Susan
I experienced the same thing back in 1993. I never got a definite answer but my suffering was great and I even called the emergency room several times in the middle of the night. My clothes did not fit arond my blated stomach... I underwent several tests and they even sent me to a surgeon, thinking I had a hernia. I stopped eating anything but oatmeal, rice, and vegetables for four months and slowly added things back into my diet. I also found out that I was lactose intolerant. I cut out all dairy and that seemed to eventually help a great deal. I rarely have trouble now but do find that when I do, Milk of Magnesia is the only thing that helps me gently. Before the condition started, I had moved away from my boyfriend that I really loved and I also had lost a lot of weight.. they say that weight change can change your enzymes and different allergies can occur. I hope this helps a little... I know how awful it is and dealt with it for many months. I would suggest stress relief, a bland, simple and healthy diet, no dairy or food allergy testing, and just being good to yourself. It worked for me.