must have IBS and must be stressed at work or at home. I didn't agree and the only solution to my problem was to eat less. So I did, but this was not a healthy way to control my bloating as I lost 30 lbs (normally I weight about 115-120 lbs, I'm 5'4", and after this weight lost I weight 90 lbs, and my hair started falling out). I underwent more of the same tests, still nothing was found, so I took time off work to rest and eventually I started eating normally again and just basically ignoring the bloating and pain.
Fast forward to today: I have a steady job that I enjoy and I would say is a little stressful but definitely nothing excessively stressful - just enough to motivate me to work hard! Anyways, I have the same symptoms whether I'm working or on vacation. I live alone with my two dogs and therefore do not have much stress in the homelife (no relationship drama). I exercise regularly (walk the dogs briskly twice a day for 45 mins - 1 hr each time, and do at least 45 mins of cardio or 45 mins of strength training about 5-6 days a week). I sleep well. I eat healthy - lots of fruits and vegetables, lean meats and fish, legumes, whole grains, limited caffeine (one coffee or tea in the morning) and limited alcohol (maybe one glass of wine a month when having dinner with friends or family). I try to limit *empty calorie* foods but once in a while I will eat dessert (hard to resist!). I need to be careful about making sure that I eat fiber because I do constipate easily. But when I am careful I will have at least one bowel movement per day (sometimes two). I do know that some foods cause more bloating, such as beans or cabbage for example, but I have bloated regardless of whether I eat these foods. In fact if I get bloated due to these foods it's a different kind of bloating, I will feel more pain and will eventually be able to pass the gas. I am not lactose intolerant, and I don't believe I have celiac's disease (never been tested for it but I have symptoms regardless of whether I eat a yogurt, a salad, or cereal). I have tried including probiotics such as activia yogurt and bio-k in my diet but with no success. I've also tried cleanses and they will work momentarily (obviously, since they clean you out) but the problem always returns when I eat normal foods again. I try to eat slowly and not swallow air but it doesn't help. I can eat meal replacement bars and not suffer too much from bloating but that's probably because they're not as voluminous as a normal meal. I've tried to eat more calorie-dense foods so I don't need to eat as much volume (ie less veggies, more meat) but to no avail (plus I end up constipating). I've tried to eat smaller but more frequent meals but this doesn't help either. I tend to have more severe bloating the more the day progresses - breakfast usually won't cause much bloating but lunch and dinner definitely will. Not sure if this is because I eat less at breakfast or if it's cause my system just can't cope anymore as the day wears on. Sometimes I'll be fine until the afternoon when I'll eat a handful of nuts or a plum (ie something small) and bam! we have onset of mega bloating!
So...My question: I am sick of always looking pregnant and would like to know what is wrong with me. I can't function after dinner when I'm bloated and I have having to limit activity in the evenings. When I'm not bloated I have a decent midsection that I wouldn't mind showing off once in a while ;) Can you help me here? Is there something that I have not been tested for that could be a likely culprit - am I lacking some kind of enzyme to breakdown something common that is found in most foods? could this be diabetes or something else that isn't necessarily digestive in nature?