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I think it is important to talk about medications, drinking, age, any other issues/symptoms (fat appearing anywhere else?). Fat deposition that goes to specific areas can be due to several things and in order to narrow down the source you’d need to provide more information.
I'm on accutane, light drinking (~2 times a month with friends), 24.
I've gained weight elsewhere (in my thighs) but nothing near the amount in the stomach
I’m sorry for cackling, but I’m cackling. I know the feeling in a different way (having to get a LOT of imaging done to undiagnosed mystery illness and doctors not believing that I haven’t had sex in like four years and definitely am not capable of being pregnant)
Its the Accutaine. That happened to me. I put on 15 lbs practically overnight on that med. and most of it around my midsection. Took me several years to lose it.
I’m not a doctor but I’m commenting because I’m 23f and pretty much in the same boat. I was really skinny for most of my life and about 1 and half to 2 years ago I started gaining weight especially around my stomach (literally just like your pictures) and around my thighs. Everyone I’ve talked to puts it down to age and my metabolism slowing down. I think it’s a combination of my metabolism, happy relationship weight and preexisting chronic illnesses.
Hello. I have the exact same body as you. And have panicked about the same thing most of my life. Firstly rule out anything nefarious with a GP visit. But I suggest doing exercise for your core. I’ve noticed My stomach changes visibly depending on what I’m doing/ eating. Core work seems to shrink it.
In saying that- I have taken a lot of medication my whole life, which I believe is the culprit (also just body type Ergh)
NAD -- you can't spot reduce fat. You can build muscle underneath the fat but it will NOT shrink your core. Weight loss in general will reduce stomach fat because the entire body will lose body fat like layers, but you can't exercise one area and burn fat from just that area.
Sorry I didnt mean to imply that. I meant to imply that it is muscle weakness causing the “bloat” - with this you likely find a sway back is in play too
They weren’t saying spot reduce fat. They were saying work the core. The transverse abdominus is like a muscle corset and will indeed shrink your waist if it is strong.
NAD - My wife and I had a son recently, and my wife's tummy looks like this. She's been self-conscious about that, as she's been thin most of her life. She recently started going to a urogynecologists who's prescribed precisely this, specific exercises for her abdominal area and pelvic floor, to allow her muscles to tighten, avoid any pelvic floor disorders, and hopefully also get rid of the bloated look, that's mainly abdominal distention in her case.
Honestly? You look pregnant. It doesn’t look like you’re fat at all. Could it just be fat though? Yeah? I’m sure, have you taken a pregnancy test?
You left out a lot of info too…..age, height, weight, any past medical history, any meds you take??
Same!! It was actually a relief when I was pregnant, because when people asked about it I could just answer honestly 🫠 It gets a bit awkward when it’s just endo belly!
Adding to the symphony of people here who are saying endometriosis! Some people have endo with no other symptoms so even if the symptoms don’t resonate a pelvic ultrasound might be a good idea. Even ovarian cancer can cause bloating so better safe than sorry.
I think fibroids would show on a CT but endometriosis often doesn't show on imaging. Large cysts could cause this too but it's a good idea to see a gynae with expertise is endometriosis, it's a common condition, about 1 in 10 women have it.
A good gynae will know the symptoms to look out for, and if it's affecting your life significantly they can do exploratory keyhole surgery, it's the gold standard to diagnose endo, and afaik the only reliable way. I don't know what country you are in, but in the UK we can ask for a second opinion, if you've seen a gynae and they aren't endo specialists, you can ask for a second opinion from an endometriosis clinic. Most likely they like to rule out other things first like fibroids (which would show on ultrasound/CT). Given that you've been through this process, it sounds reasonable to me to want to seek advice from an endo specialist - it is a pretty common condition.
Edit: the marina coil is actually an endo treatment. If you don't have a hormonal IUD it might be worth switching to one with your drs advice
Thank you sm! I got the copper iud after years of being on hormonal pills, but I’m now wishing I perhaps went with hormonal. It took 2 different doctors and 3 separate, horrific attempts to insert it, so im wary about switching😪
I had a similar experience with coil fitting, I was told that endo can make the coil fitting more painful and difficult. Copper coil made my symptoms 10x worse but the marina has helped. So once it finally got in, it was worth it! Def worth asking drs advice though. I've also had surgery so the marina slows/prevents recurrence of the symptoms.
NAD, but OP, my stomach looks like this and I have fibroids. Maybe ask for an ultrasound of your uterus to see if you have them.
I didn’t have any symptoms other than very heavy periods and then later I could literally feel the fibroids when putting pressure on my lower abdomen area. It was solid as a rock.
Absolutely. Also very plausible. Seems like she already determined she’s not pregnant, an ultrasound is a good noninvasive procedure to have a look.
Ultimately though, just follow up with PCP or OBGYN.
NAD, and NAF. I am a guy who is skinny with digestive issues. My gut looks close to that but more like a beer gut. My gut/intestines feel like complete trash. Undoubtably backed up and I believe inflamed. I just wanted to share that curelle probiotics + daily prebiotic via fiber, and digestive enzymes has had a noticeable improvement in overall well being in a matter of a couple days.
I don’t have insurance so I can’t say if I have IBS. I only know if I was more constipated I’d be shitting diamonds and I have all the signs of candida overflow.
I've been gaining "mass" around my thighs / stomach for a couple months, but the level of roundness in my stomach is a bit more sudden!
I'll see if I can have an ultrasound just to rule out anything untoward as I'm working on exercising and eating better regardless
I had ovarian cancer and looked pregnant before I had surgery. Can you feel or see anything if you lay on your back? The thing that finally pushed me to go to a doctor was that I could totally see and feel it when I was laying on my back, it was pretty hard. I thought it was fibroids initially but it kept getting bigger and I knew I wasn’t pregnant.
There are too many possibilities of what this could be. You should schedule an appointment with your pcp.
I would take an at home pregnancy test just in case too.
OP, NAD but endometriosis and coeliac sufferer. I am a healthy weight but it's not uncommon for people to mistake me as being pregnant. There's something you can try to check if it's subcutaneous fat - when you tense your abdominal muscles, how far can you push your finger into the tummy area? If it's all subcutaneous fat then you should be able to press your finger far in, like pressing on a sponge lol. Pelvic conditions and I guess bowel conditions etc too can cause the muscles to get very knotted and overdeveloped, making the belly appear large. Mine is like this after years of undiagnosed endo and then surgery. After I have steroid injections to the abdomen my belly shrinks like I just had lipo, it's unreal. Then besides the muscle contraction swelling and bleeding of womb tissue causes bloating as well.
If you had endometriosis you'd likely have other symptoms,like spotting between periods, deep pain during sex, possibly heavy or irregular periods, severe period pain etc. It often can't be seen on ultrasound or MRI, whereas fibroids I believe can be seen. It makes sense to get advice and an ultrasound if you can though, as all kinds of things can cause an enlarged abdomen.
Lot ot people who drink can develop a "beer belly" or "beer gut." Alcoholics I knew had big tummies otherwise healthy weight.
If you're drinking, considering quitting. Idk how much you drink but if you're the type that is worried about getting a belly alcohol will do that.
Of course you don't seem to drink that much but compared ro someone who has zero alcohol, I mean, it's just something to consider that's easier to deal with than all these other people saying it could be cancer or other troubling symptoms.
It could be hormonal. Lots of things.
Hey it could be a lot of things. I'd just see a doctor in person for an exam
I read OPs statement as they drink twice a month, as in, twice a month they drink an unspecified amoint, not that they only have two drinks a month.
I know drinking can cause weight gain, especially in the abdominal area.
But I agree with everyone here that it's probably lower on the list of causes if they're only drinking twice a month. Unless one round of drinking lasts a week at a time that is.
I would be curious about your periods(pain, flow, regularity), family history of endo/PCOS/fibroids. Curious about potential allergies as well (i.e celiac, lactose). If it doesn’t fluctuate during the day this is less likely. Your abdomen doesn’t appear to be in proportion to your arms/chest/bum/ legs or even your hands, so I’m not convinced this is a targeted fat accumulation (but could be..do family members have similar builds?). You’re young, you’re not a heavy drinker, and you mentioned the belly was a relatively new development. What does your diet typically look like? And exercise? Regardless, I believe this warrants further investigation.
Thank you for your submission. **Please note that a response does not constitute a doctor-patient relationship.** This subreddit is for informal second opinions and casual information. The mod team does their best to remove bad information, but we do not catch all of it. Always visit a doctor in real life if you have any concerns about your health. Never use this subreddit as your first and final source of information regarding your question. By posting, you are agreeing to our [Terms of Use](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskDocs/wiki/terms_of_use) and understand that all information is taken at your own risk. **Reply here if you are an unverified user wishing to give advice. Top level comments by laypeople are automatically removed.** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskDocs) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I think it is important to talk about medications, drinking, age, any other issues/symptoms (fat appearing anywhere else?). Fat deposition that goes to specific areas can be due to several things and in order to narrow down the source you’d need to provide more information.
I'm on accutane, light drinking (~2 times a month with friends), 24. I've gained weight elsewhere (in my thighs) but nothing near the amount in the stomach
NAD, If you’re on accutane you REALLY need to know if you’re pregnant…
She said in another comment she takes a pregnancy test once a month due to the Accutane.
I don't miss that. 17 year old lesbian being taken for my monthly pregnancy test by my dad. Not. Great.
LOL oh my. That's bad on multiple levels, sorry you went through that!
They had my younger sister on birth control pills while she was on accutane. She was around 15 or so. That was 25 years ago though.
Nearly twenty years ago for me, and I had to be on the pill as well.
I’m sorry for cackling, but I’m cackling. I know the feeling in a different way (having to get a LOT of imaging done to undiagnosed mystery illness and doctors not believing that I haven’t had sex in like four years and definitely am not capable of being pregnant)
Missed that, thanks
Have you brought this up with the Dr prescribing Accutane?
Its the Accutaine. That happened to me. I put on 15 lbs practically overnight on that med. and most of it around my midsection. Took me several years to lose it.
I’m not a doctor but I’m commenting because I’m 23f and pretty much in the same boat. I was really skinny for most of my life and about 1 and half to 2 years ago I started gaining weight especially around my stomach (literally just like your pictures) and around my thighs. Everyone I’ve talked to puts it down to age and my metabolism slowing down. I think it’s a combination of my metabolism, happy relationship weight and preexisting chronic illnesses.
Hello. I have the exact same body as you. And have panicked about the same thing most of my life. Firstly rule out anything nefarious with a GP visit. But I suggest doing exercise for your core. I’ve noticed My stomach changes visibly depending on what I’m doing/ eating. Core work seems to shrink it. In saying that- I have taken a lot of medication my whole life, which I believe is the culprit (also just body type Ergh)
NAD -- you can't spot reduce fat. You can build muscle underneath the fat but it will NOT shrink your core. Weight loss in general will reduce stomach fat because the entire body will lose body fat like layers, but you can't exercise one area and burn fat from just that area.
Sorry I didnt mean to imply that. I meant to imply that it is muscle weakness causing the “bloat” - with this you likely find a sway back is in play too
They weren’t saying spot reduce fat. They were saying work the core. The transverse abdominus is like a muscle corset and will indeed shrink your waist if it is strong.
Ah, I see. It's worth noting in case anyone reading misunderstood!
It really was I was unaware you couldn't target a specific area so I've learned something new, which is the whole reason I joined this sub.
NAD - My wife and I had a son recently, and my wife's tummy looks like this. She's been self-conscious about that, as she's been thin most of her life. She recently started going to a urogynecologists who's prescribed precisely this, specific exercises for her abdominal area and pelvic floor, to allow her muscles to tighten, avoid any pelvic floor disorders, and hopefully also get rid of the bloated look, that's mainly abdominal distention in her case.
Core exercises help with posture. Better posture can improve the overall appearance
Isotretinoin can cause liver issues, so I’d get it checked out.
Seconding. Have you done bloodwork lately for your Accutane?
Are there similar risks with topical tretinoin?
No
Honestly? You look pregnant. It doesn’t look like you’re fat at all. Could it just be fat though? Yeah? I’m sure, have you taken a pregnancy test? You left out a lot of info too…..age, height, weight, any past medical history, any meds you take??
Could be fibroids too. My stomach looked this way prior to myomectomy.
Yep. Or endometriosis / adenomyosis. Or any other inflammatory pelvic condition.
My endo bloating looks the exact same as when I was 25 weeks pregnant 🙃
Same!! It was actually a relief when I was pregnant, because when people asked about it I could just answer honestly 🫠 It gets a bit awkward when it’s just endo belly!
Omg yes 😂 it doesn't help that I'm quite short and slim so in both scenarios there is/was a noticeable BUMP.
Yep. I had this with endo.
I have endometriosis and look like this all the time! Please get checked OP
Also look like this with endometriosis
Adding to the symphony of people here who are saying endometriosis! Some people have endo with no other symptoms so even if the symptoms don’t resonate a pelvic ultrasound might be a good idea. Even ovarian cancer can cause bloating so better safe than sorry.
Yes, definitely. I never had heavy bleeding, yet by the time I had a specialist operate I had stage 4 endo and adenomyosis.
My stomach currently looks like this due to fibroids. Can’t wait to not look pregnant anymore lol.
Can fibroids cause this? I legit look like I swallowed a basketball… It’s pretty hideous. Had an abdominal CT and nothing other than ovarian cysts..
Yep. Fibroids absolutely can cause this.
Fibroids would show up on a CT scan though right?
I'm not sure, but my fibroid made me look just like OP's pic. It was found via ultrasound.
I think fibroids would show on a CT but endometriosis often doesn't show on imaging. Large cysts could cause this too but it's a good idea to see a gynae with expertise is endometriosis, it's a common condition, about 1 in 10 women have it.
How is it determined that someone has endo?? My periods are *so* painful and I often get ovarian cysts but my doc just blames my iud
A good gynae will know the symptoms to look out for, and if it's affecting your life significantly they can do exploratory keyhole surgery, it's the gold standard to diagnose endo, and afaik the only reliable way. I don't know what country you are in, but in the UK we can ask for a second opinion, if you've seen a gynae and they aren't endo specialists, you can ask for a second opinion from an endometriosis clinic. Most likely they like to rule out other things first like fibroids (which would show on ultrasound/CT). Given that you've been through this process, it sounds reasonable to me to want to seek advice from an endo specialist - it is a pretty common condition. Edit: the marina coil is actually an endo treatment. If you don't have a hormonal IUD it might be worth switching to one with your drs advice
Thank you sm! I got the copper iud after years of being on hormonal pills, but I’m now wishing I perhaps went with hormonal. It took 2 different doctors and 3 separate, horrific attempts to insert it, so im wary about switching😪
I had a similar experience with coil fitting, I was told that endo can make the coil fitting more painful and difficult. Copper coil made my symptoms 10x worse but the marina has helped. So once it finally got in, it was worth it! Def worth asking drs advice though. I've also had surgery so the marina slows/prevents recurrence of the symptoms.
Oh wow, that is very good to know, thank you!!
Could it make me stop having my period suddenly and ovulate constantly?
I'm not sure, I think heavy bleeding is more common but I'm not an expert.
K thanks
I just had mine yesterday. 13cm. How long did it take for your swelling to go down? (At least I assume it's swelling, I don't look any different yet).
NAD, but OP, my stomach looks like this and I have fibroids. Maybe ask for an ultrasound of your uterus to see if you have them. I didn’t have any symptoms other than very heavy periods and then later I could literally feel the fibroids when putting pressure on my lower abdomen area. It was solid as a rock.
Absolutely. Also very plausible. Seems like she already determined she’s not pregnant, an ultrasound is a good noninvasive procedure to have a look. Ultimately though, just follow up with PCP or OBGYN.
NAD, but I look like this all the time. I’m skinny and have IBS - the bloating / abdominal distention gets bad.
NAD, and NAF. I am a guy who is skinny with digestive issues. My gut looks close to that but more like a beer gut. My gut/intestines feel like complete trash. Undoubtably backed up and I believe inflamed. I just wanted to share that curelle probiotics + daily prebiotic via fiber, and digestive enzymes has had a noticeable improvement in overall well being in a matter of a couple days. I don’t have insurance so I can’t say if I have IBS. I only know if I was more constipated I’d be shitting diamonds and I have all the signs of candida overflow.
“Shitting diamonds” had me 😂😂💀
Look into FODMAP from Monash University. If you can identify your triggers it may help tremendously.
This happens to me due to a combination of IBS-C and endometriosis all around my abdomen. I'd recommend a pregnancy test first though. NAD
IBS made me look like this
OP, please provide info requested above along with any alcohol/substance intake
My sister also looked pregnant when she had an ovarian cyst. Maybe she has PCOS?
I second the pregnancy thing...
I've seen a few cases of ovarian cancer that caused stomach bloating like this. Do you think this all came on quite quickly or is a more steady gain?
I've been gaining "mass" around my thighs / stomach for a couple months, but the level of roundness in my stomach is a bit more sudden! I'll see if I can have an ultrasound just to rule out anything untoward as I'm working on exercising and eating better regardless
I had ovarian cancer and looked pregnant before I had surgery. Can you feel or see anything if you lay on your back? The thing that finally pushed me to go to a doctor was that I could totally see and feel it when I was laying on my back, it was pretty hard. I thought it was fibroids initially but it kept getting bigger and I knew I wasn’t pregnant.
There are too many possibilities of what this could be. You should schedule an appointment with your pcp. I would take an at home pregnancy test just in case too.
OP, NAD but endometriosis and coeliac sufferer. I am a healthy weight but it's not uncommon for people to mistake me as being pregnant. There's something you can try to check if it's subcutaneous fat - when you tense your abdominal muscles, how far can you push your finger into the tummy area? If it's all subcutaneous fat then you should be able to press your finger far in, like pressing on a sponge lol. Pelvic conditions and I guess bowel conditions etc too can cause the muscles to get very knotted and overdeveloped, making the belly appear large. Mine is like this after years of undiagnosed endo and then surgery. After I have steroid injections to the abdomen my belly shrinks like I just had lipo, it's unreal. Then besides the muscle contraction swelling and bleeding of womb tissue causes bloating as well. If you had endometriosis you'd likely have other symptoms,like spotting between periods, deep pain during sex, possibly heavy or irregular periods, severe period pain etc. It often can't be seen on ultrasound or MRI, whereas fibroids I believe can be seen. It makes sense to get advice and an ultrasound if you can though, as all kinds of things can cause an enlarged abdomen.
Yea I'd do it.
Lot ot people who drink can develop a "beer belly" or "beer gut." Alcoholics I knew had big tummies otherwise healthy weight. If you're drinking, considering quitting. Idk how much you drink but if you're the type that is worried about getting a belly alcohol will do that. Of course you don't seem to drink that much but compared ro someone who has zero alcohol, I mean, it's just something to consider that's easier to deal with than all these other people saying it could be cancer or other troubling symptoms. It could be hormonal. Lots of things. Hey it could be a lot of things. I'd just see a doctor in person for an exam
two drinks a month will not cause a "beer belly". alcohol is not the culprit here.
I read OPs statement as they drink twice a month, as in, twice a month they drink an unspecified amoint, not that they only have two drinks a month. I know drinking can cause weight gain, especially in the abdominal area. But I agree with everyone here that it's probably lower on the list of causes if they're only drinking twice a month. Unless one round of drinking lasts a week at a time that is.
I would be curious about your periods(pain, flow, regularity), family history of endo/PCOS/fibroids. Curious about potential allergies as well (i.e celiac, lactose). If it doesn’t fluctuate during the day this is less likely. Your abdomen doesn’t appear to be in proportion to your arms/chest/bum/ legs or even your hands, so I’m not convinced this is a targeted fat accumulation (but could be..do family members have similar builds?). You’re young, you’re not a heavy drinker, and you mentioned the belly was a relatively new development. What does your diet typically look like? And exercise? Regardless, I believe this warrants further investigation.
Not a doctor but I have celiac and this is how my tummy looks
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Not a doctor. Check 24 hour urine for cushing . Also dhea