Managing Gas - Seeking Advice on Products or Dietary Tips

I find sometimes I have gas no matter how careful I try to eat right. I'm still learning but was wondering if there were a product that can be taken to help with that. Beano or Ovol or something like that? Or things to eat that help? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.

If you're ballooning, and your output is blocking the filter, try to keep the filter clean. When this doesn't work, I use Gas-X.

I tried Osto-Ez-Vents but I never figured out how to use them. Try different over-the-counter choices and take immediately after eating.

Good luck.

I just let the air out. I hate taking any type of medication if I don't have to. Your diet will dictate how gassy you are.

If you don't eat, does this cause gas? A doctor told me that once. But you're right, less meds is better. I just wish I was more in control. Lol.

It might. I know they say you can swallow air so maybe. About the only thing that really affects me with gas is beans, like in Mexican food. Otherwise, I don't have much gas and I eat about anything.

Words of Encouragement from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister

Chewing gum can cause gas or vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, onions, cabbage etc.

I've not been eating these things (which I miss). Pretty much can't eat any veggie, can you? I miss Subway, lol

Hi Daisy, why are you not eating these things? Is it because they cause gas, or because you think you might get a blockage? Have you tried the vegetables you love and miss? Just wanted to say, I would not assume anything without trying. Many people are told when they get an ileostomy that they can't eat certain things, and it may not be true at all. Everyone is different and you need to find out for yourself. I have an ileo and I eat anything, including all those vegetables. As far as gas goes, I have tried GasX and don't really think it works anyway, so I just let the gas out of my pouch as needed. It doesn't really bother me. You can also get gas from drinking carbonated beverages.

Terry

I'm not eating these things because of both gas and blockage. :( The dietitian at the hospital told me not to eat certain things including these veggies.
I was thinking since I only have my small bowel these types of drugs may not get absorbed anyways so it may be pointless. This makes me wonder about Imodium too, as I wanted to try that when my output is too high. I gave up carbonated drinks when I got sick this time around so I'm good there!

I should maybe reintroduce foods to my diet. I'm just always scared it "won't be worth it". Last time I had an ostomy (this is my second one) I used to eat everything but I was young and less paranoid. Lol.

Gas-X works for you?

I don't think the pouches I use have a filter. They say it does but I don't see how it releases air. I use Coloplast one-piece system.

Some people with ileostomies do have trouble eating certain things, but it tends to be people with lots of scarring from multiple surgeries or disease. Every situation is different, and it bugs me that professionals like dieticians make sweeping statements like that. You should introduce those veggies, a little at a time, to be careful, and just chew really well, and wash them down with lots of liquids. Life is too short to deny yourself things you really like, especially when those things are good for you! You may be right about the Gas X not working because of only having your small bowel. I've thought of that before, and they sure don't seem to do anything for me. The pouches with vents or filters always get plugged up with output anyway, and so they don't really help much. Burping your pouch is still the best way to go.

Terry

Yes, not eating or going long periods of time without eating can cause excess gas in ileostomies. If you had a J-pouch, your system may react pretty similarly except now everything goes into your bag. At least mine does, but my J-pouch wasn't doing well for years before my recent ileo surgery, and everyone reacts differently to food. I burp my bag when ballooning and try not to worry about it as much as I used to.

Hi, my mom has had her colostomy since August 2022. When she first came home, we had a nutritionist come to our house and she advised that cranberry juice and yogurt can help with gas. Maybe you can try that and see if it helps.

When my mom was in the hospital, she received a chart that listed foods that cause obstructions, foods that are gas-producing, odor-producing, etc. It wasn't until we met with the nutritionist at home that we learned my mom can still eat the foods on this chart. The nutritionist explained that the chart is really meant for people immediately post-op but now that it was over a month since her surgery, she advised my mom could slowly reintroduce foods. She recommended reintroducing foods and trying each new food for three days to see how her body reacts to it.

The nutritionist also recommended to eat small bites and to chew well!!!

Just a little side note, my mom uses a bag with a filter. We tried bags without filters but they would balloon up too much. We were advised that the filter helps expel gas. If you aren't using a bag with a filter, I think you should ask for some free samples.

My mom occasionally still gets gas now but it's so much better than before. If she gets gassy, we just open the bag and let gas out.

Hope this helps!!

No gas here and I eat everything ......

I have to do the armpit thing ...

I think it's from not eating enough...

I was eating yogurt every day and stopped. I think this was helping because my problem only just started to happen... Probiotics sometimes have up to 4 grams of fiber and I was told once to try not to eat anything with higher than 1 gram of fiber if I can. I thought they would be the same as yogurt as far as that goes, anyways.

Thanks for the info!

Yes, I thought that was true that not eating can cause gas. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. I did have a jpouch, yes.
I'm trying not to worry so much, but I'm about to go back to work and I'm nervous it will balloon up or someone will notice....
I had a worn-out feeling for so long and just feeling like crap. I wonder how long my jpouch wasn't working properly. Sorry to know that you had a failed one too :(

Daisy2023,

Your very welcome!! If you can, I would try to speak to a different dietitian. Every situation is obviously different but for my mom, we were told at the hospital to eat low-fiber foods immediately post-surgery. She was hospitalized for 30 days then rehab for 2 weeks before coming home. I had a dietitian from the Visiting Nurses Association come to the house as soon as she got home and it was so helpful. She advised we should be gradually increasing fiber. She even gave us some sample menus with suggestions to follow for a low-fiber diet, fiber-restricted diet to medium-fiber diets. She had advised that she wanted my mom to follow the 15 grams of fiber per day and then gradually increase. There were suggestions on what to eat for breakfast, snack, lunch, another snack, dinner, and a third snack.

Maybe there is a reason you were told to not eat that much fiber but I would certainly get a different opinion.

I think as your body is healing, it is advised to avoid certain foods that can cause gas, obstruction, etc., but as you recover, I would think you should be able to reintroduce new foods again. Just start with small amounts and see how you feel after eating them. One other thing my mom's nutritionist recommended is only try one new food at a time. If you try more than one new food, and your body doesn't react well, you won't know which food caused it. If you do increase fiber, make sure you drink more water along with it. The nutritionist said the higher amount of fiber you eat, the higher amounts of fluids are required.

By the way, some of the gas-forming foods that the nutritionist advised us of are beans, lentils, broccoli, onions, garlic. When she was advising my mom to try the beans, she recommended having 1/4 cup. (small amount)

Hope this helps!

I was looking at some of the papers I received from the hospital and from the nutritionist when we got home and missing meals can cause gas! I didn't realize this.

I copied and pasted some things for tips following surgery:

"You may find that your appetite is not as good as before surgery, so eating small amounts about every 2-4 hours is recommended. Keeping a regular schedule for meals and snacks can help reduce gas and result in better absorption of the nutrients from the foods.
Eat meals and snacks at the same times each day."

"To reduce gas, avoid chewing gum, drinking with straws, carbonated beverages, smoking or chewing tobacco, eating too fast, and skipping meals. Missing meals can cause the small intestine to be more active and increase gas and watery stools. There is a "lag time"_ the time from eating a gas-producing food and actual release of gas is 6-8 hours for distal colostomy patients."

Not sure how accurate this is but it's from a printout my mom received about colostomy nutrition therapy.

In the beginning, I made so much gas it was absurd, everything made gas and tons of it. I tried X-gas and the others and started farting left and right in a mall, had the opposite effect.

So, in desperation, I started using the Hollister high-output, which falls down and makes it hard to see the ballooned bag, but it's transparent. Then, Coloplast which is opaque. I found wearing these large bags made it easier to hide, counterintuitive but it's true.

Before I switched to the large bags, I used the ez-vents and they worked really well, they are easy to use and you place them on a bag in no time once you practice a bit. But, didn't need them once I transferred to a large bag just because they hide everything, but kept making gas wholesale. Fast forward to now and I make a normal amount of gas now, nothing to worry about unless I eat pastries, or some chocolates. What happened was I was forced to change my diet completely, I used to eat tons of bread, Italian stuff, doughnuts, pastries, I'm dangerous in a bakery.

You need to learn your digestion in and out, what does what, and when and how. What is the process of each food and their combination as it enters your mouth, the more you know this, the more you will be in control, takes time. I started a journal myself. All this led me to change my diet to a much healthier diet and now all that pastry stuff are treats, not a daily diet anymore. I lost weight which is great and have tons more energy, so it worked out but the gas was a big problem and all due to a lack of knowledge and experience in the beginning. Took me time to realize I had to change my diet due to the gas, and learn what each food was doing, and combinations of food also. Now, I eat everything, I just know what and when, and where also, how much is a problem sometimes LOL.

I could have seen a nutritionist but didn't think of it, that would have helped tons in the beginning.

I had my first blockage after ten years the other day, it was because of a bag of very buttery popcorn, not nice, almost ended up in the ER. I never had a problem with popcorn, or any food, mushrooms are not a problem, just a pain and love that stuff so much.

Good luck with work. I had a terrible experience at one job once lol, funny now but not then. Make sure you know where the bathroom is and carry a small thing for odor. Plan your diet really well. Like when you go swimming to the lake, same thing, plan it, other than that you'll do great, nothing to worry about.

I can't understand why you would be told not to eat fiber, unless they were referring to the weeks just after surgery, when your body is still healing and there is swelling that can cause blockages. Once you are healed, there should be no foods that are off limits. Just be careful, as others have said, and introduce new ones in small amounts to see how you tolerate them. I eat a very high fiber diet, whole grains, all the veggies, fruits, seeds, nuts, beans, everything. The key is chewing really well and keeping well hydrated. There are certain foods that you can't break down really well with chewing, pineapple as an example, because it's really fibrous. I will just spit out the bits that I can't break down enough.

Terry

Hey, did someone steal your picture and create another account with it?

Some bowel gas is normal. Excessive bowel gas is caused by either air you swallow or food you eat. Both have completely different remedies.

As you can read above, everyone is different. My throw out is test and tune, you will find what you can tolerate and what you can't. Please just live your life as close to what it was as possible. We all have been thrown a major curve ball in life that means we will be stronger when we succeed. Initially I was scared to death of what to eat and what not to and then I finally turned the corner and decided it was time to get my life back to normal as close as possible. After 40 days most in ICU, I was released after a ruptured colon, lost over 65lbs, couldn't hold my cell phone to my ear, I was referring basketball and umpiring baseball in 6 months after rehabbing. Life is as close to normal as I can get fit.

Test and tune your body.

You all got this!!!

Marlen used to make pouches with a very effective gas relief valve. It was part of a two-piece system with a pouch and a separate plate. I have been using it since my ileo surgery in 1974. When I was told by my supplier they would no longer be manufactured, I bought all I could find. I worry about the day when I use the last pouch with the valve!
I am sure Marlen had a good financial reason for eliminating the product, but that does not help us old-timer ostomates.