Hello, I'm at my wits end trying to figure out what might be wrong with me. I recently found this site and have been searching through past posts, but have yet to find anything definative.

For the past year I have been dealing with painful gas becoming trapped and causing bloating in my large intestine. It causes my stomach to become so extremely distended my clothes won't fit. For the longest time this was the major symptom, but recently others have come to my attention and are progressivly getting worse.
After eating a somewhat large meal I feel like my food just sits in my stomach for long periods of time. I also get indigestion and heartburn very easily if I eat too much (never a problem before).
After eating I become very fatigued and can't help falling asleep.
I also become very cold after eating.
I am unable to lose any weight, infact my body seems to be in weight gain mode despite diet and exercise.
I suffer from mood swings (depression) and more pronounced pms symptoms both when I ovulate and right before my period.
I also recently had a couple anxiety and panic attack episodes. This has never happened to me before.

For a little background, I've been a vegetarian for the last 15+ years. I had gone Vegan cold turkey about 2 months before I noticed my symptoms starting. I also began using birth control pills the same month this all started. The pill I used was Yasmin and I had horrible side effects from it. I stopped using the pill after one month, the side effects ceased as the pill worked its way out of my system, but the gas, painful bloating has stayed.
I've been to a GI and was diagnosed with IBS, but that just does fit. I've never had this problem before and I don't have the big "D" or "C".

I've tried different brands of acidophilus, (Been on Trenev-Trio for the last few months) and usually respond well at first (symptoms go away after a week) but then it always starts back up after a week.

This is really taking a toll on my mental and physical health. Can anyone please point me in some new directions?

Please help.

Thank you so much for any assistance or information.

Seems like everyone I know who doesn't eat meat has lots of stomach problems - either gas or a tendency to get stomach bugs, a LOT. I don't know if it's connected, sometimes what the medical field SAYS and what you witness happening in reality are 2 different things! I'd say it's your diet. Personally I can't eat fruit because I feel awful from it. Even if I just happen to know a lot of people who fit one criteria, maybe YOU are just "allergic" to vegetables. I doubt it's the birth control.

Also, how old are you?? Sounds like wild hormones too! (if you are 16... or if you are 46... either way, wild hormones, different reasons! LOL!) - if you are like 30 or 35 or something, I'd rule out the hormones, but hey, you never know!

Duh... I guess you can't be 16 if you changed into a vegetarian 15+ years ago! :eek:

Thanks for the response.

I'm in my mid 30's which makes me think it isn't my hormones as well.

I don't think its my diet since I've been vegetarian for so long, I thought it perhaps had something to do with going vegan, but i've since gone back to my old diet with no improvement in my symptoms.

I've read that birth control pills can upset the balance of flora in the intestine. Do these symptoms coincide with some form of bacterial overgrowth or infection? Should I talk to my GP about an antibiotic? Flagyl perhaps?

Thank you for your response, any additional infor or insight would be greatly appreciated.

Does anyone have any thoughts? I just can't seem to find any one condition that fits what I have?

Stinker what medical tests have you had done? First thing I thought of reading your post was thyroid.

I've had an upper and lower GI. Stool test and a blood test for thyroid problems. Is it possible that they missed a problem with my thyroid even though a blood tst was done?

Hi Stinker--
I am a vegan too and have had stomach/comon problems for at least 16 years. One thing that I found I needed was blood tests once a year. I hope I dont sound condescending--I'm sure being a veg you are careful about getting protein, B, etc.... Missing the B vitamins can cause stomach and digestive problems and problems with being cold and so can low protein levels. Just checking to see if you take B supplements. I take them and they make a big difference in how I feel. Maybe have your iron tested too??? I took Yasmin for one month too and I had an awful time with it too---strange!
Take care,
sara

Have you been tested for delayed atomach emptying--i think it's called gastroparesis (sp?). I was tested a few months ago and it's a pretty easy test--Mine turned ot just a littel slower than normal, but is your stomach is really slow there are medicines that can speed up the gastric emptying--anyway just a thought :)
Ciao,
sara

spongebobgamma,

You took the words right out of my mouth!

Stinker,

Hypothyroidism (an under active thyroid) can cause many, many of the symptoms you have. It's very simple to find out if you have it. A blood test and you don't even have to fast. Thyroid problems are one of the most overlooked ailments there is. If it does turn out to be hypothyroidism, then a daily synthetic thyroid hormone will do the trick...and it's not expensive either! :) Cathy

First thing I thought of was thyroid as well.

Stinker,

Sorry I didn't see your post about being tested for thyroid problems before my post. But yes, it is possible to miss thyroid problem especially if you are on any hormones.
You mentioned birth control pills...were you taking them then? If you were, you might want to get re-tested after being off of them or any other hormone for 30 days. Also, an endocrinologist(sp?) is the best doc to thoroughly check for thyroid problems. Saravamp raises some good points about B deficiency. Cathy

I have had similar problems this past year myself except for the panic attacks. I had them years ago and have been on med for that ever since. I'm wondering if you have had a partial hysterectemy or something? I don't know. I just got out of the hospital and found out that I have Chron's disease. I had 2 colonoscopies in there and I'm tellin ya, not fun. IF you have a bacterial infection of some sort or a urinary tract infection that can maybe trigger IBS, colitis? I would go to a gas doc and maybe talk to him or her about all of your symptoms and how long they have been going on. For 3 years my stomach has been spastic and my lower back this past year has been pretty much disabling me but I put it off going to any doc. Then the 2nd week of this Feb I got sick and stayed sick, still put off going to the doc until I got a fever of 104 for 5 days, finally called 911 and they did blood test, stool and stuff. Well, I had a bacterial infection in my colon. How it started, I'm still not quit sure but they sent me home after they got my fever down. A couple days later, I went to see my primary physician and he took one look at me and sent me straight to the ER and I'm so glad he did, cause I was feeling like I was bout to meet my maker. And this is after dealing with this sickness for 6 weeks by myself. I hate going to the doc and I dread hospitals! Anyways, he sent me to the Er, didn't get out for 11 days and I've got Chron's disease! Read about chron's and other digestive problems like colitis, IBS and such. But defintely see a "gastrologist" about this, don't put it off, don't ignore because it could be serious. :wave:

Hey Stinker...
Have your thyroid checked for sure..I have an overactive thyroid....mine started after I got off birth control pills and was hard to diagnose....it can cause all kind of stomach ailments, the mood swings, etc...sounds like an underactive thyroid COULD be to blame...i have so many symptoms...a choking feeling in the throat...shakes, rapid mood swings, heart issues, stomach aches..you name it I HAVE it...good luck but don't despair..if you do have an underactive Thyroid it is pretty easy to correct with proper medications. Unfortunaltely for me my thyroid is hyperactive and this is really hard to treat...I manage mine with medications and a strict diet and exercise routine..Good luck

I don't know if this helps, but I have had chronic idiopathic constipation for 5 years (coinciding with when I started Ortho-tri-cyclen) I switched to the patch about 6 months ago and my intestinal problems worsened- now nothing helps my constipation, I have horrible abdominal cramps, bloating and gas all day and night. I have gone off the patch...it's been almost 3 weeks. So far I'm not noticing a huge difference, but only time will tell with hormones. I have been to a handful of GI specialists now and no one can figure out what's wrong with me, so I suspect that the BC may have something to do with it.