Gas had never really been that bad of a problem for me... I have IBS-D, but for the past few months its been getting really bad, cramps and bloating and discomfort all day sometimes. It's usually worse in the morning. I can't really afford to go to the doctor over it though, what's the best over-the-counter meds you guys have found??
Best over-the-counter gas medicine?
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Well there really are not all that many products out there with simethicone in them. Gas X, Beano, Phazyme, etc and of course store/generic brands of simethicone. I prefer a gel tab generic. I take it with meals and when I have to use imodium as that can give me cramping.
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Generally not feeding the bacteria so much food works better than medications. (so less starchy foods or using rice as your main starch and avoiding sorbitol and other -itols either naturally in some raw fruits or in processed foods. Some people have to specifically avoid lactose or fructose but only if they can't absorb/digest those sugars).Simethicone can effect bubble size and make people feel better, but it doesn't do anything for gas in the colon you are farting out while it is in the stomach. So sometimes taking it regularly for 3-4 days with every meal can help you see if it helps you.All the "for gas" things in the store tend to all be simethicone so Gas-X vs anti-gas this or that really isn't all that big a difference.Now some people do well on probiotic bacteria because they don't digest carbs all the way down to gas like other normal bacteria that live in everyone's colon do.If the problem is how it smells rather than how many times a day you fart (or how uncomfortable normal levels of gas are for you which is common in IBS) then Pepto Bismol or other Bismuth containing internal deodorants can help.
I did find that an anti yeast tablet did reduce the amount of bloating. The doctor prescribed something but you can buy the canisten once pill.Im not saying that candida causes IBS because I dont think it does. However I do think that bloating is the result of bad transit and candida and bowel flora produce excess gas.Try an over the counter oral yeast tablet and it may help.Please I repeat I do not think that candida is the cause of IBS but it may be a symptom of poor transit.
I never had any success with probiotics.Im very sceptical of them.I wonder if they even make it past the digestive system. Then they have to compete with existing successful colonies.
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A lot of brands do not work because they are not manufactured right.Assuming you get one that is made correctly (after all most of these in nature get from one person's colon to another person's colon so they can make the journey) then there is the problem of getting the right strain as some do more good than others, and gas volume may not be the source of your IBS symptoms, either.I, personally, went from 25-30 farts a day to less than 3 with probioitcs, once I found a brand that actually seemed to have the right bacteria in it. I can't attribute that change to anything else, and the fart frequency goes right back up within the right amount of time (as probiotics tend to be transients rather than permanent residents in the colon) when I stop taking them.I no longer need them every day, but I do reseed from time to time because I really like not having to fart myself to sleep.
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kayleen,what are the names of the products you use? I know all about farting myself to sleep I must get gas out or I can't sleep. I tried align for years did nothing for me. what do you think of papaya enzyme? does anyone mind when I jump in topics or do I email kayleen or anyone else I have a question for. I'm new to this site so...
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I don't know of any research with papaya enzymes and IBS. Prescription pancreatin has been shown to reduce bloating (not farting as it is the right after a meal bloating).The first one I used was Probiotica (which got sold and isn't under that name) L. reuteri is the species. I've also used Digestive Advantage, Align (althouth it doesn't seem to drop the fart frequency as fast for me it is good for some IBSers so it can work for some people), GNC Potent Acidophilus, Jarrodophilus and, The Vitamin Shoppe Ultimate Probiotic is what I am taking now.VSL#3 and Culturelle are two other brands that have data for them and seem to work for some people.Jumping in on a topic is usually just fine. If you have the question when reading the topic, there probably are other people asking the same thing.
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um so which are you using now and what worked best for you? i've heard good things about philip's colon health...is prescription pancreatin natural? is it expensive do u know? I like to go the natural way with supplements and no prescriptios except for taking birth control
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It is jsut enzymes so I would count it as natural. You can buy it over the counter as a dietary supplement (the prescription version is what was tested) and I've had good luck with pancreatin I've bought (Vitamin Shoppe has it alone and I've gotten it in blends).Right now I am using the Vitamin Shoppe ones. But all of them have worked for me. We got a new vitamin shoppe store built here and I hit a good sale so picked up the probiotic then. I haven't tried the Phillip's Colon health but they seem like a company likely to put what is on the label in the pill.The prescription Creon is fairly expensive and the higher concentrations are more expensive (like a dollar a pill) but may be covered by insurance and there are a couple of other brands.It is cheaper to buy the dietary supplement version. Vitamin shoppe does sell on-line and so far I've found their store brand to be pretty good and usually a good deal.Vitamin ShoppePancreatin (350 MG)VS-1198100 TabletsValue Price: $7.79
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