Very Noticeable Bloating.

[shathaway0811]

Hey everyone,

Hope the weekend was nice for y'all! It was so pretty outside.

As I've mentioned in previous posts, my GI issues have been getting much worse and much more noticeable over the past several months. I've always had cramping, chronic diarrhea, occasional constipation and gas with almost constant stomach pain for as long as I can remember.

That being said, recently, nausea without vomitting has become a thing for me - which is out of the ordinary as I NEVER throw up and am therefore rarely nauseated. I can be nauseated to the point of gagging and still not be able to throw up. It's generally induced by either something pressing on my stomach (jeans/paints that are not leggings, even tight leggings occasionally cause it) and eating/drinking (regular liquids, non-alcoholic). Basically anything that puts any pressure on my abdomen, either internally or externally.

I've also been experiencing major bloating; I asked my boyfriend (not to be inappropriate but he is the one who sees me most regularly in any capacity within which the visual symptom would be apparent) and he has said recently it's been very noticeable and strange because some days I look completely normal and others I look like I've gained about 5 pounds.

So I went to the GI to discuss these things, and was COMPLETELY dismissed aside for them saying they wanted to do a colonoscopy and endoscopy; I honestly would have preferred to have someone really hear me out and listen to my symptoms rather than immediately say "you need this procedure" - he just seemed as if he wasn't curious and didn't need to know anymore even though I barely got a chance to emphasize how much worse things have been. I saw him once before for what was labeled as IBS from my PCP and he had clearly carried that over into this appointment, even though I did tell him I had a new diagnosis of POTS; didn't bother asking any follow-up questions or anything, and emphasized my anxiety/depression... ALL OF MY BIGGEST FRUSTRATIONS WHEN IT COMES TO PHYSICIANS! Not asking questions, having preconceived notions, and getting caught up on mental health... It's like YES I have anxiety and depression, but ***** people with those orders can also be physically ill too!!! It makes me so angry...

Any who, I wondered if any of you all have experienced these things, particularly with gastroparesis? I would be beyond surprised if they didn't find anything indicative of that during the endoscopy as I get full very quickly and have major GERD (but am literally hungry all the time, it's the weirdest thing, except when I'm extremely bloated...) and have eating-related symptoms.

I really just want a freaking explanation for all of this and hope someone eventually listens. I'm also a bit worried about the anesthesia as he didn't even bother to ask about my POTS symptoms when my heart rate and blood pressure are all over the place, and I have required more anesthesia in the past for whatever reason, and then added oxygen post-op...

[E246]

Hi,

Yes i bloat terribly on some days - you're lucky if you only look 5lbs heavier - i look 6 months pregnant. I haven't had this problem for sometime but it has returned with pain and a lot of burping.

Have you found anything that helps?

[Bigskyfam]

Same here. Bloating. Most chalk it up to salt and fluids, gi doc said slow gi system...worse around cycles... Better when I'm at a lower altitude

[Guest ANCY]

I have a lot of isues with bloating due to dysmotility of the gut. It seems things ferment and make a lot of gas. I have seen as much as 15 lb weight gain in a single day with my bloating and look extremely distended as if I were pregnant.

Something to also look into may be small bowel bacterial overgrowth along with gastroperisis. The two together cause a lot of isues for me. Treatment with Xifaxin and a probiotic help a lot when I have an overgrowth problem.

Also worthy of consideration is dietary changes that would help eliminate fermenting food in the gut. Also any food sensetivities. I have found a low fodmap diet to be helpful in finding what works best for me.

So sorry you are faced with so many isues, they seem to be piling up... Praying for you!

Just an FYI as a veteran to bowel preps with Dysautonomia it is important to take in additional fluids to prevent dehydration prior to the sedation. If you dont feel that you are adequately hydrated maybe ask for fluids before hand. With my last Colonoscopy my vitals crashed during the procedure and they had a hard time getting my vitals stabilizes hours afterwards.

Wishing you all the best!

[Jan]

I think you should consider having the tests.

[shathaway0811]

I'm definitely going to have the tests, and I do know they will be helpful. What was frustrating for me was just that I barely got a chance to really detail what had been going on, which had SIGNIFICANTLY changed since the last time I was seen. And even my mother, who is an internal medicine specialist, felt that while the endoscopy/colonoscopy would be helpful (and is a very immediate move for most GI docs and is sometimes a costly and non-specific diagnostic procedure), I really needed a motility test given all the symptoms I've been experiencing. And those are the symptoms I wasn't even able to detail because I got cut off. The appointment was a total of 15 minutes.

It's not that I'm ungrateful or ignorant to how medicine works - in fact I think sometimes it's a bad thing that I've literally grown up immersed in it and so have more knowledge than the average person (in a bad way lol) - it just gets frustrating when it feels like you're trying to explain what's been going on and it's minimized and dismissed in some ways, especially under the pretext of mental health. This concept that if you have a mental health-related disorder then that is obviously the explanation for ALL of your physical symptoms (which is a very common thought process) is EXTREMELY frustrating for me. I'm very in-tune with my anxiety and it's repercussions, so therefore I'm also acutely aware of when something is different and entirely unrelated.

On a positive note, however, I was referred to a cardiologist at the Medical University of South Carolina who specializes in dysautonomia. So I'm hoping that will bring some clarity and he will be able to help narrow all this down, some! His name is Dr. Glenn. After I see him, I will submit his information into our physician network. Hopefully he'll be great

Sorry for the venting y'all, I really hate and feel guilty for being a negative person and it's not at all that I want sympathy, it's just helpful to have somewhere to get insight and advice for those who have been experiencing similar circumstances. I'm actively avoiding bringing it up to family and loved ones unless absolutely necessary.

[SarahA33]

Yay Sarah, I'm glad you've got this appointment coming up with a dysautonomia specialist! Good luck and let us know how it goes. We're rooting for you!

A lot of members here know what you are going through. It's a frustrating situation to be in, so don't feel guilty for how you feel. Your entitled to your feelings!

Keep hanging in there!

Sarah