Help! Having Stomach Issues!!!

I had my surgery almost 1 year ago. In the past couple of months I have been noticing severe gas after everything I eat and severe constipation. I'm at the point of needing to take a laxative for the constipation but i'm scared to as well. I'm not sure if this is normal and it's kind of embarassing but i'm having a tough time with this. I would appreciate any advice or suggestions in regards to this issue.

I would try adding colace in with meds instead of a laxative. It usually helps in a day or so without being a stimulant. Sometimes our bodies are just more irritable. Drink plenty of water, water, water. The generic is docusate sodium it's cheaper

Good luck,
Audra

Thanks for that advice, I will definetly try that. I drink water all of the time because I can't do coffee or unsweetened tea. I'm just tired of having these issues, but if that's the worst I have then I can deal with it.

Thanks again,
Amanda

Gas my dear friend comes with the WLS territory.  I suffer constantly with gas bloating (and sometimes cramping).  There have been times it gets so painful that the release, as aweful as it smells, is worth it.  Now the smell, thats another topic.  :-)  Try taking Gas-X or Phazyme.  Get on a regular schedule with these.  It won't get rid of the gas entirely but it will make it more manageable.  As for the smell, there's a product called Devrom that you can take that will remove most of the smell.  You can also buy a personal air deodorizer called Ozium.  Gas became a problem for me at about a year out also and has been with me ever since.  You can also watch the leafy vegetables and sugar alcohols.  They contribute to the gas production immensely.  Unfortunately the gas is a seldom discussed side effect of WLS that the surgeons often forget to tell us until after its too late.  Now ask me if I would trade my new life for the old because of a little (well maybe a lot) of gas.  I'd answer a thousand times over.  Never.  If gas is the worst thing I have to deal with, I'll take that anyday.  Good luck. 

Dalton

Thank you so much for your advice. I didn't know that this was going to be such a problem, it could certainly be worse. I'm glad to know that i'm not the only one having this issue. Where can I get the Devrom and Ozium from? My diet is super restricted because of kidney stones so i'm very limited on what I can eat vegetable wise and I don't eat alot of cheese but I don't know what is causing my constipation to be so bad. When I say bad, I mean really really bad. I would do this surgery 100 times over, verses being overweight again. Like you said if it's the worse thing I have to deal with then I will take it to!!!

Thanks again,
Amanda

Hi Amanda,

You can usually get Ozium at most drug stores and it's often where they have to deodorizers. It's usually in a very small container and is 'proportionately' expensive. That said, it's VERY effective and just takes a little bit to work. I don't know where to get the Devrom, but you might want to 'google' it. 

To be honest, I don't have much of a problem with gas or constipation as a normal rule. I did when I was about a year to 18 months out, but haven't really had significant issues with constipation since then unless I really let me fluid intake drop dramatically. I have found that Miralax is really the gentlest and easiest thing for me to use and it has been very effective. I don't use it all the time though. 

Good luck,

Barbara,

Hey there, thanks for your advice. I'm not sure what to try but I may give the Devrom a shot. For the most part I get plenty of water in, but I seem to be getting alot of gas from the Water as well. I'm having alot of problem with both the constipation and gas I just don't know what to do. I am willing to try anything, however I am scared that i'm going to get addicted to laxatives or something like that. If you have any suggestions, I would so greatly appreciate it. Thanks so much!

Amanda

Amanda,

The Miralax is what my Drs at Duke suggested and told me to use it as often as needed. I needed it on daily basis for a couple of months and then was able to taper off and never developed any addictive issues. The same has been true for my husband. It is a tasteless, odorless powder that you just mix into your drink of choice. 

If you haven't started to do so yet, you may want to work on adding fiber into your diet. Beans are a great source, but there are also many others. This seems to help with the constipation, but can exacerbate issues with gas, so just be ware. You may also want to try something like Benefiber

Re: the gas associated with water. I'd check that with your Dr. It might be that you are swallowing air when drinking, but I'm not sure about that. 

Thank you for those suggestions! I will definetly give them a try and see what results I can get.

Take a look at www.devrom.com.  You can purchase the products on this website.  The devrom comes in chewable or pill form.  I like the chewables in banana flavor.

Dalton