In search of opinions

[JP78]

Hey all,

I am 20 years old. I got food poisoning from a juice cleanse about a year and a half agao and have been fighting IBS ever since. It is definitely hard to come to terms with. I have improved it a lot through trial and error (and many painful mistakes). I also went toward functional medicine and things started stabilizing. The main thing I am trying to combat now is trapped gas. It is always there, sometimes it comes out enough in the morning before class to allow me to feel normal for a few hours. But once I eat again the trapped wind comes back and sometimes doesnt want to leave. This is causing a huge strain, some days I cant even eat dinner because lunch made me so filled with gas. I take peppermint oil and digestive enzymes as well as GI restore. These help, but not with gas. Once I find something to help with gas expulsion I should be more apt for a normal life. I eat the following for breakfast: organic chicken breast with basil, minute white rice, egg whites, turkey, and chia seed corn crackers. for lunch i have chicken with rosemary, rice, and the same crackers with some gluten free cookies. The strange thing is that adding bad foods creates more gas, but eating less doesn't make it go away. I'm also CONSTANTLY burping. I drink mostly water or tea but it is just endless. The main symptom I'm fighting is gas- any suggestions are appreciated- I won't stop until I figure out a suitable compromise. thank you!! and hang in there, i realize a lot of you are still experiencing extreme pain everyday, i understand; and you are not alone

[patientj]

You have my sympathies - I can relate to what you're going through. My first thought is: are you eating enough fibre? I don't think you're going to get much from rice, chicken and eggs. The fibre would help move things along which should help to expel the gas more easily. The recommendations are to eat more soluble fibre, as this helps to absorb water, which bulks the stool up. A bulkier stool is more likely to trigger the gut to push things along. Be aware, though: some soluble fibre is more likely to be digested by bacteria than others, creating different problems, so it can be a case of trial and error.

Secondly, I know that myself and others find that peppermint actually makes us more bloated and windy. Your peppermint oil supplements may be helping to manage the pain but have a side effect as well. I've found camomile tea a suitable substitute.

Other websites also recommend exercise. It doesn't prevent gas but at least it expels it!

I have some other possible ideas but what are your thoughts to the above?

[ClareT1973]

I have exactly the same problem. I have tried eliminating certain foods but nothing helps, as soon as I eat it creates gas which is very uncomfortable and embarrassing. Any ideas or remedies for this problem would be gratefully appreciated.

Clare

[lkr1959]

I have recently been reccomended Sillicol Gel, it's a natural plant substance with NO known side effects, its a slightly gritty tasteless gel, that looks like wall paper paste, (and I should imagine) tastes much the same, I mix mine in a glass of cordial and down it. It lines the stomach, small and large intestine and soothes it. I has helped me with trapped wind as well. Sounds like you stripped your natural flora when you put that cleanse in yourself, do you take pro-biotics ? Has anyone suggested a gut flora transplant, they are supppose to be very sucsessful and not half as bad as they sound ! Ibs is a dreadful condition, which I developed about 6 months ago and it has taken over my life. I wish you relief from your symptoms.

[sickandsore]

Please try the low fodmap diet to give you ideas on which foods don't agree with you. Chia seeds are very healthy but they really bloat me!! Also you say you had food poisoning, have your stools been tested for any long term problems? sometimes bacterias can grow out of control in the bowel and cause long term issues, what you describe would make me think this could be the case. Please see the Gp and get tested rather than thinking you can live with these symptoms, its a very simple test for them to arrange.

You could try magnesium trycilicate you can buy it off the shelf in some independant chemists, its a very old fashioned remedy but it really helps with easing trapped gas.

[Midgetjen]

Pro biotic has helped with my gas and bloating immensely over the past few weeks. I still have a little gas but that uncomfortable bloated feeling that I had all the time has almost disappeared.

I went to a health shop and they recommended 20 million bacteria as woman need more than men.

Hope this helps