Managing persistent gas after a new ileostomy can be quite challenging, especially when you're just six weeks post-surgery. If you're experiencing constant and extreme gas that causes your pouch to balloon, you're not alone. Here are some tips and insights that might help you manage this situation:

1. Eliminate or limit gas-promoting drinks and foods:
- Steer clear of all carbonated beverages like soda, sparkling water, and beer.
- Be mindful of foods that commonly trigger gas, such as baked beans, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumbers, onions, dairy, nuts, radish, soy, sprouts, apples, asparagus, melons, mushrooms, corn, broccoli, spinach, cheese, and root vegetables.
- Some people find corn or corn-based snacks particularly troublesome.

2. Watch behaviors that introduce extra air:
- Avoid drinking with straws and chewing gum.
- Eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly to minimize swallowing air.

3. Consider your appliance:
- Use a pouch with an integrated filter. Although these filters can clog quickly, they can still help vent gas before the bag balloons.

4. Medications and supplements that others have tried:
- Generic Imodium (loperamide) with an anti-gas component may help, though it doesn't work for everyone.
- Beano (alpha-galactosidase) can be taken before meals to reduce gas from complex carbohydrates.
- Atrantil was suggested by your gastroenterologist, though no users have reported personal results yet.
- Gas-X (simethicone) and Lactaid (lactase enzyme) were mentioned as ineffective for you, but they might work for others.

5. Time and adaptation:
- It's common to experience significant gas in the early postoperative period. Many people find that both output and gas volume decrease as the bowel adapts over the first few months.

6. General encouragement:
- Remember, managing gas is an ongoing learning process. The community is here to support you, so feel free to reach out with more questions as you navigate this journey.