Severe Bloating - Please Help

Andy316

Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2018
Messages
275
Dear all,

I have severe gut bloating (Looks like 5mo pregnant). I think it started when I started taking Jarrows Methyl B6, B9 and B12 formulation as part of my methylation cycle. The bloating worsened after I added Apple cider vinegar to my routine. I am hypothyroid (TSH 4.8) and have been taking natural thyroid, Zinc Picolinate 15mg and Magnesium (which has added B6 in it). I have read in earlier posts that Hypothyroidism can cause gut issues (SIBO) which I havn't tested myself yet with doctor.

My diet mainly consists of Orange Juice early morning. '
Breakfast - Rice (I am Asian) or Vermicelli or potatoes.

Lunch - Rice with Mushrooms or Spinach or Potatoes or carrot.

Dinner - Lamb or Chicken with rice or occasionally flattened bread. I usually have carbonated water after dinner.

Appreciate any help from other forum members who have experienced this and cured themselves. Thanks in advance.
 

Hans

Member
Forum Supporter
Joined
Aug 24, 2017
Messages
5,856
How much of each b-vit are you taking?
 

Hans

Member
Forum Supporter
Joined
Aug 24, 2017
Messages
5,856
Are you only bloated after every meal or the whole time? (Even when you haven't eaten yet)
Some starches such as rice gives me endotoxin reactions. Maybe you are sensitive to some of the veggies/starches that you are eating.

Cortisol/adrenaline can impair digestion and increase the absorption of endotoxins, which then increase serotonin, estrogen, inflammation, etc., which just further suppresses the thyroid and digestion.
 
OP
A

Andy316

Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2018
Messages
275
These days its mostly all the time. I tried adding seaweed as I heard from earlier posts that iodine can be useful to reduce bloating, buts its not been very helpful. I have to say that since I have added more acidic type foods in my diet, the bloating has been more severe. Do you have any suggestions for reducing/removing endotoxins?
 

Hans

Member
Forum Supporter
Joined
Aug 24, 2017
Messages
5,856
Some grated carrot with a bit of diced apple (Amazoniac's idea) and coconut oil and vinegar. Cooked mushroom and bamboo shoots can also help. Activated charcoal with coconut oil can help.
How often do you have bowel movements?
An elimination diet is good to determine which foods are affecting you negatively.
Do you perhaps know your macros?
 

zewe

Member
Joined
Jul 8, 2018
Messages
265
Hi Andy,

If you are having a histamine reaction....and I'm not saying you're histamine intolerant, because lots of things can cause a histamine reaction, in anyone; then RP eating might have to be shelved for now.

Have you ever experienced this kind of bloating before? Were you a regular OJ drinker before? How about spinach...lots of that before? Because both of these and much of what many eat here are high in histamine or histamine liberating. Certain drugs can cause it too.

Your bloat sounds like this woman's...scroll down the page 4 a photo:

https://healinghistamine.com/about-me/my-story-of-transformation/

The only way to tell if you're having a histamine reaction to foods is to eat a low histamine diet and see if you feel better. Also, this is very important; all foods have to be very fresh so no leftovers and if you do, refrigerate them immediately and eat no later than 1 day after.

If you eat much rice, forbidden rice [dark purple kind] is an anti-histamine as well as watercress substituted for spinach.

I thought to ask because I saw you were a new member and could be having food reactions.
 
Last edited:
OP
A

Andy316

Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2018
Messages
275
Thanks Zewe. Only other time I had severe bloating was around 5 years ago when I was consuming Wheat and Dairy. Stopped having them as I had developed an intolerance (My symptoms were heavy bloating and pain in the joints). Until about 3mo ago (The time I became familiar with Ray Peat Forum) I started supplementing with Methyl B2/B6/B9/B12 as a deficiency of these was mentioned in one of the forum posts to be common amongst Gluten/Dairy intolerant people and a possible fix to the intolerance problem. So I started taking them and after about 2 weeks had my 1st pizza and was pleasantly surprised when I didnt have the same symptoms as before. However 4-5 days after this I saw that Im getting bloated everytime I eat anything not just wheat (No Joint pains thankfully). I still dont consume milk, only Ghee/Butter and Coconut oil. Orange juice was never a problem before. I do however like to mention that I dont feel good when I eat raw veggies (Carrot) so mostly eat all veggies boiled. Same with cold water and juices, doesnt seem to go well with the stomach. Muscle meat is ok, I am guilty of consuming large portion of meat(mainly lamb) at night but it wasnt a problem before as far as bloating is concerned. Is this cause of a high stomach acid level? I started taking ACV a month ago hoping it helps the bloat but it has actually made it worse. So not really sure what to try now, baking soda with water perhaps??
 

zewe

Member
Joined
Jul 8, 2018
Messages
265
Thanks Zewe. Only other time I had severe bloating was around 5 years ago when I was consuming Wheat and Dairy. Stopped having them as I had developed an intolerance (My symptoms were heavy bloating and pain in the joints). Until about 3mo ago (The time I became familiar with Ray Peat Forum) I started supplementing with Methyl B2/B6/B9/B12 as a deficiency of these was mentioned in one of the forum posts to be common amongst Gluten/Dairy intolerant people and a possible fix to the intolerance problem. So I started taking them and after about 2 weeks had my 1st pizza and was pleasantly surprised when I didnt have the same symptoms as before. However 4-5 days after this I saw that Im getting bloated everytime I eat anything not just wheat (No Joint pains thankfully). I still dont consume milk, only Ghee/Butter and Coconut oil. Orange juice was never a problem before. I do however like to mention that I dont feel good when I eat raw veggies (Carrot) so mostly eat all veggies boiled. Same with cold water and juices, doesnt seem to go well with the stomach. Muscle meat is ok, I am guilty of consuming large portion of meat(mainly lamb) at night but it wasnt a problem before as far as bloating is concerned. Is this cause of a high stomach acid level? I started taking ACV a month ago hoping it helps the bloat but it has actually made it worse. So not really sure what to try now, baking soda with water perhaps??

@aquaman...thanks 4 pointing thst out.

Oh, Andy, you're Asian and many are lactose intolerant.
Pesky evolution!

Many East/South Asians and Native Americans, up to 90 percent in some ethnic groups, become lactose-intolerant after the early childhood years as their genes direct a slowdown in the production of lactase. A nearly opposite ratio of lactase nonpersistence exists in people of northern European descent, who can digest dairy throughout adulthood. Why the difference?

Those human cultures that relied on dairy as an important source of nutrition created a survival pressure on its members. Those individuals who could absorb lactose were more likely to survive and pass on their genes, including those for lactose digestion. The individuals who had trouble absorbing lactose experienced diarrhea, malabsorption of other nutrients, and were therefore more susceptible to disease and earlier death, reducing their chances to establish a lactose-intolerant family.

There are other ways to be lactose intolerant. Some persons have a genetic issue preventing production of lactase enzymes, even in infancy. Others may temporarily develop lactose intolerance during an illness affecting the bowel. Lactose intolerance is not the same as allergy to milk proteins, which is a problem of the immune system, not of lactase deficiency.

So how do the lactose intolerant navigate their way through a dairy-laden world? You can consume just small amounts of dairy at a time. You can veer toward cheese and yogurt, which tend to contain less lactose than milk. If you want milk, there is the option of buying milk pretreated with lactase that has broken down lactose into its constituent sugars; since you now have two sugars in place of every lactose molecule, lactose-free milk tends to be sweeter than regular milk, a bonus for those who have to pay extra for the lactose-free variety.

And you can buy over-the-counter lactase enzymes to consume along with your favorite dairy item, though be aware that the pills might not perfectly deconstruct every molecule of lactose present in your food — in other words, you still might experience some of the symptoms of lactose intolerance, though hopefully at a lesser intensity.

Lastly, the lactose intolerant can simply avoid dairy altogether.
 
Last edited:

Amazoniac

Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2014
Messages
8,583
Location
Not Uganda
:wave:

The diet seems to be low in potassium, perhaps manganese, calcium, thiamine, choline and vit C. There were too many ors, so depending on how often and how much of the mentioned foods you eat, it can be low in many other nutrients as well.
It might be safer for you to supplement B-vitamins topically, and if you do, a comprehensive complex.

I guess it's better to focus on getting adequate nutrition first and the bloating might eventually be corrected.
 

pizzasteve

Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2018
Messages
12
I bet it’s the orange juice. Stop drinking it for a few days to see if it improves. If it does improve, eat fruit instead of orange juice.
 
OP
A

Andy316

Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2018
Messages
275
Thanks Zewe, dairy especially milk has been a big problem since I can remember turning 30-31 (i'm 35yo now). I have tried the lactose free versions, Goat Milk, Camel Milk tried them all but they just dont agree with me. Even chocolate is a big no except if they are made from rice. I have tried supplementing with lactase enzyme and honestly they dont provide much relief. Only dairy products which I seem to do ok (i.e less bloating) are ice cream and warm rice dessert. But to be honest I have eliminated 99% of dairy from my life :( so I have learnt to live without it.
 
OP
A

Andy316

Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2018
Messages
275
I bet it’s the orange juice. Stop drinking it for a few days to see if it improves. If it does improve, eat fruit instead of orange juice.

Thanks Steve, I will use that suggestion starting tommorow and let you know of the progress. Why is juice a problem and not the whole fruit (Too much oxygen when juicing it??)
 

Similar threads

Back
Top Bottom