# My story and what should I eat to prevent gas pains



## Melissa W. (Apr 19, 2015)

About a year ago my doctor said that I probably have IBS. My main problem is pain from trapped gas. This usually occurs after I've eaten too much of something that has made my stools loose. This is followed by gas pains later in the day and rebound constipation. The pains can go on for a week or two making it really hard to eat anything. I generally feel fine in the morning and start getting the pains in the late afternoon/evening.

Since adopting a whole foods plant-based diet my gas pains have subsided and I rarely get them. BTW, those pains also seem to be caused by severe stress. I seem to need a huge amount of fiber in my diet to keep me regular which is probably why the plant-based diet is helpful.

Right now I am having an attack of IBS. It started when I ate quinoa a week ago. For some reason quinoa doesn't agree with me. I usually take a charcoal pill for the pains which helps me release the trapped gas. But after taking these pills every day for a week I am now constipated and my stools are black 

What do you all recommend I eat to get my stomach back on track so I can return to eating my high fiber foods? I took a Magnesium supplement last night to help the constipation and that worked. I used to take Magnesium every night before starting on a plant-based diet and it worked like a charm but I'm a bit cautious of taking too much of it now as I don't want it to aggravate my trapped gas pains. 250 mg used to be my normal dosage but last night I only took half of that to play it safe.

Melissa


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

Hi Melissa and welcome to the board

have you tried the low LODMAP diet? that can really help reduce gas. there's a of of information online about it and also here on the board, especially in the diet section. here's one link about it:

http://fodmapliving.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Stanford-University-Low-FODMAP-Diet-Handout.pdf

what i've read is that it's suggested to follow the FODMAP diet strictly for approximately four weeks. after that, what you are supposed to do is challenge each group--such as eat a tablespoon of honey for fructose. Wait a few days and then if nothing happens try another fructose food. and then go on to challenging another FODMAP group, food by food, etc. keeping a food diary really helps.

that's what i've done. i eat a moderate FODMAP diet since i've found that only certain foods bother me, which is good. going strict FODMAP made my constipation a bit worse. .a lot of fodmaps have compounds in them that in addition to being gassy also tend to draw water into the stool and so tend to loosen stools as well as soften them. these are the foods one often finds in diets recommended to help relieve constipation. so the whole FODMAP thing is kind of tricky for those of us with C--a bit of a balancing act, figuring out what foods work best for you, which foods to keep, which to eliminate or reduce, etc.

that's good that the magnesium supplements are helping you. especially with a high fiber diet, you need to make sure your stools stay soft enough to pass easily.

take a look around the board. there's a lot of information here on diet, gas, constipation etc.


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## Melissa W. (Apr 19, 2015)

I have read a bit on the LODMAP diet. The sources I read said soy milk was OK but your list doesn't include it. Today I have tried to stick to LODMAP low foods (just had lunch). My stomach still started hurting with gas pains. I only eat plant-based foods so maybe I'm still having too many vegetables? I had stir fried rice with red peppers, carrots and onions for lunch. Now I see that onions aren't good but my stomach already hurt a bit before eating so not sure that did it. I also had some soy milk in my oatmeal and morning cocoa.

I know it was the quinoa that set me off so I'll avoid it in the future. I usually eat beans and lentils and lots of fruit and vegetables every day without problems so this is just a matter of dealing with this acute period of pain.

What over-the-counter medicines are useful? I've stopped taking the charcoal pills and have something else at home called Gastop which is simethicone.


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

yes, there is a lot of conflicting information about fodmap diets. plus some people find that certain fodmaps aren't a problem for them. that's why it helps to keep a food diary. if a fodmap food doesn't bother you, than go ahead and eat it. some people find that quantity matters--they can tolerate a smaller amount of some fodmaps but not a large quantity of it.

if soy milk doesn't bother you, then go ahead and drink it. onions may or may not bother you--they don't bother me. takes a lot of experimenting.

yes, simethicone does help some people. i don't know what otc meds and supplements are available in israel....some people find that eating a product called beano is helpful. it's sort of a digestive enzyme that you take before you eat a food that you think could cause problems. some people find that peppermint pills or peppermint oil help with gas and pain.

there's more advice here on the board about otc meds and supplements for gas--check out the "even more symptoms" section on the forum list--the gas board/flatulance/bloating board. or you could post your own topic about it either in that section or on the general discussion board.

i hope you have a good gastroenterologist to help you with all this. sometimes abdominal pain can be caused by spasms in the colon. an antispasmodic medication can help with that. ask your doc.


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## Melissa W. (Apr 19, 2015)

Thanks Annie. I haven't seen a gastroenterologist because my doctor said they would want to put a tube up my nose and into my stomach to see what's going on. No thanks on that! Also, I've been MUCH better since adopting a plant based diet. It's just this acute situation I'm in now that I'm trying to get over. Nothing on the Lodmap list usually causes me problems. The only things that irritate me are barley and quinoa, the latter being very bad.

My pains are high up on my stomach and seem to be caused by trapped gas because when I take any of the medications that help you pass gas, it feels better. Sometimes I'll remove my bra because the pressure bothers my stomach. Isn't the colon further down? The pains do feel like spasm recently though. I get these waves of light spasms but they are still high up.


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

i would think it would be possible to just see a gastroenterologist for a consultation and advice etc. i really don't think he/she would put a tube up your nose at the first visit and certainly not without your permission. your doctor really made the whole thing sound needlessly discouraging or so it seems to me.

i don't know if SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth ) is a recognized disease in israel. it is here but i know it isn't in some countries. sibo occurs when you have an overgrowth of bacteria in your small intestine where there really isn't supposed to be any bacteria at all. there is a test for sibo although sometimes it isn't reliable. you could ask your doc about it but many regular doctors don't know much if anything about it. this is another reason why it would be good to see a good gastroenterologist. they are familiar with sibo (in countries that recognize it). often gastro docs that work in a hospital are more knowledgeable and proactive than other gastros. anyway--symptoms of sibo include gas, nausea and bloating, among other things. here is one excellent website with sibo information, there are others and a lot of information here on the board as well.

http://www.siboinfo.com/

some people find drinking fennel tea helps with gas.


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