[prettielady]

Yes, what have i done wrong? I am a beautiful woman (at least i think so)who cannot live a normal life.I noticed my symptoms 12 years ago when i joined the Navy.I would feel a lot of spasms in my stomach follow by a lot, i mean a lot of gas. Very quick i became the subject of all the gossips in boot camp.I did everything humanly possible as far as hygiene is concerned to solve the problem, but impossible to shake the problem.It's been now 12 years, and i still go home everyday heart broken, rejected and misunderstood by my coworkers.I just tranfered to a new duty station, and i already noticed that people started to sniff around me.I just feel like taking a microphone and announce loudly that i have IBS so that may be they will understand and accept me they way i am.I feel so desperate and sometime want to take my life.Yes what i have i done to deserve this?

 

[Kathleen M.]

No one ever does something to deserve whatever illness or disability they have. Have you tried reducing sulfur in the diet to reduce smell? (protein and things like onion and garlic)Have you been tested for TMAU or tried reducing choline in the diet to reduce smell? (not easy to get tested, but there are lists of high choline foods, you need some choline, but will need to limit to a small amount per meal).Can you take pepto bismol (aren't too constipated for that) to absorb the odor?Have you tried probiotics to reduce gas volume?Have you tried lower starch (some people do a gluten free diet) to reduce gas volume? Some people say gluten free also gets rid of odor for them, although I'm not sure the mechanism for that, but may be from lowered volume as gluten foods are also high starch foods.

 

[prettielady]

No one ever does something to deserve whatever illness or disability they have. Have you tried reducing sulfur in the diet to reduce smell? (protein and things like onion and garlic)Have you been tested for TMAU or tried reducing choline in the diet to reduce smell? (not easy to get tested, but there are lists of high choline foods, you need some choline, but will need to limit to a small amount per meal).Can you take pepto bismol (aren't too constipated for that) to absorb the odor?Have you tried probiotics to reduce gas volume?Have you tried lower starch (some people do a gluten free diet) to reduce gas volume? Some people say gluten free also gets rid of odor for them, although I'm not sure the mechanism for that, but may be from lowered volume as gluten foods are also high starch foods.

Thanks Kathleen, for the past 6 months, i stopped eating onions. Pepto makes me constipated.I am scare of taking probiotics thinking it will have some bad side effects, but i will give it a try. I used to eat white rice everyday, but for the past year, i've been eating brown rice only which regulated my BM. But it didn't make the gas go away. What's TMAU?. Please give me an example of gluten-free diet. I'll use all the help i can get.

 

[cookies4marilyn]

Jeff and the moderators are aware of the reported post which has been deleted from view and this will be dealt with appropriately. Thank you.

 

[searching4answers]

Is this leaky gas you're talking about. If it's not the same thing i'm going to say applies anyways. Get tested for SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth). I get what your saying about the stomach spasms and lots of gas and thinking at first it's hygiene related and trying everything to smell clean. And then you know it's not anything to do with hygiene. Just a suggestion, get a hydrogen breath test for bacterial overgrowth done. It might help.

 

[hlp03]

There is nothing you've done wrong. It just is. I know what you are going through. I am still going through it. It totally strips you of your dignity. But you know what, you can;t give up. I used work with people who were idiots that teased me about my gas problem. This prompted me to go to a GI where I was diagnosed with IBS and put on an antidepressant. It helped but didn;t solve the problem. I know what you are going through. I am not sure if this is going to help but look into SIBO. I went to my GI recently for SIBO and he prescribed antibiotics for me. Haven't started yet but hopefully it will work.

 

[marnie]

Nobody can understand what we go through. I returned to work after raising five children so my self confidence wasn't that great to begin with. I knew my gas was uncontrollable but didn't know that it was so smelly because I couldn't smell it myself. I was working in a call centre and the co workers in my pod kept asking to be transferred. Then the uncontrollable diarrhea started too. I couldn't stay at work because I could never know whether I would have to cut a caller short and run (I don't experience any pain just sudden urgency). After I left I found out that my nickname was the 'old stinker'. I was so embarrassed. I have Fibromyalgia and Sjogren's syndrome so am now on disability and I stay home most of the time. I have to have a change of clothes and someone with me if I go in to town to do the shopping. I have had my gall bladder removed and tried low fat, lactose and wheat free diets with no success. I am currently trying Colostid (as per Habba syndrome) but so far it hasn't helped. Fortunately I have a very understanding husband, although at times even he will snap at me to 'go outside with that stench'. I don't think we have done anything wrong to be cursed with this but I must admit that sometimes it feels that everyone would be a lot more comfortable if I wasn't around to 'offend' them.

 

[Kathleen M.]

TMAU is a disorder where you don't process choline effectively and the excess causes foul odors. It is fairly rare, but it can happen.http://www.endowsec.com/pated/edtgs06.htm is a low gluten diethttp://www.endowsec.com/pated/edtgs12.htm is a low flatus diet

 

[Shupatra]

I've tried probitotics thinking it may help my IBS but it actually made me worse. I think it may have overpopulated the "good" bacteria and therefore more gas production occurred. I still get major bloating and foul-smelling gas so I am about to try a wheat-free diet and see if it helps...I just hate the way doctors don't seem that bothered to help you investigate what's causing your IBS... they just expect you to put up with it... and I am getting fed up with that and also with chasing them around trying to get them to do something.