Gas gas gas

I have a lot of gas also. I just started to flare yesterday, and I will be curious to hear others responces to your question. Are you flaring at the moment?

Janice

Gas in the gastrointestinal tract has only two sources. It is either swallowed air or it is produced by bacteria that normally inhabit the intestines, primarily the colon. Swallowed air is rarely the cause of excessive flatulence. The usual source is the production of excessive gas by intestinal bacteria. The bacteria produce the gas (hydrogen and/or methane) when they digest foods, primarily sugars and polysaccharides (e.g., starch, cellulose), that have not been digested during passage through the small intestine. Sugars that are commonly poorly digested (maldigested) and malabsorbed are lactose, sorbitol, and fructose. Lactose is the sugar in milk. The absence of the enzyme lactase in the lining of the intestines, which is a genetic trait, causes the maldigestion. Lactase is important because it breaks apart the lactose so that it can be absorbed. Sorbitol is a commonly used sweetener in low calorie foods. Fructose is a commonly used sweetener in all types of candies and drinks.

Starches are another common source of intestinal gas. Starches are polysaccharides that are produced by plants and are composed of long chains of sugars. Common sources of different types of starch include wheat, oats, potatoes, corn, and rice. Rice is the most easily digested starch and little undigested rice starch reaches the colon and the colonic bacteria. Accordingly, the consumption of rice produces little gas. In contrast, the starches in wheat, oats, potatoes, and, to a lesser extent, corn, all reach the colon and the bacteria in substantial amounts. These starches, therefore, result in the production of appreciable amounts of gas.

:)

Yes I take a probiotic and also psyllium powder. I also avoid dairy except for the probiotic and yougurt, and exist mostly on rice as a carb. The gas issue is always a problem when I flare, and, to be royally indiscreet and explicit, when you are mucousy, you can't just let rip with the gas - it carries the mucous out with it. What a life.

i too get the mucousy gas which is a real pain, my doc tells me i have the access gas from what im eating so i use bio-zyme its a food enzyme that i take 15 mins before i eat and it totally reduces the gas. with all the holiday food ive been eating...i'm starting to feel a flare so back to the enzymes i go!

I agree, the mucous and the gas seem to be related somehow - when there is one, the other is literally not far behind. And to answer the question about psyllium, I have been taking it in one form or another for probably 18 years.

You said it, Quincy, and those breakings of wind can ruin your day if they occur in the wrong settings. I take the psyllium powder as powder, from a bulk shop and mix it with water twice a day. Works great, when I am not in a flare.

yeah, for about a year i wouldnt dare fart unless i was over a toilet.  no way jose!

now that im in remission i have lots of gas... and everytime, i think to myself...is it gonna be a G & L ..

(Gamble & Lose) or will it be dry?

it really is a dilemma when your out and about.

but i dont know why im so gassy.. im in remission and only thing i take now is mesalazine.

It is the same with me, bigtime gas at night and again in the morning when flaring. When in remission, no big deal, but the experience of the mucous/blood farts haunts you. Ain't life grand?!

Could it be a food sensitivity, or the meds??

Have any of you tried yoga. I know it sounds crazy but it seems to keep my bowels moving so there is not to much build up.

I take a yoga class. It's low impact enough that I can do it even if I'm not feeling the best, but it still gives you pretty good exercise and is relaxing.

Like you, Ledaebel, I am happy to have found this place where it is possible to discuss the hidden horrors and embarrassments of having UC. It actually helps put your own struggle in perspective and to know that even mucousy gas is something people cope with all over the world.