It's not always whats eating you - but what you're eating.

I've read a couple of disturbing posts by new post ops in their first year complaining about bad gas and/or very loose stools.  Their docs advice is pretty drastic, IMO, and while they are sometimes right - many times they jump the gun and skip the simple stuff. There are always exceptions to the rule, of course, but I feel compelled to share my own experiences of living 7.5 years with my DS.

When it comes to gas / looser than usual stools - start with the simple stuff.

Keep a food log - for more than counting protein and carbs.
What kind of breads/pastas/rice have you been eating?  Some may have bigger effects than others.  I can enjoy Italian bread, but sourdough does a number on me.  Pasta, in more than a handful does too.  Also, watch your dairy.  Straight milk has horrible effects, however anything made with cooked milk is okay for me.   Also remember that whey is a dairy item, and may produce diary effects.   How do I know this?  It takes, time, trial & error, and paying attention.  You'll usually feel the first effects (gas) within a couple of hrs, followed by the after-efffect (loose or explosive stools) overnight.  These are the most common sources of effects - simple carbs and lactose intolerance.  Some get ya, some don't.  We're all different, so pay attention.

Keep your bug colonies happy and healthy
There was a lot of information shared in previous years about keeping our bug colonies in check.  The bugs I'm talking about are those in our guts...the bacteria that lives and breaks down the food in our intestines.  There is a balance of good and bad bacteria, and I've noticed that in those of us (RNY included) who have had our useable intestine shortened, that this balance tends to get out of whack, or at least needs more care to keep in balance.   If out of balance, those horrible smells come and if left too long, bacterial ifections can occur that can be absolute hell to get under control.

Those who have heard about Flagyl as a means to lessen gas and such need to understand how it works.  It's an antibiotic - which kills ALL of the bugs.  After taking it, it's important to repopulate the colony with "good bugs", or probiotics, if you will.  Many are taking this in pill form, but it's amazing the difference a daily dose of yogurt makes for me without the need for taking yet another pill. 

I did several months of Flagyl, and hated the taste of the pill, and the thought of developing a tolerance to antibiotics weighed heavily on me, so I stopped.  I was fine for a while, until I could no longer find my Blue Bunny carb freedom yogurt and didn't eat any for several weeks.  I started getting putrid smelling gas and my stools got more and more loose and I swear the smell stuck to the walls.  I found another yogurt that I loved, and after a few days of taking it, the odors lessened greatly, and the texture of my stool changed and thickened.  This was only from one or two cups a day.    I noticed that when I ran out and didn't eat any for a few days, sure enough - the odor got worse and the texture changed again.  A good "power blast" of probiotic power is Kefir, a yogurt smoothie type drink that is very yummy and packed with protein too.  I do that if I want to get a good boost, and usually notice a difference overnight. 

So, the moral of my story on this smell and poo issue is before you complain to the doc, take a check at what you're eating and how much control you really have.  Being a new post-op, this is all new, so its hard to expect what's normal and what's not.  I try to give this advice in a post here and there when I'm on, but I"ve noticed a trend lately.  Please share this when i'm not around.

Good post.

Great post, Val!  Good info to store in the "DS reference" folder!

 Great post and oh so true.   I've seen people come on here and start sobbing that they need a revision because of the gas and loose stools and all they needed to do from the get-go was to cut out the carbs.    That's not to say that there aren't a few valid cases of necessary revision, but what comes out of our butt CAN be greatly controlled.    Also, for what it's worth, I know of an individual who is not on these boards who was having a severe bacterial overgrowth issue - loose, burning, horrible-smelling, foamy poops in addition to weight loss - and she was placed on Flagyl, to no avail.    As soon as she gave up the mountains of sugary foods she was eating every day, the problem cleared right up, and her weight went up into a healthier range.