Chronic, significant gas production is sometimes a sign of SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth). There’s a test for it, but it’s not a great test, so some docs may not bother with it. When I had SIBO a couple of months of doxycycline cleared it up.

Thank you so much Scott, I am going to look into this. God Bless

Scott- Let me ask you did you get lots of bloating? I get bloating every day and the  bloating also then brings on gas pains, the bloating is so uncomfortable. I dont seem to get much relief.  Thanks so much

Mikeey, “bloating” means different things to different people. I certainly found the gas uncomfortable as it made its way through my system. What do you mean by “bloating.”

My stomach swells and  hurts its a very full or bloating feeling, like I can explode, Its a very uncomfortable . If I press my stomach I  hear and feel gas.  Scott, I had read that the antibiotic that helps is xifaxan, which I cant afford. They say that doxycycline and cipro can also help, I take cipro on a daily basis that helps me with my bowel  movements, without it or amoxicillan I have problems if I don't take it. I read  that SIBO  can come back after you have gone on antibiotics, how long ago did you have it and has it comeback?? I have gone to the best gastro doctors  and no one has helped me with this horrible daily problem. Thanks Scott.

If it’s actually your stomach then the bloating could possibly be a Cipro side effect (dyspepsia). If it’s your small intestine then it could be gas from SIBO. These aren’t the only possibilities, but perhaps are a place to start. Just in case: could you be taking too much Imodium or Lomotil?

I take lomotil maybe once a month when I will be away from home for the day. It does help me, but don't like taking it too often because I get bad gas and problems when ever I take it, so its good on an occasional day.  I was taking amoxicilan for a long time, but the doctor switched to cipro maybe 9 months ago.  I do get anxiety and depression and was on prozac it did not help so now weaning off of it, I take clonazepam for anxiety on occasion , doing better with depression as I found out I have bladder cancer, going to Sloan Kettering and they are trying to help me and doing okay. I just wish I could get help with my bloating and gas pain and will speak to my doctor about some of the things you have spoken about, I thank you from the bottom of my heart Scott. 

I sometimes get a lot of gas and bloating, but it is not my usual status. When I start to feel I am having a rough time, I leave work for home (where I don't have to embarrass myself with serious explosions due to gas while on the toilet!). I lie in bed and read and put a heating pad on my stomach to see if that will help. Sometimes I take pepto bismol to see if that will help. I also then avoid any foods that are gas producing, such as broccoli. I stick to bananas and peanut butter, plain rice or plain pasta. A heating pad on the abdomen can at least take the stress down a notch. I feel for you, Mikeey. 

Mikee,

You might also have a hernia. I had one at the incision site for my ostomy and was in great pain whenever I ate.  Simple operation and the pain is gone.

RayC

Thanks so much Renee, got a few answers I will try and speak to my doctor about.  Have a great evening.

Thanks Ray C, I just had a pouchostomy and everything seemed okay,I will mention this to my doctor. Enjoy your evening

Hi!

I have to a lot of gas lately and I have from time to time. No big deal for me really but uncomfortable and the feeling of needing to go to the bathroom more often or a swollen belly. But this last week I have had 2 times when I have gotten such a horrible stomach cramps. It starts from the Old ostomy site where the scar is and feels like a stomach ache.. but then it spreads to the other side and the whole belly. Even laying down or let gas pass ain’t helping…

do you guys have any tips or advice? A lot of things is running through my mind.. is it due to adhesions and scar tissue that make the intestines twist? I dont feel the gas alone can give such a pain because I often have gas and hear the rumbling sound. As when this pain hits I can press certain points that hurts just a bit more…

so frustrating and Im feeling scared to wake up if I Will have that kind of pain. You cant really do anything but laying still when it hits and even that doesnt help a lot…

@Brellis What you’re describing could be a partial blockage. Unlike “regular” gas, which stretches the bowel a little bit, anything (gas, food, liquid) behind the blockage can stretch the bowel a lot. That hurts like heck. If that’s what’s going on it’s important to stay hydrated and patient, and pay attention in case things get serious (vomiting, dehydration, major increase in pain).

The adhesions that most of us have can tug on the bowel and cause it to get too narrow to easily pass food residue. That’s a common cause of partial blockages.

I agree with Scott. That's how my blockage started! I kept taking Phazyne or Gas-x for gas relief and nothing worked! I was nauseated and threw up, then felt faint.  In 2 hours I was on the floor in a fetal position and my husband was calling the Squad . What does the water intake do? I would have thrown up anything including water that I'd drink  in a blockage. I know in the hospital i was NPO, only IV. I had no oral water or even ice chips until the blockage was opened  4 days later.

Okey! Thanks for the advice.
What is the best thing to do? Just wait it out until someday when the pain is too much and then let dom do an Scan? And is surgery Then the only answer?

Isnt it strange though, that if there is a narrowing due to scars or adhesions shouldnt I have this pain everyday or after every meal?

could it still ”just be” gas passing through although the pain feels more in some places when it starts?

The small intestine moves a *lot*. Adhesions usually don’t create permanent narrowings, but when the intestine moves in certain ways it gets narrowed because the adhesions prevent it from moving freely, often by anchoring a single point. If you’ve ever had a drawstring get caught in the dryer door you get some sense of what a single anchor point can do.

Yes, you pretty much have to wait it out. If you can’t take in enough fluid then you’ll need an IV. If you get fully obstructed for any length of time then you might need surgery.

Thanks for the input!

im just feeling a bit scared each day now to be feeling this painful ”cramp”. If it only were that one time fine, but two times in less than a week get me wondering and worried!

i understand what you’re explaining and the sensation I get (and also like today) is this kind of ache ’ing feeling and that I can handle  and it might be because of adhesions or such but just knowing that it fast(!) can be total cramp in the whole belly get me frightened.

I have eaten pretty close after the pain and it has been okey but do you think its better for me to just drink like ester/juice and then eat when the pain is gone? Or can it be a good idea to maybe eat so the small intestines ”gets moving” and maybe its slips away from the anchoring?

And do you think ”the anchoring” at one point for example can last for a couple of days/week before it releases?

The anchoring from adhesions generally doesn’t release without surgery - the adhesions are permanent. Relief from the blockage comes when the intestine wiggles back into an unstressed position where the anchor point isn’t under much tension any more, or at least the intestinal lumen (opening) is no longer kinked. This can take widely varying amounts of time. Some people report that a contrast agent administered before an X-ray to examine the blockage clears up their blockage. I suspect that the heavy liquid may sometimes move the gut out of it’s troublesome squeeze. At that point the backed up intestinal contents can start to move again, but it can take a while to move that oversized wad of food through.

People tend to blame the last thing they ate, but without a narrowing from some cause food will pass through just fine. Folks with chronic narrowing may need to manage their diets carefully so nothing gets trapped.

Okey! …

I think though om pretty careful what I eat (except sweets and pasteries) but I dont eat a lot of raw veggies, just some like avocado, cucumber, onion. Some nuts and grains like oatmeal thats more fiber but often just different meats and rice, potatoe mm.

have you heard of something like fascia tissue massage? Thats meant to release or at least stretch the adhesions. I wonder of that could be an alternative.

i can feel pain around my stoma and ”c-section scar” but also in other places in the belly. And im not sure if its just the adhesion pulling because I sometimes feel it too but its probably like you said that the intestines get caught because the stomachache get so intense…

but then it can also go half a day without much pain and then late in the evening start to hurt more. Isnt that strange?

Or could something like yoga/stretches move the intestines away from the adhesion?

My  MD group at OSU will NOT do surgery  even with repeated full blockage. They said bc more adhesions form causing more complications and blockages!  The adhesions continue to grow over time. My  group used xray contrast media through my NG tube plus IV magnesium. Took xrays every few hours to follow movement. It took 4 full days to clear my blockage. Hospitalized for 5 days .

Oh okey! Do ypu suffer from adhesions today? And/or blockages?