Why You're Bloated Every Day (And How Hormones Make It Worse)

Real stories from real clients — the problems they faced, what we did, and how things changed.

Stories

You wake up with a flat stomach. By mid-morning, you look 5 months pregnant. It doesn't matter what you eat – salad, smoothies, "clean" food – you bloat anyway. Here's what most doctors miss: chronic bloating isn't just about what you eat. It's about what's happening in your gut, and how your hormones are making it worse.

When Every Meal Leaves You Bloated

You wake up with a flat stomach. By mid-morning, you look 5 months pregnant. It doesn't matter what you eat – salad, smoothies, "clean" food – you bloat anyway.

Your doctor says it's "IBS" and tells you to eat more fiber or take probiotics. But it doesn't help. Or it makes it worse.

Here's what most doctors miss: chronic bloating isn't just about what you eat. It's about what's happening in your gut, and how your hormones are making it worse.

Bloating is a symptom of deeper dysfunction. The gut-hormone connection is real, but it's rarely addressed.

Standard care diagnoses "IBS" (irritable bowel syndrome) with no real solutions, just symptom management with fiber supplements and antispasmodics.

But bloating has root causes:

Bacterial overgrowth
Gut dysbiosis
Food sensitivities
Hormone imbalances
Thyroid dysfunction
Stress hormones affecting digestion

Testing reveals what's actually happening, and what to fix.

You wake up with a flat stomach. By mid-morning, you look 5 months pregnant. It doesn't matter what you eat – salad, smoothies, "clean" food – you bloat anyway.

Your doctor says it's "IBS" and tells you to eat more fiber or take probiotics. But it doesn't help. Or it makes it worse.

Here's what most doctors miss: chronic bloating isn't just about what you eat. It's about what's happening in your gut, and how your hormones are making it worse.

Bloating is a symptom of deeper dysfunction. The gut-hormone connection is real, but it's rarely addressed.

Standard care diagnoses "IBS" (irritable bowel syndrome) with no real solutions, just symptom management with fiber supplements and antispasmodics.

But bloating has root causes:

Bacterial overgrowth
Gut dysbiosis
Food sensitivities
Hormone imbalances
Thyroid dysfunction
Stress hormones affecting digestion

Testing reveals what's actually happening, and what to fix.

You wake up with a flat stomach. By mid-morning, you look 5 months pregnant. It doesn't matter what you eat – salad, smoothies, "clean" food – you bloat anyway.

Your doctor says it's "IBS" and tells you to eat more fiber or take probiotics. But it doesn't help. Or it makes it worse.

Here's what most doctors miss: chronic bloating isn't just about what you eat. It's about what's happening in your gut, and how your hormones are making it worse.

Bloating is a symptom of deeper dysfunction. The gut-hormone connection is real, but it's rarely addressed.

Standard care diagnoses "IBS" (irritable bowel syndrome) with no real solutions, just symptom management with fiber supplements and antispasmodics.

But bloating has root causes:

Bacterial overgrowth
Gut dysbiosis
Food sensitivities
Hormone imbalances
Thyroid dysfunction
Stress hormones affecting digestion

Testing reveals what's actually happening, and what to fix.

What's Really Causing Your Bloating

When you have chronic bloating, we test for these six root causes:

1. SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth)

Bacteria that belong in your colon have moved into your small intestine, where they ferment food and produce gas. This is one of the most common causes of chronic bloating that standard care misses.

Symptoms: Bloating after meals, especially carbohydrates. Feeling worse after eating, even "healthy" foods. Gas, abdominal pain, irregular bowel movements.

Tests needed: SIBO breath test

2. Gut Dysbiosis

Wrong balance of bacteria in your colon. Too much inflammatory bacteria, not enough beneficial bacteria. This creates inflammation, gas production, and digestive dysfunction.

Symptoms: Bloating, irregular bowel movements, food sensitivities, fatigue

Tests needed: Comprehensive stool testing (GI-MAP)

3. Food Sensitivities

Delayed immune reactions to foods cause inflammation and bloating. This isn't an allergy (immediate reaction). It's a sensitivity that can take hours or days to show up.

Symptoms: Bloating, fatigue, brain fog, skin issues, joint pain after eating certain foods

4. Low Stomach Acid

Can't break down food properly, so it ferments in your stomach and small intestine. Common in women over 40, especially with stress or nutrient deficiencies.

5. Estrogen Dominance

Too much estrogen relative to progesterone slows gut motility and causes fluid retention. This creates bloating that's worse before your period.

Symptoms: Bloating that worsens before period, heavy periods, PMS, mood swings

6. Cortisol Dysregulation

Stress hormones divert blood from digestion, slow gut motility, and increase intestinal permeability (leaky gut). This leads to SIBO, food sensitivities, and chronic bloating.

Most women with chronic bloating have 2-3 of these issues happening at once. That's why a single approach (like just probiotics) doesn't work. We need to test and address multiple root causes.

How Your Hormones Are Making Your Gut Worse

The gut-hormone connection goes both ways. Hormones affect gut function, and gut health affects hormones.

Estrogen Affects Gut Motility

High estrogen slows gut transit time. Food moves through your digestive tract more slowly. This creates constipation, bloating, and can contribute to SIBO.

Before your period, when estrogen is high relative to progesterone, bloating often worsens. Estrogen also causes fluid retention, which contributes to that "pregnant" feeling.

Gut Bacteria Regulate Estrogen

Your gut has an "estrobolome," bacteria that help regulate estrogen metabolism. When you have dysbiosis (wrong balance of bacteria), estrogen doesn't get metabolized properly. This can create estrogen dominance, which then affects gut function, creating a vicious cycle.

Cortisol Damages Gut Lining

Chronic stress increases cortisol, which damages the gut lining and increases intestinal permeability (leaky gut). This allows undigested food particles and bacteria to enter your bloodstream, triggering inflammation and immune reactions.

Thyroid Affects Digestion

Low thyroid function slows gut motility, which can lead to SIBO and chronic bloating. Thyroid dysfunction is a common underlying cause of digestive issues that many doctors miss.

During Perimenopause, Hormone Shifts Make Gut Issues Worse

As estrogen and progesterone fluctuate, gut function becomes more unstable. Many women with perimenopause symptoms also develop new gut issues or worsening of existing ones.

What Conventional Doctors Miss About Bloating

IBS Is a Description, Not a Diagnosis

"IBS" just means "irritable bowel." It describes symptoms, not causes. It doesn't explain WHY you're bloating. Without understanding the root cause, treatment is just guessing.

Most cases of "IBS" are actually SIBO, dysbiosis, food sensitivities, or hormone-driven gut dysfunction, all of which are testable and treatable.

Standard Tests Don't Look at Gut Function

Colonoscopy rules out disease (cancer, polyps, inflammation) but doesn't test bacteria, SIBO, or function. Standard stool tests only check for pathogens, not bacterial balance or gut health markers. This misses 90% of the causes of chronic bloating.

Hormones Are Never Considered

GI doctors don't test hormones. Gynecologists don't test gut. The connection is missed, so bloating gets treated in isolation without addressing hormone imbalances that are driving it.

Treatment = Symptom Management

Anti-spasmodics, fiber supplements, "low FODMAP forever." This manages symptoms without fixing root causes. Low FODMAP can help temporarily, but if you need to avoid FODMAPs forever, you haven't fixed the underlying problem.

The result: Women suffer with chronic bloating for years, told to "just avoid trigger foods" or "it's stress," when the real problem is testable and fixable. We test comprehensively to find what's actually causing your bloating.

How to Actually Fix Chronic Bloating

We don't guess. We test.

Comprehensive Testing Includes:

SIBO breath test
Comprehensive stool testing (GI-MAP)
Hormone testing (DUTCH)
Food sensitivity testing
Thyroid panel
Cortisol testing

Treatment Based on Results:

SIBO Treatment

If SIBO is present, we treat it with antibiotics or herbal antimicrobials. This usually takes 2-4 weeks, followed by gut restoration.

Gut Restoration Protocol

Restore beneficial bacteria, heal gut lining, reduce inflammation. This includes probiotics, prebiotics, gut-healing nutrients, and removing inflammatory foods.

Hormone Balancing

If estrogen dominance is contributing, we balance hormones with bioidentical progesterone, DIM, or other targeted interventions.

Food Sensitivity Removal

Temporarily remove inflammatory foods, then reintroduce systematically.

Digestive Support

If stomach acid is low, we support digestion with betaine HCl or digestive enzymes.

Stress Management

Essential for gut health. Cortisol management, stress reduction techniques, adaptogens if needed.

The Goal

The goal isn't just to reduce bloating temporarily. It's to fix the root causes so you can eat normally again.

This typically takes 3-6 months of comprehensive treatment, but most women see improvements within 4-6 weeks.

Care should make sense in your real life. We start with your day, then use labs to guide what to change first.”

— Dr. Karolina

Care should make sense in your real life. We start with your day, then use labs to guide what to change first.”

— Dr. Karolina

Your questions.
Answered.

Not sure what to expect? These answers should help.

Didn’t find your answer? Send us a message — we’ll respond with care and clarity.

About Naturamed

What is a comprehensive thyroid panel?

A comprehensive thyroid panel tests TSH, Free T3, Free T4, Reverse T3, TPO antibodies, and Thyroglobulin antibodies. It shows how your thyroid is actually functioning — not just whether your pituitary is trying to kick-start it.

This gives us the full picture of what's happening: whether your thyroid is making enough hormone, whether your body is converting it properly, whether inflammation or autoimmunity is involved, and whether anything is blocking thyroid function.

Most doctors only test TSH. We test all of it.

Why doesn't my regular doctor test my T3 and T4 levels?

Usually because insurance won't cover it unless TSH is already abnormal.

Conventional medicine follows guidelines built around saving money. TSH is cheap to test. Full panels cost more. If your TSH looks "normal," most insurance companies won't pay for more testing — even when you clearly have symptoms.

That's why so many women get stuck: they feel awful, but their one test comes back "fine," so nothing happens.

What is Reverse T3 and why does it matter?

Reverse T3 (rT3) is an inactive form of thyroid hormone your body makes when you're stressed, inflamed, or low on nutrients like selenium or zinc.

The problem: rT3 blocks active T3 from working. So even if your T3 levels look okay, high rT3 means the T3 isn't getting into your cells. You end up with all the classic hypothyroid symptoms — exhausted, gaining weight, can't think straight — even though your TSH and T4 look normal.

This happens all the time in women dealing with chronic stress, gut problems, or autoimmune issues. And most doctors never test for it.

Can I have thyroid problems if my TSH is under 2.5?

Absolutely.

TSH doesn't tell you what's actually happening with your thyroid hormones. You can have a TSH of 1.5 and still have:

Low T3 (conversion problems)
High Reverse T3 (blocking thyroid function)
Hashimoto's antibodies (early autoimmune disease)
Low Free T4 (not making enough hormone)

A lot of women start feeling symptoms when their TSH goes above 2.0, even though that's still "normal" by standard ranges.

If you don't feel right, your testing needs to go deeper than just TSH.

Your questions.
Answered.

Not sure what to expect? These answers should help.

Didn’t find your answer? Send us a message — we’ll respond with care and clarity.

About Naturamed

I’ve seen so many doctors and still don’t feel better. How is this different?

Most doctors' appointments are about managing symptoms. We dig deeper to figure out what's actually causing them.

We take time to listen, run tests that go beyond the standard panel, and look at how your hormones, gut, thyroid, stress levels, and daily habits are all connected.

It's not about throwing more prescriptions at the problem. It's about figuring out what your body is trying to tell you.

What kinds of problems do you help with?

A lot of our clients come to us after dealing with unexplained fatigue, gut problems, hormone issues, thyroid dysfunction, anxiety, or chronic inflammation for years.

Some have a diagnosis already. Others just know something's off.

If you've ever heard "your labs look normal" but still feel like crap, we can help figure out what's actually going on.

What can I expect from the first appointment?

Your first visit isn't a quick 10-minute thing. It's a real conversation where we go through your full history - past lab work, symptoms, stress, lifestyle, all of it.

You'll walk away with a clear plan for next steps and personalized testing that actually starts giving you answers.

Do I need to stop seeing my current doctor?

No. We're not here to replace your doctor, we work alongside them.

We actually collaborate with your other providers pretty often. The goal is to help everyone on your team see the full picture.

How long does it take to start feeling better?

It depends. Some people notice changes in their energy and sleep within a few weeks. For others, the deeper stuff takes a few months.

We're not into quick fixes. We focus on real, lasting improvements, so every step actually moves you forward.

Is this covered by insurance?

Functional medicine typically isn't covered.

But think of it this way: it's an investment in finally getting real answers and a plan that actually works, instead of spinning your wheels with symptoms no one seems able to help with.

Can you help if I’m not local?

Yep. We do virtual appointments for clients in Michigan, Florida, and Texas.

We can ship testing kits to you, and we'll go over your results in detail during video sessions. You get the same level of care, just from home.

Your questions.
Answered.

Not sure what to expect? These answers should help.

I’ve seen so many doctors and still don’t feel better. How is this different?

Most doctors' appointments are about managing symptoms. We dig deeper to figure out what's actually causing them.

We take time to listen, run tests that go beyond the standard panel, and look at how your hormones, gut, thyroid, stress levels, and daily habits are all connected.

It's not about throwing more prescriptions at the problem. It's about figuring out what your body is trying to tell you.

What kinds of problems do you help with?

A lot of our clients come to us after dealing with unexplained fatigue, gut problems, hormone issues, thyroid dysfunction, anxiety, or chronic inflammation for years.

Some have a diagnosis already. Others just know something's off.

If you've ever heard "your labs look normal" but still feel like crap, we can help figure out what's actually going on.

What can I expect from the first appointment?

Your first visit isn't a quick 10-minute thing. It's a real conversation where we go through your full history - past lab work, symptoms, stress, lifestyle, all of it.

You'll walk away with a clear plan for next steps and personalized testing that actually starts giving you answers.

Do I need to stop seeing my current doctor?

No. We're not here to replace your doctor, we work alongside them.

We actually collaborate with your other providers pretty often. The goal is to help everyone on your team see the full picture.

How long does it take to start feeling better?

It depends. Some people notice changes in their energy and sleep within a few weeks. For others, the deeper stuff takes a few months.

We're not into quick fixes. We focus on real, lasting improvements, so every step actually moves you forward.

Is this covered by insurance?

Functional medicine typically isn't covered.

But think of it this way: it's an investment in finally getting real answers and a plan that actually works, instead of spinning your wheels with symptoms no one seems able to help with.

Can you help if I’m not local?

Yep. We do virtual appointments for clients in Michigan, Florida, and Texas.

We can ship testing kits to you, and we'll go over your results in detail during video sessions. You get the same level of care, just from home.

Didn’t find your answer? Send us a message — we’ll respond with care and clarity.

About Naturamed

Ready to find your path?

If you're bloated every day despite eating "healthy" foods, it's time to test what's actually happening. Chronic bloating has root causes — and they're findable and fixable. Your gut isn't broken — it needs the right support. Let's find out what's wrong.

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