cat bloating, what do you think?

My cat is 7, male and neutered. He is indoor only and only has access to his brother who is also indoor. He has chronic severe asthma and is on Fluticasone HFA inhaler twice a day, with albuterol for rescue. Recently stopped Prednisolone as he wouldn’t eat it with his food anymore and naturally tapered off it. The issue right now is that, after a period of pretty bad diarrhea (his stool is now regular consistency, thank goodness for Fortiflora) I noticed that steadily his midsection has become bloated or distended. I panicked initially and tried to see for myself if it was ascites or just gas or bloat from stool. He’s still passing stool, he still seems bloated, he’s gotten pretty yell-y for food around me. He just seems uncomfortable. I don’t have a huge amount of money to take him to the vet, they’d likely want to x-ray. I tried to rule out ascites by shaking his stomach from side to side (gently) to see if it felt like enlargement from liquid or just gas but I couldn’t determine either. I did feel a gas bubble or two but im not sure that’s enough. I know the little guy is uncomfortable, his belly isn’t rock hard it’s definitely pressable and he is alert like usual and eating somewhat. I am just hoping someone could tell me how to help him at home. I can’t afford to take him in to the vet right now and I feel like I’m killing him accidentally by not being able to. The only reason I haven’t rushed him in is that he’s still eating, passing stool, and his belly isn’t rock hard. It does seem to bother him, not pain wise, just would be jarring for anyone to be a bit bigger than they’re used to as well. His respiratory rate is normal for him as well (as normal as it can be for an asthmatic cat) and his belly is only visibly round from above, not when im looking at him from his side, and only when he’s standing up. Any advice is appreciated.