# Best anti-gas pills or supplements?



## Manick (Feb 21, 2010)

I tried gas X ultra strength, and now I'm trying Phazyme 180mg. I switched to Phazyme because I read somewhere from somebody that it could be taken as many times as you wanted every day, unlike what Gas X says. However when I received my order for it, it had the same directions as gas X to take it after meals and take no more than 2 a day. Why are you supposed to take them after meals? My gas isn't usually bad after meals, and it gets worse the longer the day goes by. It also gets worse after bowel movements, and I gradually start bloating up more and more and it feels like there is trapped gas inside of me. I want to be able to take as many anti-gas pills as possible, or figure out the best way to relieve this bloating pain I constantly have. It's not like I eat that many gassy foods either. It doesn't matter what I eat, and it still feels like my bowels have trapped gas especially in the upper left part of my large intestine right underneath my ribcage where I can feel a hard bloated spot.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Usually you want it with the gas when it forms. So taking it with/just after meals means than when the gas forms the simethicone is with the food the gas is coming out of.

The simethicone (so I suspect you'll see similar dosing) is the same no matter the brand, and it stays in the gut. It doesn't go through the blood system to find the gas.

However simethicone is pretty unlikely to be anything you could possibly overdose on so if you wanted to take it with each and every meal and snack it would most likely be safe.

It may take a few doses to see a difference as the gas being formed in the colon isn't anywhere near the simethicone in your stomach right after you take it.


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## Manick (Feb 21, 2010)

Ok thank you. Can anyone share their experiences using simethicone pills? Have you found that taking lots after every meal has helped you, even if you don't eat gassy foods?


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## eitu343 (Apr 15, 2011)

After taking these pills and I mean any kind of anti gas pills, say after a meal, do you get more of a sudden urge to pass wind or more discomfort than normal?


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

So I've used simethicone to offset the increased farting due to metamucil (even back before I had IBS I would fart more when I took it and for awhile I was on high does metamucil for lowering cholesterol).

Took it with the metamucil. I farted less. I did not have more discomfort from the gas.

But I had to take it with the metamucil. Taking it when the farting started didn't do anything.


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## Manick (Feb 21, 2010)

Interesting. I actually have metamucil, but I never used it yet. As a laxative, how would it be different than taking say, Natural Calm (350mg of Magnesium Citrate)? I have been taking this magnesium citrate supplement and the difference between 120% daily value (3 teaspoons) and 80% daily value (2 teaspoons), is the difference between it causing diarrhea or not having any at all. It never actually caused me to fart more though. If anything, I'd WELCOME anything that would cause me to fart, just to keep things flowing.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Metamucil is a fiber so it absorbs water and holds it in the stool, but generally isn't that likely to cause diarrhea the same way an osmotic (like magnesium citrate) does.

Osmotics can pull in a lot more water than the bulk of the stool can hold so can cross over to diarrhea. With the fiber you tend to get less water pulled in, but what is adds to the bulk from the fiber.

Not sure if that made sense or not.


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## nigol (Jul 7, 2012)

what if Metamucil is taken along with the food? would that reduce gas?


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

I don't think it matters much as I think the same amount of fermentable fiber will get to the colon with or without food.

After all fermentable fibers and resistant starch already in the food gets to the colon to cause gas.


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