# What probiotics help most with gas reduction? Also, has anyone found probiotics that help with embarrassing bowel sounds?



## LemonLime789

I've tried so many kinds of probiotics, but none really did the trick. I am hoping there's something out there that really works!


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## trey_a

Hi, there is a good article by a doctor at UNC here: http://www.expertinsightscme.com/pdf/IBS-Pt2-NL.pdfI've read it a couple times but if you don't want to read it then I can sum it up for you. There are only a handful of probiotics that have undergone any kind of clinical trial. A few of them had positive results regarding bloating but seemed to also be constipating in nature. The only one that decreased bloating and didn't show any negative effects was B. infantis which is Align. That's what I'm going to try very soon for my bloating. Hope this helps. If you've already tried Align and don't have issues with constipation already then you should at least check out the chart in this article and see what others you might want to consider.


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## Cherrie

Hi, to piggy bank on what Trev said, maybe you could also try adding Gas-X or Beano? They are not probiotics, but gas reduction meds. A combination of meds may work better than taking just one. Gas-X breaks down big air bubbles into smaller ones so that they are easier to pass. Beano prevents gas from forming.


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## Kathleen M.

In theory any probiotic could reduce gas production from starchy/sugary foods.That is because by definition these species have a different kind of metabolism so they don't break down carbs to gas but stop before that and create other compounds out of carbs. (small, but not ones that form gas).However several things have to happen before it helps.1. The pills actually have bacteria in them that are not all dead.2. The pills actually have the species or strains the label says.Regulation of dietary supplements is not that great, so you can get a lot of worthless pills of all kinds out there.Once you find one that actually has live bacteria.3. That strain actually likes to grow in humans rather than being one that is good at growing in vats.4. That strain interacts with all the bacteria in your colon in a way that lets it get going well.5. There is nothing in the pill you react badly to (some people don't do well with certain of the "prebiotics" in a lot of these pills like inulin)6. That strain interacts with you in a way that helps your IBS.7. You take it long enough for them to get established.They are not a quick fix. Usually it takes a few days to a few weeks to see the benefit.Even when a group of people try 2-3 brands of ones that are all clinically tested and should actually get going in a person you find that some people do well with one of those brands and not with others.And no one treatment works for everyone. you might need to reduce starches in the diet, avoid chewing gum, slow down while you eat, and other things that make you swallow more than usual (like anxiety) in addition to making less gas.Remember not all bloating, pain, or noise is only because of gas. You may get to where you don't fart but once a day and still have bloating, pain or noise because gas is only one little part of the equation.That being said. Good brands where people usually find one of them that works (if any ever work are)VSL#3, Digestive Advantage, Culturelle, and Align. I would start with those if you haven't tried them.They cannot directly alter the amount of noise your gut makes. Everyone's gut makes noise. EVERY ONE. Well except for people who are so obstructed they need medical intervention so they don't die, but that pretty much means everyone.How much noise can be effected by how much gas is in there. But a lot of the noise is from the muscles of the colon moving around the liquid that is required for you to digest your food. You can't try to dehydrate yourself out of intestinal noise, it isn't good for you. We often get sensitized to the gut noises and may hear them much more even when they aren't any louder than they used to be. We are just paying a lot of attention to them. If you aren't disrupting meetings all day long I would try to ignore the noise as much as you can. You can usually hear things going on in your gut that NO ONE else can hear unless they have their ear to your belly. Even if someone else hears it, a joke about it is good to know everything in there is working today and then moving on to whatever is really important can take the burden off you and everyone else.


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