Please Help I have gas, farting, since Gastric By-pass!!

Okay, here is a comment from the OTHER side of the foggy fence. I am the wife of a bypass patient. He's almost a year out now, and lost over 100 lbs. Lately, his gas is unbearable. Love him dearly, but good lord... He's even getting pains in his side because it is so bad. And oh heavens, while he sleeps? It wakes me up in the dead of night... from sound AND smell.  All of your comments have been helpful, so hopefully what I have learned he'll take to heart. I plan on calling his surgeon today too... as the loving spouse... to see if maybe he needs to get that med everyone is talking about. In the meantime, I'll pick up some probiotics (my daughter takes them) and inform him of some food changes he should make.

Thanks everyone!!

Hi,

Just came across your posting & was wondering what type/brand of enzymes you are taking?  Dosage, etc.?  Sounds like a great option!

 

Thanks, Caren

Thanks for your post. Could you say the names of enzymes ill try anything  thanks

My surgery was 3 1/2 yrs ago.  The gas started about 1 month after surgery and has been horrific.  It's literally changed my life.  I wish they had been more poignant at the orientation re this.  They said we may get gas that would clear the room, but everybody laughed and they left it at that.  I wish they'd said, it will change your life.  My dr has worked with me alot, but not been able to do too much.  The one thing he has done, is given me a prescription for Flagyl.  It's an antibiotic that kills the bacteria in the colon when I have overgrowth.  The reason I know when I need it is that the gas gets so out of control - both the continual bubbles and farts and the smell gets worse and worse where I can't go anywhere and my family can't stand to be in the same room with me.  Then I take a course of 21 days of Flagyl.  Within 1-2 days, it gets so much better.
Then it's much improved for some time. 
.
As a maintenance, I use the over-the-counter "Gas Relief" softgels along with Devrom.  Devrom is an anti-gas product specifically formulated for people who have had stomach, or intestinal surgery, including bypass.  It helps alot.  I usually take 2 Devrom and 2 Gas Reliefs at the same time, and sometimes, have to repeat.  Also, will sometimes take Tums or other ant-acid at the same time.  The other things I've done that have helped is acidophilus and charcoal.  Devrom can be found at www.Devrom.com.   Haven't tried it yet, but I've been looking online, and they say that there are enzymes you can take if your body has a hard time with lactose or fiber.  (addressing regular gas - not necessarily from gastric bypass)  So I plan to check that out.

Every day between 4 and 6 pm I start rumbling and by 6, I'm in trouble.  I seldom go anywhere in the evenings, and if I fly, I only fly in the mornings.  The doctor that told you gas is natural has NO idea what you are talking about.  Yes, go back and see your surgeon.  That is what I did.  If anybody will understand your problem it will be him.   But even though my Dr understood and is sympathetic and even tries to help me, I really don't think that even he realizes the extent that the gas problem is.  Oh..... www.Flat-D.com has a product that helps.  It goes in your panties and is like a mini-pad depth, but size wise is larger.  It is made of charcoal, so if you do slip and fart, the charcoal filters out at least most of the odor.  That has been VERY helpful. 

Good luck!

Gas is a terrible outcome of Gastric Bypass Surgery, not just Gas but the foulest smelling poo you can imagine.  Anyone thinking that Surgery will turn them into an attractive person may wish to consider this.  The Gastric bypass Gas is not only foul but also it hangs around for ages.

So what can you do? 

Well open a window for a start!

I have tried various things and some things work some of the time but nothing works all of the time. 

To understand how to fix this you need to understand what causes it, well it is not that surprising, you are dumping food into the intestine that has not been broken down by the stomach acid.  As a result the bad smelling bacteria thrive and multiply.

What can make this worse is eating food that is pass its best by date, again this would normally cause you to vomit but this does not happen after surgery.  So the bad bacteria multiply and give you sloppy ploppies.

So the first stop is to nuke any bad bacteria, I find that a healthy dose of Pepto helps this, you can also take something to stop diarrhoea but be warned these should not be taken regularly or you will damage your bowel.

You can try things like  Devrom but it does not work for all

http://www.devrom.com/

So what about controlling what you eat, well after you have nuked the bad bacteria with some Pepto some people swear by probiotic yogurt drinks, but you also have to control the bad things you eat.

The two worst offenders are Sugar and Fat, if you want to test this just go grab a bag of boiled sweets, eat the whole pack and stand by.

The same goes for foods with a high fact content, especially lactose products like cheese.

Other things to watch out for are laxatives, especially hidden ones.  For example many gums that have no sugar have an ingredient called Phenylalanine, this multiplies the effect of the gas.

The same applies for things that constipate you and even for fiber products like bran.

I have not tried Flagyl because taking such antibiotics long term is not a good thing, it helps bugs create defenses and if you get a serious infection anti biotics will not be effective.

Interestingly one thing that helped me was a pain killer that I was prescribed for nerve pain, it  is called amitriptyline, it used to be used as a anti depressant but for nerve pain it is taken in a much lower dose.  It warns of a constipation effect but it has not been that bad but it does seem to have helped with the foulness of my gas.

Every now and then you may notice Gas poo issues have got worse, when this happens start over with the Pepto and then look at your diet.  Do a diary of everything you put in your mouth, usually you will find that lactose, fats or sugars have crept in.

Ultimately all you can do it reduce the effects of this, it comes with the territory with Gastric Bypass.

ABSOLUTELY!!!  I cannot figure out why or how to fix my problem either.  I have tried the Falgyl - it is no help at all.  This problem started with my gastric bypass surgery and I have not been able to find ANY help - Gas X and all the OTC products are a waste of money.  

Sorry to hear you are also having this issue - but I was beginning to wonder if I was the only one!
Debbie

I have the very same issue that you do.  I think this is part of the gastric bypass surgery.   I am not sure there is much we can do.   I have tried to watch what I eat this doesn't matter.  It is so embarrassing and I am not sure what to do>   I have spoke with the doc and he says it is what it is.    I would do the surgery again, but this part is just unbearable.  My family hates this part.  My husband and I don't sleep together any longer and he is no longer intimate with me for fear I will fart.  How awful is that.  I feel your pain. 

Try posting on the DS board here. DSers have a greater bypass, so we have a greater potential for these problems---but we've researched the hell out of the issue, and most of us have conquered it.

I was relieved when I read this, I'm so glad I'm not married, my husband would have divorced me a year ago. Gas and farting all day long! It's embarrassing at work. I had my surgery one year ago January 31. I have lost 110 pounds, I'm very happy about that. I wish I could do something about the gas. I'll let you know if I find something that works.

I am going to begin researching having an alteration or revision to my GB surgery.  I had a biliopancreatic diversion in 2001 (with no duodenal switch...they had stopped doing that by then).  In the 12+ years since then, I have completely restructured my life to one of healthy eating and a ton of exercise. I have maintained a an average of 270-285 lbs consistently (I'm 6'4" and lift weights). I married a health nut and we have built our family around a healthy life style for our young children.  Having said that, I feel as if that 430 lb guy I used to be is long gone.  The habits, the BAD habits, the reasons I binged in the first place have all been dealt with extensively and with great freedom.  Now, I have grown completely tired of all the terrible side effects of the surgery.  The chronic and painful intestinal bloating,  the horrible flatulence and bowel movement odor, the massive amounts of daily custom compounded vitamins I have to take, the B-12 injections, the severe anemia I experienced and the months of iron infusions that resulted from it, ...the diarrhea and constipation, the embarrassingly loud gut noises my stomach makes, the never knowing if medicines are being absorbed properly, the bathroom emergencies and on & on & on.

 @ Specialbetty, ...I was warned way ahead of time about the terrible gas pains, flatulence and other side effects but I NEEDED this surgery badly to move forward with my life.  I can't believe your doctors and nurses didn't tell you about that.  It's like the number one side effect of this whole deal.

  I'm to the point now where I want my old digestive track back but I doubt anyone will do it.  I've read about the risks but I'm hoping my situation is somehow different and they can help me without major risk. I don't need or want anything done to my stomach as I can eat normal quantities of food happily.  I just need this terrible gas and odor to go away for me, for the people around me, for my wife and for my sex life.  Oh hell yeah, ...it's not a very attractive characteristic in a love making partner.

  Would love to hear anyones thoughts and good luck, ....God bless to all.