New symptom - gas
#362984 - 01/18/11 06:40 PM
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Hello everyone. I have been reading these message boards and coming to this site for a year and a half now but this is my first time posting. Also its a bit long, so sorry ahead of time.
I was diagnosed with IBS (D) two years ago and so far have been managing symptoms using:
Bentyl
Align
Pepto Bismol
Heather's Tummy Fiber
Peppermint Tea
EFI diet
IBS Audio Program (Hypnosis)
I have had the colon spams almost completely under control. I still seem to get diarrhea quite a bit but nothing as bad as it used to be. I also deal with regular indigestion but I am able to put up with it.
But over the past month and a half I have started having major gas problems. Before I would occasionally have very mild gas, but now I get gas all the time and the odor is unbearable and very embarrassing.
It started off only while I was at work and I thought it was stress related. Now it happens when I am home and even eating my safest foods (Oatmeal, EFI recipe breads, english muffins) and my core soluble fiber foods too (potatoes, sourdough bread) and everything in-between (tuna fish with no mayo, grilled (no oil) chicken or turkey breast).
Often this gas is soon followed by the urge for a BM. But even after a BM the gas remains.
I am trying to figure out the culprit and how to best manage the gas. I am afraid to eat in public now because it has gotten so bad.
I think it might have something to do with my soluble fiber intake. Around Thanksgiving I started getting more strict with the EFI diet and tried eating more soluble fiber based foods and less of the trigger foods. However, I did not notice any difference in gas for a month after this. (I also started taking Heather's Tummy Tamers around this time but did not notice any help from them)
Then a couple weeks ago after the gas was getting worse, I decided to cut down on my soluble fiber supplement (Heather's brand) to see if it helped. I went from 6 teaspoons (divided into 3 doses) down to 4.5-3.5 teaspoons. But this just made my other symptoms worse.
Over the past few days I have tried increasing my SFS again and spreading it out more. I am now doing 6 teaspoons divided into 4 doses of 1.5 t each per day. The gas has gotten worse over these past few days and I assume that is because of the change in the SFS.
I am just looking for advice on what I should be doing and some clearcut information about soluble fiber and gas.
Should I be increasing or decreasing my soluble fiber? I know this is supposed to be done slowly too. And, if I should increase, and I have already increased too fast, should I now stick with what I have and wait to stabilize before increasing more or should I cut down again?
Also what is the connection between soluble fiber supplements and soluble fiber foods and gas? Will this gas be a chronic problem while taking this much soluble fiber or can I expect to eventually have the gas lessened after my body adjusts?
Lastly, are there any products I can take to help the issue? I tried Gas-x once a long time ago and it made my stomach feel worse. I have never tried Beano. And I have not noticed any help from Pepto for my gas.
I tried Heather's Fennel Tea but didn't notice any help on the gas. And as I mentioned above I tried the Tummy Tamers and they didn't seem to help either. (I am also somewhat wondering if my introduction of the Tummy Tamers a couple months ago could have contributed to the gas problem somehow)
Sorry again for the long post. Any help would be greatly appreciated. This website has already been a tremendous source of relief for me and I am hoping it can help me once again.
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Hi there,
Just wanted to say I'm sorry to hear you are in pain. I have had terrible gas in the past and it's just awful!
I'm surprised if you have gas that gas-x wouldn't work for you. Are you using the extra strength (180mg dosage)? Anything less than the mega ones don't do anything for me.
As for fennel tea, that honestly works for me if I'm having some mild gas, but if I'm in pain the way you are, I actually take 1/2 teaspoon of fennel seeds and chew them up a lot and swallow them. This gets rid of or at the very least lessens my gas within 10 minutes every time. Try that out.
Hope someone can offer some advice what you can do long term.
Many blessings!
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"The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live."~Flora Whittemore
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Hot peppermint tea really does help me with the gas.
Perhaps you could try a different SF fibre supplement, e.g. Calcium Polycarbophil.
There is Beano that is supposed to help with some foods that cause gas: http://www.beanogas.com/About_Problem.aspx
you may be interested in this article: http://www.wjgnet.com/1007-9327/13/4161.pdf
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Susie, born in 1985,
(pseudo-)D and bloating April 2007-December 2010, now stable
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Thanks for the replies!
Beano didn't seem to help. Tried Gas-X again and it helped a little bit but not as well as I would hope.
I think I will try messing around with the SFS. I am going to try Benefiber (US--wheat dextrin version) and see if there is less gas. I plan to slowly switch over by changing one of my Heather doses to a Benefiber dose every few days.
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There is definitely a difference for me from using Heather's Tummy Fiber to using Benefiber, although I don't know if I would say either is definitively better.
Heather's brand was giving me a lot more sense of urgency after I would use it. Often drinking water with a dose (1.5 teaspoons) of Heather's fiber would quickly send me to the bathroom. I also seemed to have more bowel movements per day with her brand (5-7) ranging from formed to very loose.
The Benefiber might have reduced the amount of gas a bit but not completely. And I don't get as much of the urgency feeling after using it. My total number of bowel movements might have gone done to 4-5 a day but I haven't been using it long enough to have any conclusive data.
My stomach did get a bit more upset than usual yesterday after lunch and I almost worried about having a colon spasm. So I will keep using the Benefiber to see if this gets worse and whether or not Heather's brand was helping prevent spasms better for me.
I am still extremely uncertain if I am using too much or too little fiber (both my supplements and in my diet). I am using four separate doses of 2 teaspoons per dose of Benefiber per day.
I also started using the Peppermint Capsules (Heather's Tummy Tammers) again and feel they are indeed helping prevent gas for me. I am struggling to decide when I can use these because while I know you are not supposed to drink a lot of water with them and take them on an empty stomach this is quite difficult for me because I try to drink lots of water throughout the day as well as constantly snack.
Can anyone offer better guidelines on using the Peppermint Capsules? If I just had a 10 ounce glass of water how long before I can wait to take a Peppermint Capsule? And how long after eating a small snack (say some sourdough bread and pretzels) before I can take one?
Lastly, and maybe I should just post a new topic for this, I am greatly concerned with my weight loss. I am 22 years old, male, 6' 4" and only weigh 150 lbs. I was in the upper 170s before I had IBS. I would love to get back to at least 170. I feel very underweight and no matter how much food I seem to consume I cannot gain a pound.
I would love some feedback on any of these issues if anyone has insight. I tried scheduling an appointment with my doctor but I will have to wait until April and I highly doubt it will yield much information.
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