Has anyone experienced prolonged gas?

[Emily345]

My IBS has been much better now since last month. I've been prescribed medicine to keep my bowel regular and it's been working very well, but only the other day (and this morning) I've experienced prolonged gas, that started in the evening and proceeded to keep me up most the night. I didn't know I needed to go to the loo or not. I went a couple of times (had no diarrhea thankfully) I felt a little constipated the other day though and I was wondering if this was a contributing factor.

Has anyone got advice for this?

[Hidden]

Hi,

What have you been prescribed to keep your bowels regular? Is your IBS diarrhoea- or constipation-predominant?

Roz

[Emily345 in reply to Hidden]

I've been prescribed movicol and have IBS D

[Hidden in reply to Emily345]

I found both Movicol and Fybogel gave me bloating and trapped wind and stopped taking them after I realised what the cause was. Have you tried the low-FODMAP diet, this works well for a great many people and, when you get it right, laxatives shouldn't be necessary?

Also as you're a D-type, ask your GP for a SeHCAT test to see whether your problem is actually Bile Acid Disorder/Malabsorption (BAD/BAM) rather than IBS. This was the case for me and is frequently misdiagnosed as symptoms are identical. It's an easily treatable condition so worth asking about.

[Kayte]

I have discovered that prolonged gas could be from "intussusception". When bowels telescope, the stool is squeezed in the sides. As that stool is expelled it leaves the "pockets" and that "air" is the gas expelled. It's taken me a long time to learn this but it may not be the problem for everyone. I am able to tell this is what is happening to me due to the products of my elimination.

[Hidden in reply to Kayte]

Yes, a friend who was first diagnosed with IBS was eventually discovered to have this condition. Hers has now become so bad and unliveable-with that she has to have major, corrective surgery. Apparently it's common in children and dogs(!) but not so much in adults.

[Kayte in reply to Hidden]

But it does happen in adults. Confirmed by a CT and the products of my elimination. Lying flat on my back, I can massage and feel the stool "slide" out of the telescope position and eventually expel. Going under the knife should be the last resort. Sometimes vigorous massage is necessary but a nurse advised as long as I am able to expel I'm better off to do without surgery. I've had four colonoscopies and trying to use the solution to clean out before the last one bound me up so bad I could feel this happening. I also had a difficult breech vaginal delivery that complicated things. More details aren't necessary at this time but I have learned how to deal with it.

[Hidden in reply to Kayte]

The friend I mentioned also coped with this condition by using massage techniques for a quite a long time. Unfortunately, the problem has now become too bad for those to be effective and surgery is her only remaining option.

[binks]

What have they given you? If I take lactulose, it keeps me awake through the night which awful wind and churning.

[Emily345 in reply to binks]

I think it was just a one off, it only lasted a night in the morning it all sort of just died down. The medication seems to be working just fine now

[Hidden]

My diarrhorea is kept under control with a dairy free diet.

I also steer clear of cabbage and related greens such as sprouts.

[ausems]

I also have a problem with excessive wind, which often starts in the evening and continues all night. When I have my regular bowel movement in the morning (usually a very loose one, and often more than one) that relieves the wind. I have recently been taking Kolanticon (as recommended by a user to this site) and have found that helpful, as it contains an anti-flatulent. It also helps to relieve trapped wind, which can be very painful. Doesn't eliminate wind altogether, but does seem to reduce the quantity! It doesn't seem to be on the shelves at chemists/pharmacies so you have to ask for it, and sometimes it needs to be ordered in for you. My GP has now put it on my repeat prescription for me. Good luck to you - there doesn't seem to be any cure for IBS - just a case of trying different things to manage the symptoms.