When I have a flare up, the pain is so bad that I literally have to go to bed and it hurts so bad that I have to hold a pillow on my stomach just to crawl to the bathroom. I also bloat and swell so big that I feel like I'm going to burst wide open. Is there any help for this? I have been diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
Q: What can I do for the intense pain in my right side and the bloating?
Answers (1)
9/27/08 7:51am
Dorothy,
I'm sorry you're having such problems; you do seem so uncomfortable. 
Lactose intolerance very frequently produces the symptoms you've listed.
In IBD, and especially when you flare, your small intestines--which is the place where the enzyme, lactase, is normally produced--may not be working at its best. In many people, that can include not making, or not making enough, lactase to digest the sugar, lactose, which is found in dairy products.
You may be quite pleasantly surprised at how much better you feel after eliminating all dairy products from your diet. (Be sure to get your calcium and vit D from another source, though!)
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