Gas gas gas and discomfort- ugh!! SIBO???

Same thing... Can someone answer please?

It's likely too early to judge, but adhesion surgery doesn't always make things better, and sometimes makes things worse (by creating more adhesions). It's still sometimes the best course available, and can work out brilliantly if you're lucky.

 

In the meantime, getting the gas under control should help a lot, no matter what else is going on. You might have SIBO, of course - that's sometimes tested for and sometimes just treated, with a couple of months of an antibiotic like doxycycline. Think hard about *anything* you might be doing that can increase gas, or anything you can do to decrease it. For example, 1) drinking carbonated beverages, 2) eating gassy foods, 3) swallowing air by eating too fast or incautiously, 4) supplements that can sometimes cause gas (e.g. Metamucil, VSL, etc.), 5) Beano to reduce gas production from selected foods.

 

Good luck!

I am being extremely careful about what I eat. I've cut out dairy, don't drink soda, have been keeping a food log...something that causes gas one day doesn't cause it the next. There's no rhyme or reason. It's almost like the more I eat throughout the day the more it builds up and by the time I eat dinner my body is like alright, enough. Unfortunately I'm down 20 pounds since surgery and am being told to eat as much as I can to gain the weight back but the discomfort is so incredible that that's hard to do. I'm just at a loss and hope that it is something treatable like SIBO! I hope it's not more adhesions...would that really happen and cause symptoms so quickly after surgery? It took about 8 years after my first surgery to build up...

Hi JIPalmer

 

Couple of suggestions to tackle the gas, although suggested it is advisable to check with your doctor.

 

Try a soluble fibre powder, you basically mix a teaspoonful with a hot drink 2 / 3 times a day. Also charcoal tablets / capsules. You could also try peppermint tablets / capsules.

Unfortunately, post op adhesions form within the first few weeks of surgery. They can cause trouble immediately, years down the road, or never. But for sure, they are there early on.

 

Intestinal gas is most often due to bacterial action on undigested food, mostly carbs. So, yeah, there is a high probability of SIBO because we do not have the ileocecal valve to prevent bacteria from moving upstream. Probiotics may help reset the imbalance, but they also may increase your symptoms. Reducing carbs is another strategy that is usually effective, but you have to make a major change, not just stop eating candy.

 

Jan

Ive had somewhat similar gas issues and Ive been having some success with the low carb, no wheat, no sugar a little rice and mostly meat and veggies I guess sort of a paleo approach and it seems to have helped quite a bit.

 

If it's possible pickup one of those bbq whole chickens from cosco or wherever and nibble on that and whatever veggie or maybe a banana of your choice for lunch and dinner and see how you feel that night and morning, if it helps lower your gas then go from there!

I am having similar issues.. I take metamucil because citrucel and benefiber don't seem to bulk up for me.  The metamucil gas is kicking my butt and when I go to evacuate my pouch, I have to strain to push it out.  Then I never seem to fully evacuate.  Soon thereafter I has pressure that is nagging...  I'd love to be able to get this under control....

I hate that you all are having the same symptoms but am glad I'm not in this alone!  Thanks everyone for your replies.  I will be tested for SIBO on the 26th.  In the meantime, I have started taking Beano with every meal...will see if that helps minimize my discomfort by night time.

 

Jill

Jill,

I had surgery Dec 15 for k pouch reattachement surgery + adhesion removal.

I was getting serious blockages, pain and bloating...

The pain and some 'blockage-like feelings' have continued but are finally diminishing.

As for the gas, I am amazed that since I started taking some serious probiotics, I am pretty much gas-free.

I didn't think that I had pouchitis or Sibo but was spending a lot of time emptying my pouch, sometimes just for gas. I averaged about every 2 hrs.

I started taking Costco chewable probiotics last summer. By the end of Aug the gas was fully under control and I could go up to 6hrs without emptying (not negligible considering that I teach and it is nearly impossible to spend time in the bathroom at school .)

I eat very little (won't say none) bread, cake, pasta or pastry. It is rather sporatic but no more than 1xs/2months. Rice too.

I eat sugar but less than before and diary is limited to yoghurts and the occasional ice cream.

Tend to not eat any sugar or carbs when working or the night before to avoid any problems during work.

I eat a lot of steamed veggies (lately it is artichokes, leeks (the white part only) and asperagus). The rest is salads, fruits, meat & fish.

I have found that this is what works for me. I ran out of probiotics a couple of months ago but the effect is still there...Seems that whatever was eating me is under control.

I still get sudden, sharp pains every so often but since they are not all in one spot I assume that they are not symptoms or returning adhesions. 

I think that it is sort of a combination or a little bit of everything and a lot of common sense that has things under control. Can't say that it is just one miracle cure. As soon as the gas returns I will go back onto the probiotics. They seem to help a lot.

I hope that they find out what the problem is and get to the bottom of it.

Sharon

 

 

 

 

What type/brand of probiotics work for you?  I may give it a shot.

Sorry you are having problems with obstructions.  After lots of SBO's I had adhesions removed about 18 months ago.   Unfortunately I had complications and my small bowel suddenly ruptured a week later at home, so I then had to have a laparotomy to repair everything.   Within a few weeks the blockages started again and my Gasto and surgeons all agree they are caused by new adhesions, however removing them is not an option as it is too dangerous and the surgery in itself would cause more.   My small bowel is now permanently semi-blocked and if I eat anything it usually causes a full obstruction, so I live mainly on fortisip and the occasional mouthful of very non-fibrous foods.    

My blockages are also positional.   One of the adhesions I had previously grew out of one part of my small bowel then re-joined it further down creating a closed circle.  This meant that as soon as I was vertical the small bowel above it fell through the circle and got squeezed shut.   My new adhesions are causing the same problem so I find lying down helps.   Sitting and standing up or having tight clothing round my waist usually causes a full obstruction which is relieved by lying down flat.

The other thing that I have found is a help with the gas is to lie down on my front with a pillow under my hips to tilt the bum upwards.  

On the up side I LOVE MY J-POUCH!!!   After 35 years of bowel incontinence I can now hold on for hours YAY.

I hope you find a way to make things better.

Caroline

Update: Tested positive for SIBO.  I was put on Xifaxan, 550mg 3x/day for 10 days.  Today is day 10.  Some days seemed better but other days I still had horrible gas/bloating/discomfort.  What is everyone's experience with SIBO treatment?  Multiple courses of antibiotics?  I've read articles about prokinetics??  I'm supposed to get in touch with my gastro early this week and I'm wondering what questions to ask.

My SIBO was well taken care of by a couple of months of doxycycline. It gave me a nasty bellyache in the beginning, but that side effect went away after the first 5-7 days. I don't think you can solve SIBO in 10 days.

Had SIBO on and off for 2 years. Antibiotics worked but it always came back. Six months ago I started eating 3 meals a day. No snacks in between. Ever. Meals spaced 5 hours apart. The idea being you allow your small intestine to clean itself out. Working great for me. Worth a shot as long as you don't have another condition that requires meals more frequently.

would drinking a coffee a day help flush out the pouch/bowel?

 

I've heard people say on here it helped with pouchitis etc. so I drink one or two skinny lattes a day.

 

Thanks for all the replies! As of right now my GI doc has put me back on xifaxan for a month. Fingers crossed (and I hope I'm not jinxing myself) but I'm already starting to feel a little better! He also wants me to try VSL#3. I'm going to post a new topic regarding that but have any of you tried this??