Posted 7/8/2023 1:39 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Everyone,
It's been a long time since I last visited this forum and I see it's been almost a year since the last post here but this particular subject is close to me as I had been searching for an answer myself for many years. My short answer: I use a combination of Beano and IBGard, depending on where the gas is giving me trouble. If it's in the stomach I take Beano and if it's in the small intestine (lower abdomen) I take IBGard. If you like peppermint tea, you could try that instead of the IBGard for mild issues.
After I was diagnosed with Crohn's in 2002 and had my first surgery 1.5 years later, I started experiencing MAJOR gas issues, the kind that sounded like rushing water with lots of gurgling and lots of times cramping. I tried everything I could get my hands on and 99% of the OTC failed; mostly because of unwelcome side effects. In 2015 I gave Beano a try, it worked for the gas in the stomach but not in the intestine. In 2016 I came across IBGard ... I've been swearing by those two OTC for the last 7 years. Very rarely do I use Bentyl for some of the more persistent cramps. From 2010 till 2017 I was on Imuran then I had to switch to Humira because Imuran was the main cause of my anemia and, in combination with surgery that same year, almost completely depleted my iron but that is another story.
My husband (he has no major health issues and is not a big believer in any OTC) thought me crazy until he started to have severe indigestion/gas issues himself that would not go away. He finally gave in and tried them a few times and... you guessed it, he is now swearing by it as well. Like with everything else in life, everybody is different. What works for me/us might work for you as well or maybe not. I wish anyone who is reading this good luck and I hope it will work for you as it does for us