@conmama, are you very thin? Any little bulge will show up more.
I’m not very thin, but slender.
A friend of mine swears by digestive enzymes with every meal. I keep thinking about trying them for myself, but haven’t gotten around to it.
H eats a few digestive enzymes with most meals, especially if he’s having anything with lactose or gluten, which are his main sensitivities. It seems to help him be more comfortable.
Dairy seemed to be the trigger for me but even after cutting out dairy I’d still get bloat attacks fairly often. Probiotics, in the form of a glass of kefir every day, have eliminated the bloating. The kefir is made from goats milk which I do ok with.
For those of you who take digestive enzymes, do you have a particular brand you would recommend?
I just watched this show on Netflix streaming called “What the Health”. I’m giving up dairy, except the occasional pizza and egg. I’m going to Try soy yogurt, as I eat yogurt daily. I love cheese, but I don’t think it will be too difficult to give it up. I am checking out the kefir.
@conmama, why would you take the advice of strangers on the internet instead of going to a doctor?
I do have a doctors appt., but I do know dairy isn’t really that good for you anyway.
@conmama, I’m following this with interest. I also notice frequent bloating. I’ve never tried to identify all the triggers, but I suspect high fiber, green tea (my daily drink of choice), coniferous vegetables and dairy. Just had a physical and since this is a life-long phenomena, it didn’t occur to me that I should ask my MD about it. I am also slender which I think makes the bloating more obvious, but only to me. I’m always able to “suck in” and have never had discomfort. Thanks for raising the issue, I am certainly not concerned, but I do tend to forget that as I age, I probably should be more aware of changes and discuss these with my Doc.
@Momofadult …I don’t have discomfort or any of the IBS or GI symptoms other than bloating. I’m sure she’ll just say it’s the foods I’m eating and muscle laxity, but won’t hurt to ask. My appt. is coming up, so I’ll let everyone know what she said.
Dairy s not grea for me since I am verified lactose intolerant (but more aged cheeses are fine). But is it really not good for anyone? I believe dairy foods are a great source of calcium that women need. My doctor wants me to make sure I get enough calcium if I avoid dairy.
Glad you made appointment. This is one of those things you want to get checked out ASAP.
Before I got my IBS more or less under control, lactaid pills used to help a LOT with bloating issues.
I’m glad you got a doc appointment. It’s almost certainly nothing serious but always always better safe than sorry 
Once you rule out serious stuff, they’ll almost certainly ask you to keep a food & symptom journal.
That’s a really broad generalization to say that “dairy” isn’t really good for you anyway. Not milk? Whole milk yogurt? Farm fresh cheese? And after watching a single documentary you are going to give up an entire food group?
@conmama please don’t make radical dietary restrictions based on a documentary made with a very clear bias.
Just a quick check of some of the people in the video and the names stood out:
Michael A. Klaper- vegan advocate whose claims have been debunked many times. He also never trained in nutritional medicine as far as I can tell.
Michael Greger- also a vegan advocate whose claims have been refuted by people actually working in the field. He did have nutritional medicine training. He very selectively picks out studies and then radically distorts their findings.
John McDougall- my personal (least) favorite. I get referred to his McDougall diet all the time because it’ll cure my RA and lupus! Honest! 8-| Many of his diet plans are just plain dangerous.
I am all for people reducing meat products. I’ve been a vegetarian for many years and most of my dairy intake is through cheese. Milk makes me just feel yucky. But please get professional advice since there is a high risk that cutting out dairy will leave you with a calcium deficiency.
@Momofadult I’m sorry, I am totally never a grammar or spelling Nazi (until now), but your comment about “coniferous” vegetables make me laugh (I’m a forester). I know it was a spell check error because my spelling of “coniferous” is flagged as a misspelling in this comment and I right clicked on it and I got, guess what…“cruciferous” as the only choice to correct it! I’m pretty old, but I still remember the “Ever eat a pine cone? Some parts are edible” commercials, so I was thinking - are there really any coniferous vegetables (or parts of an evergreen cone bearing plant) that people are commonly eating these days - (besides pine nuts)? I came to the conclusion that you probably weren’t eating the inner bark of a pine tree - which is somewhat edible I think - but if that were the case, it could explain your bloating, lol! Sorry I couldn’t resist .
@LeastComplicated: My kind of humor!
Thanks for checking that out @romanigypsyeyes. It will be interesting what the doc has to say. I’m sure individuals in the medical field all have varying opinions also concerning dairy.
Consider trying the “whole 30 diet.” It isn’t really a diet to lose weight (although most do) but a diet to eliminate sugar, gluten, dairy, legumes and anything processed. You do it for 30 days and then add each back in one at a time to see how your body responds. After I did this eating plan I finally felt like, for the first time, I understood food. The experience has helped me make better choices. I now understand all the places sugar hides (like ketchup & salad dressing) and how all the small amounts do add up and make a difference. I try very hard to avoid gluten although its hard. For me, I believe gluten causes bloating. I also go easy on the dairy although I enjoy ice cream here and there. I also use Almond milk in coffee, cooking eggs and when I can use it as a substitute. You will find the right balance for you - no worries. What I learned from Whole 30 is how important clean eating is and all the places sugar creeps into our diets.