# permanent increase in waist size



## Teresa1 (Sep 4, 2011)

Hello everyone,I'm new to this forum and I desperately need your help. Here's my story ...3 years ago my health was absolutely normal. Then out of the blue this happened ... Over a period of 2-3 weeks my waist increased by 5 inches permanently, I started feeling REALLY full after eating a regular meal, and I began to have gas and diarrhea. During this time I did not change my eating/exercising habits at all. I was eating/doing what I normally did. I am at a loss as to what caused this.I have had every test under the sun. I have been diagnosed with IBS, lactose intolerance, and bacterial overgrowth.My question for you is this: Is there anyone out there that has had a permanent increase in their waist size? I’ve read a lot about people getting bloated after eating, etc. But I’m not just bloated, it doesn’t go away, my stomach just mysteriously grew 5 inches and stayed like that! I haven’t come across anyone else this has happened to. Please … has this happened to anyone else? If so, what have you done about it?I am at my wits end. I’ve reduced my calorie intake and increased my exercise. But with all my hard work, I’ve only lost ½ an inch of those 5 inches! I’m tired of looking pregnant. I’m tired of feeling the rolls. I’m tired of spilling out of my clothes. And I’m tired of feeling like I’ve eaten a cow after I’ve eaten a sandwich.Thanks for listening.Teresa


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## PD85 (Aug 19, 2010)

Were you or had you been on any medications? Specifically anti-depressants or antibiotics?


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Have you been to the OB-GYN? Some female reproductive issues can cause the kind of bloating where you increase in diameter and stay that way rather than have it come and go.


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## Teresa1 (Sep 4, 2011)

PD85 said:


> Were you or had you been on any medications? Specifically anti-depressants or antibiotics?


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## Teresa1 (Sep 4, 2011)

PD85 said:


> Were you or had you been on any medications? Specifically anti-depressants or antibiotics?


No, I wasn't on any medication at all.


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## Teresa1 (Sep 4, 2011)

Kathleen M. said:


> Have you been to the OB-GYN? Some female reproductive issues can cause the kind of bloating where you increase in diameter and stay that way rather than have it come and go.


No, it's not a female problem. I've had EVERY test, including gynocological tests.I can't believe no one else has this issue. I think I'm going to loose my mind!


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

hi teresa--i've had a permanent increase not in waist size but in belly size. i've had ibs-c chronically constipated for over forty years. in addition to being c i also have a lot of bloating and frequently a lot of pain with the bloating. when i bloat really bad, my belly does not get bigger--i've measured it--but it gets to feeling tight as a drum and very painful. i noticed my belly getting bigger and staying the same big size when i was a teen and like you, for many years tried all kinds of exercises--waist exercises, core exercises to get it down to no avail. and also like you, i'm not overweight--quite thin--5'4"-95 lbs-- but have this big belly---33 inches around--been the same measurement for years--and yes--looking pregnant which at my age is absurd--lol. and when the bloat is really painful i get out the fat clothes--tent jumpers--because i cannot bear to wear pants--even loose pants--can't bear to have anything across the waist.and yes it drives me crazy but i have no idea what to do. have tried everything--diets, exercise. a nice warm heating pad often works to release gas and alleviate the painful pressure but even then i still have the same size belly.good luck to you. hope you can find some answers and get some relief...


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## faze action (Aug 6, 2009)

Teresa1 said:


> Hello everyone,I'm new to this forum and I desperately need your help. Here's my story ...3 years ago my health was absolutely normal. Then out of the blue this happened ... Over a period of 2-3 weeks my waist increased by 5 inches permanently, I started feeling REALLY full after eating a regular meal, and I began to have gas and diarrhea. During this time I did not change my eating/exercising habits at all. I was eating/doing what I normally did. I am at a loss as to what caused this.I have had every test under the sun. I have been diagnosed with IBS, lactose intolerance, and bacterial overgrowth.My question for you is this: Is there anyone out there that has had a permanent increase in their waist size? I've read a lot about people getting bloated after eating, etc. But I'm not just bloated, it doesn't go away, my stomach just mysteriously grew 5 inches and stayed like that! I haven't come across anyone else this has happened to. Please &#8230; has this happened to anyone else? If so, what have you done about it?I am at my wits end. I've reduced my calorie intake and increased my exercise. But with all my hard work, I've only lost ½ an inch of those 5 inches! I'm tired of looking pregnant. I'm tired of feeling the rolls. I'm tired of spilling out of my clothes. And I'm tired of feeling like I've eaten a cow after I've eaten a sandwich.Thanks for listening.Teresa


Yes, this has happened to me, although I didn't realize it at the time. Instead of taking 2-3 weeks like you I began bloating gradually over the course of 1-2 years, so I thought I was just gaining weight. I was also diagnosed with bacterial overgrowth and after the first course of antibiotics I literally went down a full size in pants in one week. The pants I had been wearing before the ABs were falling off me, so I know it was due to the bacteria.


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## LisaW (Jun 10, 2010)

faze action said:


> Yes, this has happened to me, although I didn't realize it at the time. Instead of taking 2-3 weeks like you I began bloating gradually over the course of 1-2 years, so I thought I was just gaining weight. I was also diagnosed with bacterial overgrowth and after the first course of antibiotics I literally went down a full size in pants in one week. The pants I had been wearing before the ABs were falling off me, so I know it was due to the bacteria.


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## LisaW (Jun 10, 2010)

I only wish my waist size would increase! I have IBS-D and must be very careful on what I eat so my weight is down and I need some fat all over. All the supplements out there have too many sugars in them that make my IBS worse. Send some of that extra weight this way. Have you tried going glutten free?


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

with me, it's only my belly that is big. everywhere else i'm thin thin thin. i could sure use some extra fat all over too. between the reflux and the bloat and c, i have to be careful with what i eat, too, which makes it hard to gain weight. and what i really wish is that i could move that big belly size with up a bit to my bust line--lol!!


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## faze action (Aug 6, 2009)

LisaW said:


> I only wish my waist size would increase! I have IBS-D and must be very careful on what I eat so my weight is down and I need some fat all over. All the supplements out there have too many sugars in them that make my IBS worse. Send some of that extra weight this way. Have you tried going glutten free?


I actually didn't gain any weight at all... and I'm pretty thin overall, so sorry I can't send extra weight to you. When I had the SIBO I just felt inflated like a balloon. Once I went on rifaximin for the SIBO the weight increase disappeared. I am actually currently gluten-free. It's been a month so far, and I'm going another month and then challenge myself to see if it's a problem for me. So far, so good- I'm feeling much better gluten-free!


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## TMM388 (Nov 17, 2010)

Theresa, I have the same as what you describe, my waist size has increased and there seems to be a constant low level bloat going on. sometimes I get a bloat flare up that lasts for several weeks. I am wondering if anyone else has this too.


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## Teresa1 (Sep 4, 2011)

faze action said:


> I actually didn't gain any weight at all... and I'm pretty thin overall, so sorry I can't send extra weight to you. When I had the SIBO I just felt inflated like a balloon. Once I went on rifaximin for the SIBO the weight increase disappeared. I am actually currently gluten-free. It's been a month so far, and I'm going another month and then challenge myself to see if it's a problem for me. So far, so good- I'm feeling much better gluten-free!


Oh my god ... oh my god ... oh my god ... Thank you so much for telling me Rifaximin worked for you and got rid of that inflated belly!Here's the rest of my story in a nutshell ... 2 years ago I read Dr. Pimentel's book (as I'm sure everyone in this site has) where he recommends Rifaximin and/or Neomycin to treat bacterial overgrowth. Armed with this book in hand I approached several doctors for help. After a long search, I found one who would help. She contacted Dr. Pimentel for guidance and then proceeded to order Rifaximin for me. And here is the problem ... I live in Canada and Rifaximin is not available here. So, she went for the second choice - Neomycin. I took this for 2 weeks and I had absolutely no improvement. She is now in the process of trying to get her hands on Rifaximin for me.And now I have a few questions please &#8230;How long did you take the rifaximin for and at what dose?Are you also taking the erythromycin for 3 months like Dr. Pimentel suggests?You say it's been a month now and you're feeling good &#8230; Does that mean the weight hasn't come back?As for gluten-free, I've tried that and it didn't have an affect on me. Do you think I should try it anyway after I've gotten rid of the bacteria?Thank you so much for your help.Teresa


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## Teresa1 (Sep 4, 2011)

faze action said:


> Yes, this has happened to me, although I didn't realize it at the time. Instead of taking 2-3 weeks like you I began bloating gradually over the course of 1-2 years, so I thought I was just gaining weight. I was also diagnosed with bacterial overgrowth and after the first course of antibiotics I literally went down a full size in pants in one week. The pants I had been wearing before the ABs were falling off me, so I know it was due to the bacteria.


I'm not very good working my way around these forums. I think I responded to you, but I'm not sure.Oh my god, I'm so excited to hear that antibiotics got rid of your belly!I have some questions please ...Which antibiotic did you use? How long did you use it? And what dose was it?How long has it been since you've gotten rid of your belly?Are you back to eating normally again AND your belly is fine?Thanks so much for your help.Teresa


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## Teresa1 (Sep 4, 2011)

I just wanted to say a big "thank you" to everyone who responded to me. I appreciate it so much! Keep 'em coming.Teresa


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## faze action (Aug 6, 2009)

Teresa1 said:


> I'm not very good working my way around these forums. I think I responded to you, but I'm not sure.Oh my god, I'm so excited to hear that antibiotics got rid of your belly!I have some questions please ...Which antibiotic did you use? How long did you use it? And what dose was it?How long has it been since you've gotten rid of your belly?Are you back to eating normally again AND your belly is fine?Thanks so much for your help.Teresa


Teresa, I've been on rifaximin three times since April 2009. When I was first diagnosed with SIBO I took 400mg three times a day for about 8 days (not a full course). It worked great, and that's when my bloated abdomen went away. My symptoms started coming back about 5 weeks later and I had another breath test in October 2009 and went back on rifaximin, same dose, but for 10 days. It didn't work as well the second time, although my symptoms also weren't as back 2nd time around. Third time on rifaximin was in January of this year and my doctor upped the dose: 550mg, three times day for 14 days. It didn't help at all. Unfortunately, not everyone responds to rifaximin and SIBO tends to recur. If you're pretty sure bacteria are causing your problems, then it's worth a shot if you can get it. The gluten free diet is helping me (it's almost gotten rid of the most recent, prolonged flare I was in), but it won't work if you have a bacterial overgrowth. Get rid of the bacteria first and then try a low-carb diet. The bacteria seem to love carbs and will feed on them. The other thing I can recommend are digestive enzymes, particularly if bloating is a problem for you. Not much helps bloating in my experience, but enzymes did seem to help me somewhat. There's a link below with info. http://www.enzymestuff.com/basicsdosing.htm


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## Teresa1 (Sep 4, 2011)

faze action said:


> Teresa, I've been on rifaximin three times since April 2009. When I was first diagnosed with SIBO I took 400mg three times a day for about 8 days (not a full course). It worked great, and that's when my bloated abdomen went away. My symptoms started coming back about 5 weeks later and I had another breath test in October 2009 and went back on rifaximin, same dose, but for 10 days. It didn't work as well the second time, although my symptoms also weren't as back 2nd time around. Third time on rifaximin was in January of this year and my doctor upped the dose: 550mg, three times day for 14 days. It didn't help at all. Unfortunately, not everyone responds to rifaximin and SIBO tends to recur. If you're pretty sure bacteria are causing your problems, then it's worth a shot if you can get it. The gluten free diet is helping me (it's almost gotten rid of the most recent, prolonged flare I was in), but it won't work if you have a bacterial overgrowth. Get rid of the bacteria first and then try a low-carb diet. The bacteria seem to love carbs and will feed on them. The other thing I can recommend are digestive enzymes, particularly if bloating is a problem for you. Not much helps bloating in my experience, but enzymes did seem to help me somewhat. There's a link below with info. http://www.enzymestuff.com/basicsdosing.htm


Thank you so much for the info. Although I was very upset, beyond words, when I read it. I thought Rifaximin was going to be a miracle cure, but apparently it's not. Please bear with me as I have a few more questions &#8230;.You said your inflated abdomen went away the first time you took Rifaximin. Did it stay gone, or has it returned?After 3 treatments are you completely free of bacterial overgrowth? It sounds like you're not because you've had a flare up recently.The last time you took it, it did nothing for you. Does that mean you have become resistant to it?Did you take Erythromycin for 3 months like Dr. Pimentel suggests?Do you know if there is a legitimate generic version of Rifaximin? My health coverage doesn't cover prescriptions outside Canada. So I have to pay for it myself. If I need several treatments, I'm going to go broke!I will look into gluten-free diet and digestive enzymes after I've gotten rid of the bacteria. Thanks for the link.Teresa


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

It will be a few years before there is a legit generic, I checked http://www.drugpatentwatch.com and it looks like 2017 is when they lose their exclusivity. Before that you usually can't get a legit generic.Other antibiotics can be used for SIBO, this link has a list http://www.medicinenet.com/small_intestinal_bacterial_overgrowth/page6.htm


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## faze action (Aug 6, 2009)

Teresa1 said:


> Thank you so much for the info. Although I was very upset, beyond words, when I read it. I thought Rifaximin was going to be a miracle cure, but apparently it's not. Please bear with me as I have a few more questions &#8230;.You said your inflated abdomen went away the first time you took Rifaximin. Did it stay gone, or has it returned?After 3 treatments are you completely free of bacterial overgrowth? It sounds like you're not because you've had a flare up recently.The last time you took it, it did nothing for you. Does that mean you have become resistant to it?Did you take Erythromycin for 3 months like Dr. Pimentel suggests?Do you know if there is a legitimate generic version of Rifaximin? My health coverage doesn't cover prescriptions outside Canada. So I have to pay for it myself. If I need several treatments, I'm going to go broke!I will look into gluten-free diet and digestive enzymes after I've gotten rid of the bacteria. Thanks for the link.Teresa


Regarding IBS I don't think there are _any_ miracle cures, and like Kathleen said there is no rifaximin generic at this time. It may be hit or miss with rifaximin for you, especially since neomycin didn't work. Everyone is different and it may depend on the type of bacteria that is in your GI tract, but I'm not positive about that. After the first course of rifaximin, yes my bloated abdomen went away and stayed away for the most part. Depending on what I eat it comes back a little, but not as bad as it was and it's usually temporary (not chronic like it was).Most of the questions you're asking me I unfortunately can't answer, and neither could my GI doctor:Is the overgrowth really gone?Are the bacteria now resistant to the antibiotic?I can't answer those, sorry, and no I did not take the erythromycin either.I did recently read a research article about a study that was done regarding the lactulose breath test that's used to diagnose SIBO and the findings seem to indicate that it is not the most effective way to test for bacteria. What the study did reveal though is that most people who tested positive had rapid oro-caecal transit and not bacterial overgrowth (necessarily). I do believe there is somethig to this because I'm a slim person and I find that I usually need to eat a LOT of food in order to not be hungry and I still have some malabsorption and deficiency symptoms.As far as what you're eating I wouldn't focus so much on gluten, specifically, but try to stay low-carb if you can. Even when I still had the SIBO I felt better when I was eating little to no carbs, and wheat products (pasta, bread, etc) have always made ne feel worse than other things, which is why I'm experimenting with GF. The other thing you can do is research the FODMAP diet (see Common Response's info in the bloating forum). I think it's a harder diet to stick to than gluten free, but it seems to help a lot of people. Figuring out what works for you is most likely going to be frustrating and it's going to be a lot of trial and error.


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## Teresa1 (Sep 4, 2011)

Kathleen M. said:


> It will be a few years before there is a legit generic, I checked http://www.drugpatentwatch.com and it looks like 2017 is when they lose their exclusivity. Before that you usually can't get a legit generic.Other antibiotics can be used for SIBO, this link has a list http://www.medicinenet.com/small_intestinal_bacterial_overgrowth/page6.htm


Hi KathleenThank you for your response. I will look at the links.I did want to mention that I did come across a generic for Rifaximin at a couple of online pharmacies. I called them and they both told me that the generic is manufactured in India AND it is FDA approved. I need to double check this with the FDA because it seems a bit fishy to me ... Why would the FDA approve a generic manuafactured outside the US and not approve one to be manufactured in the US? I'm a little skeptical about buying drugs online anyway so I'm not going to bother.


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## Teresa1 (Sep 4, 2011)

faze action said:


> Regarding IBS I don't think there are _any_ miracle cures, and like Kathleen said there is no rifaximin generic at this time. It may be hit or miss with rifaximin for you, especially since neomycin didn't work. Everyone is different and it may depend on the type of bacteria that is in your GI tract, but I'm not positive about that. After the first course of rifaximin, yes my bloated abdomen went away and stayed away for the most part. Depending on what I eat it comes back a little, but not as bad as it was and it's usually temporary (not chronic like it was).Most of the questions you're asking me I unfortunately can't answer, and neither could my GI doctor:Is the overgrowth really gone?Are the bacteria now resistant to the antibiotic?I can't answer those, sorry, and no I did not take the erythromycin either.I did recently read a research article about a study that was done regarding the lactulose breath test that's used to diagnose SIBO and the findings seem to indicate that it is not the most effective way to test for bacteria. What the study did reveal though is that most people who tested positive had rapid oro-caecal transit and not bacterial overgrowth (necessarily). I do believe there is somethig to this because I'm a slim person and I find that I usually need to eat a LOT of food in order to not be hungry and I still have some malabsorption and deficiency symptoms.As far as what you're eating I wouldn't focus so much on gluten, specifically, but try to stay low-carb if you can. Even when I still had the SIBO I felt better when I was eating little to no carbs, and wheat products (pasta, bread, etc) have always made ne feel worse than other things, which is why I'm experimenting with GF. The other thing you can do is research the FODMAP diet (see Common Response's info in the bloating forum). I think it's a harder diet to stick to than gluten free, but it seems to help a lot of people. Figuring out what works for you is most likely going to be frustrating and it's going to be a lot of trial and error.Hi Faze,Thank you so much. I am SO relieved to hear that your bloating has stayed away for the most part. After dealing with this permanent pregnant look for over 3 years now, I'd be REALLY happy with that result! Fingers crossed!If it's not too much trouble, could you send me a link to that article on the lactulose breath test so I can read it. I've never heard of this "rapid oro-caecal transit." This is just great &#8230; another thing to look into.I don't know about you, but I am just sooooo tired of all the research, reading, experimenting with food and supplements, trying this and trying that, getting test after test, going from doctor to doctor till someone would listen, etc. I'm just so tired. It sucks up all my free time. And I just want my life back.Sorry for the rant. I'm just tired.Teresa


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## faze action (Aug 6, 2009)

I don't think I can link the article because it was through a subscription only service. I have access to a lot of research journals through my job for free, and that's where I read it. It was in the March 2011 edition of Gut journal though.If you google "rapid oro-cecal transit" a lot of stuff comes up and there are probably multiple artcles on the subject.


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## Teresa1 (Sep 4, 2011)

faze action said:


> I don't think I can link the article because it was through a subscription only service. I have access to a lot of research journals through my job for free, and that's where I read it. It was in the March 2011 edition of Gut journal though.If you google "rapid oro-cecal transit" a lot of stuff comes up and there are probably multiple artcles on the subject.


Thank you. I'll google it and see where it leads.You have been very helpful to me and I thank you.Teresa


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## Teresa1 (Sep 4, 2011)

Just to let people know ... if you see a generic version of Rifaximin available online, DON'T buy it. I called two of these online drugstores and they said it is made in India and it is FDA approved. This is not true. I called the FDA and they have NOT approved any internationally made generic version of Rifaximin. So, if you see generics available online ... DON'T BUY THEM, THEY'RE NOT FDA APPROVED!


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