What works for gas?

Don't usually have gas, though sometimes with some foods and it's tough because it lasts awhile and its uncomfortable with all the bloating.

Iv'e seen OTC things for it, like Beano, charcoal tablets and gas-x. (taken before, during and after eating).

Anyone had succes with them?

No, I try to avoid otc pills of any kind for gastro problems. Careful diet usually keeps gas to a minimum. I use lactose-free milk, avoid carbonated drinks, heavy spices, onion, caffeine, & raw veggies. Usually eat plain boiled rice &/or farina if calming is needed. / (Old Hat (nearly 30 yrs with left-sided UC; currently on 3 Colazal daily for maintenance of remission)

I use Gas-X - the dissolvable strips and they work pretty good. Many Uc'ers have a hard time with raw fruits or veggies because we are unable to break them down properly. Especially corn - even healthy people can not digest the kernel shell and for us it can aggravate an already sore colon. Even in remission I can't tolerate raw fruits or veggies in excess. I think moderation is the key. I do drink coffee though in the mornings because it helps to get things "moving". What works really good is a food diary. You mark down everything you eat and the reaction you feel after eating a certain food - but you have to remember that it takes about 12-72 hours before any digested foods reach the colon. So lets say if you eat corn, not think about it but then 12 hours later you have massive D - you can then look back at the diary and say Ah ha! Theres the culprit! Especially if the same thing happens repeatedly because then you will have a common component to your discomfort.

Hi :)....are you using any rectal meds at this time?

q

Yes, corn can be very hard to digest, even for people w/o GI issues. It lingers in the gut, which is why gastros specifically instruct colonoscopy patients to avoid eating it for some days prior to procedure. I myself do o.k. in remission if I eat a fresh ear of "Peaches 'n' Cream" variety (white & yellow kernels) from our summertime farmers' market-- probably because the shells are super thin. I agree with Red_34 that keeping a food diary for a while can be very helpful toward finding & eliminating items that make you uncomfortable. An occasional TUMS won't hurt but many otcs have questionable ingredients that are best avoided by IBDers. The safer route is to eliminate problem foods-- you can learn not to miss them. A friend of mine with epilepsy convinced me of this yrs back; it was great advice! / Old Hat

Thanks all for your sagely, experienced advice.
Red_34 - I'm a big veggie-vore, have lots of raw fruits and veggies every day. hmm...a food diary sounds like a practical way to go about pinpointing what causes the gas.
Quincy - Not on any rectal meds, only on Asacol the past 6 months, since remission began and it seems to be doing a great job.

Old Hat - Man, its hard to think about giving up raw fruits and veggies, they're a staple of my diet as I'm not into eating lots of starches and carbs, though the few servings I have daily are whole grains. It's gonna be a whole new mindset. You make it sound do-able though...thanks for the positivity!

corn = baaaaaaaaaad.... makes for a great machine-gunning effect... honestly though i have zero tolerance for corn, and love the stuff.... :(

i find that in my situation foods are definitely the culprit for most gas. milk, pasta, taco bell - or any fast food for that matter, pizza, food with lots of simple carbs, most veggies either cooked or not cooked......when i think of it, if it tastes good, i'll get gas.