Can not find reason for bloating

[Nana]

I am soooo stuck with this TMS work. Yesterday I had less bloating but today I have+++ bloating and constipated . I did not eat much different than I did yesterday. I try not to ask what did I eat and to ask instead, how do I feel? But I can not find a difference from yesterday to today. Nothing bad happened, nothing stressful, so does this mean it is not TMS? Sorry for my confusion.

 

[Cap'n Spanky]

Hi Nana ... and welcome!

TMS is strange. Just because nothing stressful or bad happened, doesn't mean your bloating is not TMS. It's the obsessing and fear of our symptoms that keeps them around. It takes time and practice to over come those old habits.

The moment I really started to see big improvements was the day I begin accepting and believing my symptoms were TMS. As I said, it takes time and practice to get there. There were good days and not so good days. But you can get there too.

Not sure what you doing, but there are many recourses here to help. Like these.

Structured Educational Program - The TMS Wiki

Pain Recovery Program | TMS Forum (The Mindbody Syndrome) (tmswiki.org)

Best of luck to you!!

 

[Nana]

Hi Nana ... and welcome!

TMS is strange. Just because nothing stressful or bad happened, doesn't mean your bloating is not TMS. It's the obsessing and fear of our symptoms that keeps them around. It takes time and practice to over come those old habits.

The moment I really started to see big improvements was the day I begin accepting and believing my symptoms were TMS. As I said, it takes time and practice to get there. There were good days and not so good days. But you can get there too.

Not sure what you doing, but there are many recourses here to help. Like these.

Structured Educational Program - The TMS Wiki

Pain Recovery Program | TMS Forum (The Mindbody Syndrome) (tmswiki.org)

Best of luck to you!!

you are right!! Thank you Cap’n . I forget that the fear of it can also be another trigger. I wonder if trying to meditate on the bloating whilst trying at the same time not to get emotionally involved could help? Obviously it probably will take lots of practice.

 

[Cap'n Spanky]

you are right!! Thank you Cap’n . I forget that the fear of it can also be another trigger. I wonder if trying to meditate on the bloating whilst trying at the same time not to get emotionally involved could help? Obviously it probably will take lots of practice.

Hey Nana!

Yes, absolutely. Meditating allows us to experience our symptoms in safe, controlled way. It helps us regulate the anxiety and fear around our symptoms and turn down the volume. Eventually, it may get your symptom related worries, fears, and frustrations completely under control.

In particular, somatic tracking is excellent technique for this. Alan Gordon has a couple of segments on this:
New Program - Day 9: Somatic Tracking | TMS Forum (The Mindbody Syndrome) (tmswiki.org)

New Program - Day 10: Somatic Tracking II: Anxiety Strikes Back | TMS Forum (The Mindbody Syndrome) (tmswiki.org)
I'm a huge fan of Alan's 21 day program and highly recommend it.

By-the-way (and you probably know this already), when you're working a particular program like those noted above, just replace the word "pain" with "symptoms" or whatever word makes sense to you. I did that with my chronic fatigue and it worked very well.

 

[Nana]

Hey Nana!

Yes, absolutely. Meditating allows us to experience our symptoms in safe, controlled way. It helps us regulate the anxiety and fear around our symptoms and turn down the volume. Eventually, it may get your symptom related worries, fears, and frustrations completely under control.

In particular, somatic tracking is excellent technique for this. Alan Gordon has a couple of segments on this:
New Program - Day 9: Somatic Tracking | TMS Forum (The Mindbody Syndrome) (tmswiki.org)

New Program - Day 10: Somatic Tracking II: Anxiety Strikes Back | TMS Forum (The Mindbody Syndrome) (tmswiki.org)
I'm a huge fan of Alan's 21 day program and highly recommend it.

By-the-way (and you probably know this already), when you're working a particular program like those noted above, just replace the word "pain" with "symptoms" or whatever word makes sense to you. I did that with my chronic fatigue and it worked very well.

Thank you cap’n for taking the time to write to me! I will take all of this in mind thkyou.

 

[Cap'n Spanky]

You're most welcome, Nana!!

 

[Kozas]

Bloating can be a symptom of SIBO, and what's 'funny' in SIBO is that you can be bloated without even eating ANYTHING today(as it take time to ferment food for bacteria).
I would recommend taking hydrogen test to check it out - it's non invasive and you will know more - either it's SIBO that's causing you symptoms or TMS. Without taking tests you will be still wondering what can it be.

 

[Nana]

Bloating can be a symptom of SIBO, and what's 'funny' in SIBO is that you can be bloated without even eating ANYTHING today(as it take time to ferment food for bacteria).
I would recommend taking hydrogen test to check it out - it's non invasive and you will know more - either it's SIBO that's causing you symptoms or TMS. Without taking tests you will be still wondering what can it be.

Hi Kozas, thkyou. I just feel that if it is SIBO Ihave less chances of a cure than if it is TMS.

 

[Kozas]

Hi Kozas, thkyou. I just feel that if it is SIBO Ihave less chances of a cure than if it is TMS.

Well, SIBO is still much better diagnosis than IBS which stands for "we don't have a clue what's wrong with you". It's possible to at least manage SIBO with natural antibiotics like oil of oregano + intermittent fasting or cure it completely with proper regiment of antibiotics or two/three weeks of eating only elemental diet.
Of course, there big possibility that you don't have SIBO, and testing yourself will just let you know what is happening with you. Even many TMS experts agree that it's a good thing to test yourself before commiting fully to TMS. Also, it makes commiting to TMS easier if all your tests will come back clean.
Anyway oil of oregano is good in itselfs:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/9-oregano-oil-benefits-and-uses (9 Benefits and Uses of Oregano Oil)
So you can use it and observe if bloating goes away. Obviously not only TMS can make you bloat, but your gut health is very important too

 

[JanAtheCPA]

Good response, @Nana. You will probably appreciate reading When The Body Says No by Dr. Gabor Mate. It's a well-written, compassionate, and very clear treatise on how the stress of emotional distress and repression can eventually cause actual physiological changes in our bodies. It's also the third book that saved my life ten years ago, after The Divided Mind, and Hope & Help For Your Nerves.

SIBO is the latest explanation for stomach issues, seemingly having taken over from the h.pylori explanation, which is no longer in vogue. And you have to ask yourself - why is my gut suddenly and inexplicably susceptible to "bacterial overgrowth"?

Mind you, once physiological changes have occurred, you do have to deal with two questions: 1) are the symptoms reversible? and 2) do I really need medical intervention to reverse or mitigate them? Depending on what's going on, you will find different answers to these questions, but the bottom line is that you still, always, need to do the emotional work - as per your excellent discussion with @Cap'n Spanky .

And I sympathize, as these are symptoms I've had, off and on, for a while. For me, they are clearly related to outside stressors and their effect on my mental well-being.

And as for that, as far as I'm concerned, if you're not suffering right now, you're probably completely ignoring the news - which is not the worst idea in the world.

~Jan