Gas,gas and more gas...Will it stop?

 I am four weeks post-op and I have a pretty much constant problem with horrendous foul smelling gas.  I am grossing myself out with it.  Even my dog runs away from me.  At work I run out to the ambulance bay numerous times throughout the day to relieve myself since there are only very public bathrooms that I keep stinking up.  

I'm thinking maybe I have lactose intolerance but can't say for sure.  I do eat a lot of dairy...cheese, yogurt, skim milk.  I use whey protein but mix it with water.  Is this just a phase?  My husband returns from 3Weeks in Hong Kong on Tuesday and I think he will find spending time with the new smelly me a bit revolting.  Even I feel that way.  

I am meeting with my surgeon and the nutritionist on Tuesday to discuss my diet and these issues.

Christine

Sounds very much like lactose intolerance. I had that issue early out. The gas and frequent bowel movements came under control when I eliminated dairy. Fortunately, lactose intolerance associated with gastric bypass is often temporary. In my case, I was able to slowly increase my dairy intake. I don't think I have any lactose intolerance at this point (about 9 1/2 months post op).

At 18 months, I still have gas.  I don't think I am lactose intolerant because I have it no matter what.  Although it is better than it was when I was early out, it is still there.  Not as smelly.  I think it is just part of my new system. 

It is very possible that you are lactose intolerant.  There are a few ways to find out.  You can avoid it for 2 weeks completely and see if you get better (note that whey protein has dairy in it - whey isolate doesn't), you can continue to use dairy and use lactaid pills and see if that works.  Then the true way of knowing is via testing.  Here is information I got from the Mayo clinic website about lactose intolerance testing methods - note the liquids used is high sugar, so if you dump - you might have a problem

FROM THE MAYOCLINIC:

Your doctor may suspect lactose intolerance based on your symptoms and your response to reducing the amount of dairy foods in your diet. Your doctor can confirm the diagnosis by conducting one or more of the following tests:

• Lactose tolerance test. The lactose tolerance test gauges your body's reaction to a liquid that contains high levels of lactose. Two hours after drinking the liquid, you'll undergo blood tests to measure the amount of glucose in your bloodstream. If your glucose level doesn't rise, it means your body isn't properly digesting and absorbing the lactose-filled drink.
• Hydrogen breath test. This test also requires you to drink a liquid that contains high levels of lactose. Then your doctor measures the amount of hydrogen in your breath at regular intervals. Normally, very little hydrogen is detectable. However, if your body doesn't digest the lactose, it reaches your colon and ferments, causing hydrogen and other gases to be released, absorbed by your intestines and eventually exhaled. Large amounts of exhaled hydrogen measured during a breath test indicate that you aren't fully digesting and absorbing lactose.
• Stool acidity test. For infants and children who can't undergo other tests, a stool acidity test may be used. Undigested lactose ferments in the colon, creating lactic acid and other acids that can be detected in a stool sample. The lactose tolerance test and the hydrogen breath test may be dangerous for infants and children who can't tolerate high levels of lactose required for those tests

The stool test might be a good option for us since it doesnt' involve drinking a high sugar content liquid.  I did the breath test to get diagnosed but that was long before my RNY - I was actually the first patient to be tested by this method at my gastro doctors office.  I failed miserably

Thank you so much for your responses. I will attempt to eliminate dairy...so hard since I have a fridge full of it right now and really can't afford to waste the food.

Christine

Milk, beans, SA - and simple carbs. All of those give me a lot of gas. One way to find out - eliminate them from your diet for at lest 3-4 days, the introduce one product a day. You will know what is causing the gas.