Hi--
if I had your problems, this is what I would try.
1) I'd go to the drug store, get some powdered activated charcoal, and put 2 (two) tablespoons of it in
a glass of water, etc. and drink it down. This should get rid of the bloat. Charcoal adsorbs poisons and gases in the stomach and bowels, several times the size of the powder. When the charcoal is "activated" it
has many surfaces with which to adsorb (not absorb) those gases. Charcoal can be constipating, so drink
lots of water with it.
2) I'd make sure I drank 8-10 glasses of water a day. But don't drink with meals. That dilutes your
digestive juices and slows digestion. Then the food sits there longer waiting for stronger acid to digest
the food. As the food sits there, it ferments (carbohydrates, sugars) and/or putrifies (proteins) leading to bloat. This leads to big bellies and GERD! Seen any big bellies lately? Everybody drinks pop, etc. with their meals! If you drink plenty of water in between meals, a small amount before meals and two hours after meals, this should work. If you are not in the habit of doing this, it may take a while doing this for your body to grow accustomed to the routine.
3) Then, I'd take a sparing amount of probiotics which promotes the growth of the good bacteria in the gut.
This will help regularity. If the good bacteria are lacking, this will allow diarrhea. Probiotics seem to firm
up the bowels. Whereas, antibiotics kill the good and bad bacteria in the gut.
4)With an ostomy, grape juice or pineapple juice is a great laxative in my case. But I must be aware,
it will digest my seal as well.
5)Without an ostomy, I would try one teaspoon of unroasted chicory root to one cup of water.
Gently simmer 20-30 minutes, strain and drink at bedtime. Good bowel movement follows in the morning. But everybody is different. See what works for you. This worked for a lady that had poor bowel function.
6)Hope this helps! Good luck and God Bless! dt