Re: gas and bloating
03/23/05 03:58 PM
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Hi MT,
Little Minnie gave you some great advice. Pardon me if I repeat some of it, but really want to stress on some things that might help you.
Diet - Make sure you're keeping a food journal documenting what you eat and how you're feeling. Sometimes we eat something without realizing that it was cooked in butter or has a high fat content that our IBS can't handle. A food journal was a life saver for me at the beginning because I could tell which foods were causing me to feel the worst.
SFS - Soluble fiber supplements are very important and unfortunately, some of them do not work for everyone. I have personally tried Metamucil, Benefiber, Citrucel, and Acacia. All of them gave me horrible gas, with the exception of the Citrucel. However, the citrucel caplets gave me bad stomach acid so I had to stop taking those. Right now I am taking FiberClear and am having no problems with it - and can tell it is working for me. It's all about trial and error, unfortunately, and is going to take some time to see which fiber best suits your body. But know it is a worth while investment when you finally find that one.
Water - I know this one sounds funny because I personally always feel bloated when I first start drinking water in large amounts. However, this will improve once your body gets used to the amount of water you are drinking and also help stabilize your body.
Exercise - This one is VERY important in controlling gas because it gets your digestive system moving to push all that gas out. Try taking a walk when you're feeling really gassy, or do some sort of exercise whenever you get a break at work - even if it is just up and down the stairs a few times. Any amount will help, although obviously the more exercise the better you should feel.
Stress - Finally, watch your stress level. I noticed sometimes I get horribly trapped gas when I'm extremely stressed. When I relax, my body is able to let the gas go.
I noticed you mentioned a bunch of medications you've been trying. Have you tried Bean-o or Gas-X? Those have been known to help many IBSers.
Sorry if some of this is repetative of what you've already read about the diet. Sometimes it helps to be reminded of something that you might have missed.
Hope this helps!
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- Jennifer
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