Hi all,

About 5 years ago i was diagnosed with IBS on symptoms alone. I have lived on and off with it until now and i get various symptoms. I have always suffered from bad bloating from time to time with the IBS and it usually disappears after a few days or even after a couple of weeks.

Recently for about the last 2 months I have had really bad bloating. I have a perfectly flat stomach in the morning and feel comfortable about myself. Sadly by the end of the day I often look pregnant. I have mentioned it to family and the boyfriend and they tell me its in my head and everyone bloats. But in my mind no one ever looks like i do and i constantly feel uncomfortable. I feel like when im walking i have to really hold in my belly. My partner says everyone does this but i cant believe everyone bloats like I do.

Im naturally very slim but the stomach looks awful when bloated. Because the bloating has been around for so long Im beginning to worry it could be ovarian cancer. It sounds extreme but I know it shares the same symptoms. Im only 23 and am wondering if anyone knows if it is possible to get this at this age or if I would have other symptoms. I dont have any other symptoms right now only a slight alternation between normal bowel movements and diarrhoea. I am just wondering if anyone suffers from the same thing. I am under a bit of stress at the mo and worrying about this which is prob making the bloating worse.

Any advice pls help put my mind at rest its nothing sinister? Thanks for everyones words.:)

Hi Libs,

If you're worried about OC, esp. if there is family history, see your OBGYN & get checked. Tho' in my mind, if this is a come & go problem as you suggest, it's more likely to be gut-related.

When that checks out, if you want to pursue the bloating, there are several different things to try:

1) Consume a probiotic regularly for several weeks & see if that helps. Sometimes bloating is caused by "bad bugs" displacing the good guys in the gut. A few weeks of yogurt w/active cultures, or of a probiotic supplement, can reduce or eliminate the problem if simple gut dysbiosis is to blame.

2) Get a referral to a GI doc (gastroenterologist) for further eval.

3) Consider the possibility that food intolerances or allergies are playing a role. Bloating is very common in lactose intolerance, gluten intolerance,and disaccharide intolerance. There are various forms of testing, some accepted by conventional MDs, others not, but LOTS of people who've found help by getting on top of their intolerances.

Best wishes.