severe bloating

i have had on and off bloating (sometimes very severe) since july. i am in the middle of getting my labs read. has anyone ever had an ongoing issue with severe bloating? If so, how did you get rid of it? i remember reading in a post that it could possibly be from protein deficiency, which i have. wondered if it could be gluten, dairy?  i cant even fit in to my christmas outfit :(. taking simethecone 2x day...dont drink carbonated drinks. however i upped my shakes to 108 gr per day. whey isolate. any thoughts? 

Whey protein isolate has minimal lactose but if you're still drinking milk or eating ice cream, that could be an issue. Another villain could be the artificial sweetener in some shakes. I have to stick with Splenda or stevia/Truvia. Time to play elimination diet to narrow down the culprit. 

--gina

Bloating that comes and goes is from something you're eating, not from protein deficiency (which would also cause fluid retention elsewhere in your body). For me, carbs will do it. Other people have suggested dairy, which bothers some people a lot.

Bottom line, try the elimination diet and find the culprit.

Larra

It can be any of those things.  Do you think you are protein malnourished?  That may take a little longer to remedy if so.  Otherwise, things like food effects can be worked on now.  Ether way, you've got some work ahead of you.

First, work on dairy, and this includes whey protein.  Remove it for a couple of days and see if you feel any changes.  If you do, reintroduce some things like yogurt and cheese first and see if you bloat.  Make the straight milk the last thing you add, for it can affect you differently than other things.

Do the same thing with gluten.  Being a 5 year post-op, I would hope that you've taken notice of how certain foods affect you.  If not, though, do the elimination the same way you did with dairy.

If you have a favorite artificial sweetener and use it a LOT - this may also be a culprit.  Try switching to something else.

The next thing to address is a possible bacterial imbalance, which seems easy for us to get, however fairly easy to control.  This can cause some serious bloating and also diarrhea.  Some people take a probiotic daily to keep the bacteria balanced, while others (like me) do well with just a daily dose of yogurt.  

Protein shakes would be a killer for me.  I can' tolerate anything powdered, that includes powdered milk, hot chocolate, powdered soup, yogurt with milk powder in it, etc, etc.  With sweetener cut back just to stevia and then re-introduce things.  Cut out anything with gluten, really cut out carbs full stop.  Go to Atkins phase one and then re-introduce things slowly until something gives you a reaction.